Dubai-based developer URB has announced a 93-kilometer climate-controlled cycle highway project called “The Loop.” The project aims to connect over three million residents to key services and locations within minutes by walking and cycling. This latest concept is in line with Dubai’s goal to become a 20-minute city by 2040, where residents will have access to daily needs and destinations within 20 minutes by foot or bicycle.
Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB, stated, “Dubai is the best place for entrepreneurship in urban mobility. The Loop project is an embodiment of that entrepreneurial spirit, which aims to make Dubai the most connected city on earth by foot or bike.” The CEO added that the aim is to get more than 80% of people in Dubai to use a bike on a daily basis and re-engineer the future mobility infrastructure in the city to become more than just sustainable transport systems.
The Loop project aims to create a new benchmark for the world’s smartest cycling and walking infrastructure. It will provide an enjoyable climate-controlled environment for walking and cycling to become the primary mode of transport for Dubai’s residents, no matter the weather conditions. The project will be equipped with various amenities and sustainability features that will shape the future of urban mobility in Dubai and beyond.
At present, there is a significant gap in the connections between cycling and public urban transport, and the more the two are integrated, the easier it will become for Dubai’s residents to combine cycling and public transport on their daily commutes over a long distance. Safety and year-round usability are some of the critical issues that the Loop project addresses, and it will provide a paradigm shift from car-centric infrastructure to people-centric infrastructure.
The CEO of URB stated, “Our aim is to think of such infrastructures as spaces and utilities for people, where various leisure and community services can also be provided. These types of infrastructures should be an enjoyable mode of sustainable transport, no matter the weather conditions.”