An incredible project is being planned in Dubai with the goal that by 2040, 80% of the city’s residents will walk or cycle to work.

Dubai will soon have a 93km-long, climate-controlled boulevard called The Loop. “The new boulevard aims to connect more than 3 million residents to healthy transport, services and places by walking and cycling in minutes,” said Dubai-based sustainable architecture firm URB.

According to URB, The Loop will be temperature-controlled year-round, making walking and cycling easier, aiming to make these two types of transport “the main means of daily transport for 80% of Dubai residents by 2040”.

Highlights of this project include using energy from each step to supply the generator in the form of electricity, a zero-emission transportation system, and 100% recycled water for irrigation.

Several wellness hotels could dot the route, ranging from budget to luxury. Developers also plan to build fitness stations and sports fields. Housed in a curved glass structure, The Loop will be filled with greenery, with several parks and playgrounds.

“Dubai is the best place to start a business in urban mobility. The Loop project embodies that entrepreneurial spirit, with the aim of making Dubai the most connected city in the world by walking or cycling,” explains URB CEO Baharash Bagherian.

URB CEO Baharash Bagherian. Photo: Arabianbusiness

“The Loop is the future of urban transport infrastructure, not just a sustainable transport system,” Bagherian added. “Amenity spaces such as entertainment services, various community developments can also be provided. It is truly an exciting mode of transport in all weather conditions.”

The CEO also commented that Dubai is currently built mainly for cars and is not convenient for walking or cycling like in European countries. Therefore, they have to think business-wise in reconnecting residential areas by making cycling or walking the main way of transportation all year round, to any area of ​​the city.

The Loop advances Dubai’s ambition to become a 20-minute city, where residents can reach all their daily needs and destinations within a 20-minute walk or cycle. The goal was announced last year. Similar to The Line in Saudi Arabia’s Neom, a single eco-friendly train will take residents to their next 20-minute commute.

Numerous studies have shown that 20 minutes is the maximum time many people are willing to walk to meet their daily local needs. Other cities around the world that have set goals to become 20-minute cities include Edinburgh, Paris and Melbourne.

The Loop is currently in the research and development phase. If approved, it will pass through all the city’s key areas such as Expo City, JLT, Al Quoz, Downtown Dubai, Meydan and Academic City.

The developers said the exact roadmap has not yet been confirmed and they are finalizing the best options for the project, including the final roadmap, phasing and timelines, The National reported. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed by the end of this year.

If built, residents who use The Loop would be rewarded for their daily steps or cycling efforts. The metrics would be tracked on an app, and the more people use The Loop, the more rewards would be given out.

URB provides master planning and development management services with a focus on sustainable cities. In December 2022, the company unveiled plans for Agri Hub, a new agritourism project in Dubai’s desert that is expected to be the world’s largest agritourism project.

Other projects URB is involved in include XZero City in Kuwait, a sustainable city for 100,000 residents, and Alnama Smart City in Riyadh (capital of Saudi Arabia) for 44,000 people.