Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan

The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan is a comprehensive road map that guides urban development in Dubai over the next two decades, towards achieving sustainability and enhancing the people’s quality of life¹. The master plan reflects the vision of Dubai Government to “make Dubai the world’s best city to live in,” and aligns with the emirate’s strategic economic priorities and future needs². The plan is the seventh development plan since 1960 for Dubai, and it is supported with strategies, principles, policy directions, and initiatives to serve as the guide to other lower-order plans³. Furthermore, new legislation and planning governance will be developed to support sustainable population growth, from 3.3 million currently to a projected 7.8 million by 2040⁴.

The masterplan, which responds to the designated vison of Dubai 2040, covers the entire Emirate of Dubai⁵, and features a strategic structural layout for the city⁶. It focuses on developing five urban centers, three existing and two new, each with a unique theme to support economic growth and job opportunities while providing lifestyle facilities for all population sections⁷:

• Deira and Bur Dubai as historic areas highlighting the city’s culture;
• Global economic and commercial center, comprising the Dubai International Financial Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, and Downtown and Business Bay;
• Tourism and entertainment center, encompassing the Dubai Marina and JBR;
• Expo 2020 Center, an economic and growth hotspot;
• Dubai Silicon Oasis Center, a knowledge and innovation international center⁸.

The plan also aims to double green spaces and improve public transportation accessibility through new mobility projects, such as the Metro Blue Line projectⁱ, and provides new housing developments⁹.

The plan is under implementation in phases:

• Phase I focuses on housing and infrastructural development, including the implementation of the National Housing Policy with a budget of AED 65 billion, and the launch of the Hatta Development Master Plan for local tourism and heritage preservation. It also involved drafting the Urban Planning Law and developing rural and countryside master plans to enhance sustainable development and tourism¹⁰.
• Phase II includes projects under ten key initiatives such as enhancing urban centers, a real estate strategy, an urban farming plan, preserving urban heritage, developing a 20-minute city policy aiming for residents to access 80% of their daily needs within a 20-minute walk or bicycle ride, and a pedestrian network masterplan¹¹.

The project is initiated in 2021 by the Government of Dubai, under the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning in Dubai which was established to “regulate and ensure the governance of urban planning in Dubai as well as implement the deliverables of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan” with the support of the Dubai Municipality¹².