Al Quoz Creative Zone master plan approved

The Higher Committee of the Al Quoz Creative Zone has approved the master plan for the Al Quoz Creative Zone.

The master plan provides a detailed blueprint for developing the infrastructure, public services and spaces, and artistic ecosystem of the zone over the next four years.

The project aims to create a supportive community that supports the journey of creative industries and entrepreneurs through all stages of the creative industry value chain, from design and implementation to distribution and marketing.

The plan was approved during a meeting chaired by Sheikha Latifa bint Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairperson of Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture) and member of the Dubai Council, according to the Dubai Media Office.

Sheikha Latifa said this marked a key milestone in the development of the Al Quoz Creative Zone project, which is set to turn the area into one of the largest creative zones in the world.

The master plan was developed by Dubai Municipality after studying and benchmarking various leading local and international creative clusters and drawing from best practices and successful models that are a good fit for the zone.

The plan has been designed to create a vibrant cultural and creative destination that brings together diverse stakeholders, encourages the public to engage with art, culture and creativity and creates opportunities for creatives to collaborate, network, share knowledge and access learning resources.

Al Quoz Creative Zone, which was announced last year, will be one of the largest communities of its kind in the world both in terms of total floor area and scale of creative activity.

Read: Sheikh Hamdan launches Al Quoz Creative Zone in Dubai

Land use in the Al Quoz Creative Zone will be optimised to boost creative activity within the community.

When completed, the number of creatives based in the zone is expected to increase from 900 to 20,000, while creative spaces will expand eightfold, recreational and support spaces will triple, and commercial spaces will increase by 30 per cent.

The integrated community offers a cost-effective working and living environment for artists, professionals and entrepreneurs. The zone will provide housing for over 8,000 people and attract 33,000 visitors per day. The distinctive identity of the zone, combined with its diverse cultural, educational, recreational and entertainment offerings, is expected to bring visitors and tourists throughout the year.

The master plan will ensure the provision of extensive public spaces designed for hosting events and activities. Public spaces will be highly interactive with unique entertainment activities and attractions located in outdoor spaces and along pathways equipped with entertainment and attractions, and public spaces for rest, recreation, social events and artistic displays.

Preliminary plans have been drawn for technical infrastructure networks required for the smooth functioning of the zone.

In addition to the master plan, a guide will be provided for the Al Quoz Creative Zone’s development that includes standards and guidelines designed to preserve the urban form and the industrial identity of Al Quoz through mechanisms to benefit from existing warehouses and transform them to accommodate various creative activities and businesses.

The project’s Higher Committee meeting also reviewed the progress since the previous meeting, and the development of the three phases of Al Quoz Creative Zone, which include:

• Phase One, which involves infrastructure development works, including the first phase of flexible mobility, and transportation integration, including linking Al Safa Metro Station and Al Quoz Bus Station to Al Quoz Creative Zone with four-kilometre pedestrian, bicycle and individual transport paths, providing three transportation centres, and a pedestrian and bicycle bridge above Al Manara Street, in addition to infrastructure networks.

• Phase Two will see the development of public spaces and site coordination.

• Phase Three will see the placement of public art installations across the zone.