Design of 64km solar-powered green highway announced

URB has unveiled designs for a 64km-long highway that will see Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, one of the city's main transport belts, transformed into a "green spine" complete with solar-powered autonomous electric vehicles and an intelligent traffic management system.

Baharash Bagherian, urban planner and founder of URB, believes the “first of its kind” project will make city design more “human-centric.”

“Dubai is expanding rapidly, with its population expected to nearly double to 8 million by 2040. This growth requires creativity and innovation to address both current and future challenges. We must view mobility as more than just the movement of people,” said Bagherian.

Urban development company URB has just released the design for a green highway project in Dubai. Photo: URB

Smart technology and solar energy

The expressway system not only features a solar-powered autonomous tram line, but also a network of green areas, parks and overpasses above the tram line, enhancing connectivity and walking activity in the city.

The highway will also incorporate smart technology, such as internet of things (IoT) sensors to manage traffic and optimize energy use.

URB's design allows for 300 megawatts of solar panels and storage systems to be installed on the tracks, providing electricity to the tram line as well as generating clean energy for about 130,000 homes.

In addition, green spaces, including parks and community gardens, will provide up to one million trees, helping to cool the city and improve air quality.

The green highway will also include walkways and surrounding green spaces. Photo: URB

'A unique set of challenges'

However, creating the world's "greenest" highway in a desert city is not easy.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) currently has one of the highest per capita water consumption rates in the world, at around 550 litres per person per day (compared to an average of 310 litres in the US and 144 litres in the European Union).

Much of this water is not used for drinking, but for agriculture and landscaping, and the country’s green spaces use a huge amount of it. For example, the Dubai Miracle Garden, a 72,000-square-meter park featuring 150 million living flowers, consumes 757,000 liters of water every day.

“Dubai poses a unique set of challenges: rapid growth, diverse population, urbanization and harsh climatic conditions,” said Bagherian.

To solve this problem, Bagherian came up with the idea of a “water-sensitive landscape design” that includes native flora and drought-tolerant plants suited to arid climates, along with soil mixed with zeolite, an absorbent crystal that helps retain water.

These “passive techniques” are complemented by smart irrigation technology, which “uses real-time data to adjust watering schedules based on soil moisture, weather forecasts and crop needs,” he added.

This isn't the first time URB has experimented with futuristic city design. Their proposal for the "Dubai Mangroves - the world's largest coastal regeneration project" was revealed earlier this year. Last year, URB also proposed a 93km indoor cycling "superhighway" called The Loop that would help residents of the emirate ditch their cars.

Ngoc Anh (according to CNN)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cong-bo-thiet-ke-duong-cao-toc-xanh-64-km-chay-bang-nang-luong-mat-troi-post303785.html