Mobility in The Sustainable City, Dubai (UAE)

Speaker

Giovanni Circella, Director, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program, UC Davis, Alimurtaza Kothawala, Graduate Student Researcher, 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program, UC Davis

The Sustainable City (TSC) is a zero-net energy development built in the outskirts of Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. This 46-hectare mixed-use development including villas, apartments, offices, retail and restaurant space, healthcare facilities, a school, a nursery, and a conference center was built as part of an effort to promote sustainability in various fields including energy, water, waste management and transportation. This webinar will focus on the mobility aspects in TSC. Researchers from the UC Davis’ 3 Revolutions Future Mobility Program collected and analyzed survey data in 2018 and 2019 among TSC residents and workers, to explore their travel habits, preferences, and motivations behind their travel choices including the adoption of new mobility options such as carsharing and a driverless shuttle deployed in the community and the use of active modes of transportation. The results from the research are being used to assess travel behavior patterns and build an inventory of GHG emissions of TSC, as well as to inform the implementation of a new carsharing system using EVs in the community. The research provides insights into the effectiveness of strategies to improve transportation sustainability and the potential to reduce car dependence and promote policies that work to increase sustainability in this and other similar developments in Gulf Countries and other locations around the world.