While the urban waterfront is crucial to shaping the city image, it also contributes to the quality of life of the city's inhabitants and visitors. The Waterfront of Abu Dhabi city, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has witnessed influential changes in the last 20 years. This research aims at discussing the relationship between urban form and social sustainability in a very recent urban regeneration of a waterfront project in Abu Dhabi city, the Zayed Port's waterfront project. The attainment of the social sustainability principles in the urban regeneration project was explored through examining the existence of these principles through an established theoretical framework. The theoretical framework included the main social sustainability principles of compactness and density, mixed-use and social mix, mobility, equitable access and spatial integration, safety and security, identity of place, and community participation. The utilized qualitative/quantitative tools of the case study method encompassed Space Syntax analysis of the urban form through relevant DepthmapX simulation variables. The assessment results revealed the gaps and potentials related to the application of these principles in the proposed design of the urban regeneration waterfront project of Zayed Port. Based on these outcomes, a set of social sustainability enhancement strategies has been recommended. The applied method with its tools as well as the revealed outcomes is envisaged to be significant to consider in the current and future urban regeneration designs of waterfront projects in the UAE's cities distinguished with their long waterfronts such as Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, and other cities, to assure the achievement of social sustainability principles in this important type of urban development.
Mobility measures have an influential impact on urban social sustainability. This has not been investigated enough in the recent urban waterfront redevelopment projects in United Arab Emirates (UAE). This research aims at first initiating an assessment method for the mobility measures on both the morphological/urban form and urban design levels. Then, it aims at applying this assessment method on Mina Zayed (Zayed Port) waterfront urban regeneration project in Abu Dhabi, as a selected case study. The assessment method relied on an established theoretical framework that defined the principles and indicators of both the mobility morphological measures including Compactness and Density, Mixed-Use Development, Accessibility, and Mobility Networks Connectivity and Integration on the one hand, and the urban design mobility measures including Comfort and Livability, Environmental Quality, Safety and Security on the other hand. The utilized qualitative/quantitative tools of the adopted Case Study method encompassed the expert analysis of the CAD design drawings, Space Syntax Theory application through the DepthmapX simulation variables of Step Depth, Choice and Integration. The initiated assessment method managed to reveal the challenges and potentials of the investigated mobility measures in the analyzed case study. Based on these outcomes, a set of enhancement strategies for mobility measures on both morphological scale and urban design scale has been recommended. These included, among other measures, improving the infrastructure for non-motorized modes of mobility, enhancing mixed land-use of the design, having a more integrated mobility grid and improving accessibility. The research findings proved the validity of the applied assessment method, with its relevant investigation tools, makes it a legitimate revising method for the waterfront urban regeneration designs in the UAE, and in other countries in the region to help significantly enhance the attainment of social sustainability in waterfront urban regeneration projects.
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