This October, the master plan for the Al Quoz Creative Zone was approved by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed, chairwoman of Dubai Culture & Arts Authority and Member of the Dubai Council. The plan was developed by Dubai Municipality after thorough studying of different creative hubs located not only in the country, but also abroad. “[…] Launched as part of our leadership’s vision of transforming Dubai’s creative economy […], the project creates a model for Dubai’s future creative zones. […]”, Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed said.
Al Quoz Creative Zone will be among the largest creative clusters in the world considering both the size of the area covered and scale of creative activity. It will provide affordable living and working conditions for artists and entrepreneurs. More than 8,000 people will be able to live in the Zone across 2,900 housing units. Interactive public spaces will be designed to host all kinds of events and activities; there will also be diverse attractions in outdoor areas. Pedestrian-friendly zones will get priority: one will find many spots for rest, recreation, social events, and artistic displays. When completed, the Zone is expected to attract about 33,000 people a day.
According to the master plan, the Creative Zone’s development consists of three phases. Phase One include infrastructure development works (the 1st phase of flexible mobility, transportation integration — linking Al Safa Metro Station and Al Quoz Bus Station to Al Quoz Creative Zone with pedestrian, bicycle and individual transport paths, providing three transportation centres, a pedestrian and bicycle bridge above Al Manara Street) in addition to infrastructure networks. Phase Two is focused on developing public spaces and site coordination. Phase Three is dedicated to placement of public art installations across the Zone.
The project is to be finished in 2025.
Along with the plan, a guide was provided for the Zone’s development. According to its guidelines, the urban form and the industrial identity of the Zone will be preserved. Existing warehouses will be transformed into spaces accommodating creative activities and businesses.
Al Quoz Creative Zone is expected to become a hotspot that unites different stakeholders, encourages the public to engage with art and culture, and gives opportunities to creatives to collaborate and share knowledge.
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