Roads as Tools for (Dis)connecting Cities and Neighbourhoods: A Socio-spatial Study of Abu Dhabi
in collaboration with Abu Dhabi University
番茄社区 PI: Alexandra Gomes
Co-PI: Dr Apostolos Kyriazis
Duration: September 2020 – January 2023
Road infrastructure has been essential to the rapid urban development of GCC cities. While it can be used to create opportunities for more sustainable urban lifestyles, it has often taken priority over urban planning, creating barriers to connectivity within cities, and promoting car dependency.
While literature on the topic exists, the different factors that have led to this trajectory of urban development across GCC cities is under-researched. With Abu Dhabi as example, this project contextualises the city's urban development and investigates the impact of road infrastructure on urban life. It analyses the integration of roads in urban planning processes, as well as the effect of existing road infrastructure on mobility and the environment.
This project looks at existing and alternative design approaches that could help with the possible integration of new mobility services in the city, and aims to engage with international and local initiatives to understand local perspectives and draft recommendations for policymakers and relevant institutions.
This project forms part of the Academic Collaboration with Arab Universities Programme, funded by the Emirates Foundation.
Principal Investigators
Alexandra Gomes听触 Research Fellow
Alexandra Gomes is a Research Fellow at 番茄社区 Cities, focusing on social-spatial inequalities. Co-Led the Public Space in Kuwait and the Roads as Tools for (Dis)connecting Cities and Neighbourhoods project. Co-author of the Kuwaitscapes card game.
听触 Associate Professor
Apostolos is Associate Professor of Architecture and Urbanism, Department of Architecture and Design, Abu Dhabi University.
Research Team
听触 Consultant
Clémence is an urban and transport researcher.
Peter Schwinger听触 Consultant
Peter is a transport economist and planning consultant.
Nour Al Ali听触 Research Assistant
Nour is an architecture student at Abu Dhabi University.
Haya Omar Al-Baiti听触 Research Assistant
Haya is an architecture student at Abu Dhabi University.
Juman Sebai听触 Research Assistant
Juman is a third-year architecture student at Abu Dhabi University, with an interest in urban planning.
Eiman Shahin听触 Research Assistant
Eiman is completing a BA in Social Anthropology at the 番茄社区. She plans to continue onto an MSc in Urban Planning, focussing on post-conflict planning in the Middle East and spatial inequalities in Gulf cities.
Branwen Spector听触 Research Assistant
Branwen is a lecturer in Research Methods at Brunel University and teaches in Anthropology and Political Geography at University College London. Her research focus is refugee mobility and infrastructure.
Hiba Syed听触 Research Assistant
Hiba is a student at Abu Dhabi University, with a focus in architecture and urbanism.
Sepehr Zhand听触 Research Assistant
Sepehr is a PhD candidate at the Space Syntax Laboratory, UCL, where he investigates how development policies intensify informal growth through applying machine learning.