Designed by URB, The LOOP is a 93-kilometer-long sustainable highway that aims to encourage Dubai’s residents to opt for a healthy mode of transportation. The structure provides a climate-controlled all-year environment to make walking and cycling the preferred type of transportation in the city. The initiative aligns with Dubai’s 20-minute city initiative, which hopes to see 80% of Dubai’s residents commute to work by walking or cycling. The project is currently in the research and development phase.

“Our aim is to re-engineer the future mobility infrastructure in Dubai to become more than sustainable transport systems. To think of such infrastructures as much as spaces and utilities for people, where various leisure & community services can also be provided. These types of infrastructures should be an enjoyable mode of sustainable transport, no matter the weather conditions. - Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB.”

The project aims to reduce car dependency by offering opportunities for walking and cycling and by integrating essential amenities into its design. This would be a significant shift in the infrastructure of Dubai, a car-centric city built through a process of rapid urbanization. Besides the controlled climate, the structure is also planned to host several interconnected activities such as vertical farms for food security, parks, and recreational areas, various amenities, and opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Dubai aims to become a 20-minute city where residents can access daily needs and destinations within 20 minutes of walking or cycling. The initiative is outlaid in its 2040 urban master plan and urban mobility strategy. The LOOP is aligned with these ambitions, as it aims to provide better connectivity and shared facilities for the neighborhoods. The project also plans to utilize kinetic power to provide a renewable energy source. The irrigation systems are also planned to run on recycled water to reduce the usage of resources.

Recently, URB has unveiled plans to develop the largest agrotourism destination in Dubai, a master plan that would provide food security to the local community, create new jobs, and restore damaged and polluted land. The same office, headquartered in Dubai Design District, also aims to create South Africa’s most sustainable city and to further develop Dubai’s infrastructure by designing an innovation district for research and development.