Rethinking suburban design: streets v/s alleys in improving network connectivity
Khaled Alawadi, Asim Khanal, Sara Al Hinai
Abstract
The notion of an urban-suburban dichotomy is deep-rooted in the literature, which regularly denigrates suburbs and nostalgically g lorifies urban centres. Meanwhile, suburbs have continued to dominate the urbanization process in many regions. This paper does not reject suburbs as an undesirable phenomenon but instead investigates how suburbs can be improved. Taking Abu Dhabi and Dubai as case studies, the article studies the connectivity efficiency of 32 suburban samples. Results reveal that not all suburbs have inefficient connectivity, but there is a room for improvement. Reclaiming alleys could enhance connectivity by 31% in some areas.
Topics & Concepts
Abu dhabiUrbanizationGeographyEconomic geographyRegional scienceCivil engineeringTransport engineeringPhenomenonUrban designEnvironmental planningUrban planningEngineeringArchaeologyEconomic growthEconomicsMetropolitan areaQuantum mechanicsPhysicsUrban Design and Spatial AnalysisUrban Transport and AccessibilityHuman Mobility and Location-Based Analysis