Abu Dhabi's town planners yesterday unveiled the initial draft of the emirate's first set of development regulations and guidelines for green buildings. The guidelines, announced at the World Future Energy Summit, map the metropolitan area into 35 "zoning-based districts", each with its own rules about building heights and land use. "We do not have a zoning code per se in Abu Dhabi," said Val Zillig, planning manager at the Urban Planning Council (UPC), as the document was shown to selected developers on day two of the summit.
"It is a regulatory framework for all development that is going to happen in Abu Dhabi. It will make things easier for everybody - There will be a level playing field." The code, which follows the principles set out in the Abu Dhabi Plan 2030, could be published by the summer. The UAE has among the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions in the world. Buildings account for a significant part of the carbon footprint and experts have often criticised the existing building stock for promoting energy waste.
The UPC will also revise its pre-concept submission requirements for developers, so that environmental considerations are taken into account early in the process of creating new buildings and communities. @Email:vtodorova@thenational.ae