URB to build the world’s greenest highway 'green spine' in dubai

Urban farms and solar-powered trams for the dubai green spine

URB is slated to construct and open the world’s greenest highway in Dubai, UAE named ‘Green Spine’. The project, which is in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, is expected to have 100 percent renewable energy sources to power its infrastructure, mainly solar energy. Electric trams may run over railways cladded in solar panels, and urban farms and gardens surround the highway where people can grow their own food and plants.

The Dubai-based developer says the Green Spine extends for 64 kilometers along Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (E311). Nearly eight million residents may benefit from the project, which aims to promote non-motorized transport and reduce the carbon footprint around the city. URB designs the Dubai Green Spine project. They have previously worked on the Dubai Reefs Project, Dubai Mangroves, and The Loop in Dubai.

all images courtesy of URB

URB spearheads world’s greenest highway in dubai

Gone are the overhead power lines since solar panels are integrated into URB’s world’s greenest highway architecture in Dubai. They are placed directly into the tram tracks to power up the electric trams. They contribute to generating over 300 megawatts of clean, renewable energy, the goal amount of the project. This number can help supply power to around 130,000 homes in Dubai. By switching to solar power from fossil fuels, the Dubai-based developer says there may be a carbon reduction of around 1,051,200 tonnes annually.

A series of smart technologies accompanies URB’s Dubai Green Spine and its solar-powered electric trams. Sensors can monitor traffic and energy use, while native flora encircles the pedestrian paths and cycling tracks for natural cooling and clean air. Residents may jog around the green spaces, and they can even grow their own food and plants on the planted agricultural vertical farms along the highway. A tailored drainage system that includes porous surfaces is on the way to prevent flooding and absorb rainwater.

parks surround URB’s Dubai Green Spine, the dubbed world’s greenest highway

Mixed-use commercial and leisure spaces around the highway

URB’s Dubai Green Spine may be a city on its own. Aside from its solar-powered electric trams, mixed-use infrastructure will rise in the area too. Amenities, commercial, and leisure spaces find their place within the world’s greenest highway. Since these areas are strategic points, residents may reduce the need for long commutes. Educational and cultural facilities, such as museums and schools, surround the green highway. They become hubs for families and communities, so they can stay around the Dubai Green Spine.

URB wants to highlight biodiversity. In this case, they have their eyes set on planting and accommodating more than one million trees of a variety of native species. These trees and plants can adapt, all the while incorporated along the urban highway. The developer adds that the Dubai Green Spine is in line with Dubai’s 20-minute city initiative. This aim centers on creating a city layout where people can access spaces and places within a 20-minute walk from their homes or where they are.

solar panels on the tram tracks

Aside from the urban farms, green roofs, parks, and vertical gardens emerge along the world’s greenest highway, the Dubai Green Spine. With this intention, the greenery may regulate high temperatures for a cool environment. They can also double as recreational spaces for everyone, and schools may hold their educational trips around these areas. The greenery also benefits from bioswales, which are similar to natural filters that catch rainwater runoff.

They clean the collected water from dirt and pollution and reuse it around the facilities. In this way, the gardens and farms around the Dubai Green Spine are watered on time. Plans for walking, cycling, and recreational paths are underway too, so people can exercise along the dubbed world’s greenest highway. As of publishing the story, URB has yet to announce when they’ll begin construction. In the meantime, the Dubai Green Spine aligns with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which may be the target year of opening.

URB says that Green Spine extends for 64 kilometers along Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (E311)