The spatial, ecological, economic and social aspects of the city have been designed in line with sustainable development principles. Medine has shaped a comprehensive and streamlined approach to the development of the city, through a ‘Smart Thinking’ strategy that encompasses a wide set of objectives and principles founded on three core pillars:
• Inspired by the site
• Driven by excellence
• Made for people
A key pillar of the Uniciti concept is a green, sustainable city. Based on a 2016 inventory of the site’s landscape features, a smart strategy was drawn up by our master planners. They incorporated the existing green network in the design of the smart city by using the water bodies, preserving the existing ecological corridors and creating a well connected grid of parks, squares and pedestrian and cycle paths.
THE GREEN FINGERS
Much more than mere corridors of ecological and visual importance, the “green fingers” are a connection between nature and the urban environment, going well beyond the site boundaries and bringing green open spaces and lush vegetation into the city, between the building blocks of the future communities.
“Green fingers” serve to:
- Protect and enhance the existing landscape, including the different species of fauna and flora, by bridging the gaps in the natural green structure associated with the urbanisation process;
- Maintain existing habitats;
- Enhance the biodiversity of the site by introducing a greater variety of plants in the public spaces;
- Provide accessible and convenient neighbourhood amenities for residents.
The city has been strategically divided into different areas, based on their natural specificities, in order to optimise the use of energy
and resources, facilitate exchange between them and minimise the travelling distances between the places to live, work, play and learn. The design standards ensure an architectural coherence and the integration of the built areas into the environment.
A sustainable rainwater management strategy is implemented within the city. Based on natural solutions it minimises the impact on the environment, whereby the traditional concrete ducts a re replaced by open swales along all the road corridors. The primary function of these natural swales, is to collect and direct filtered rainwater towards the existing rivers. The abundance of plants will indeed act as ecological corridors reducing pollution via the phytopurification process.
Uniciti embraces a multi-faceted approach to the design and development of its city through the Placemaking concept, by focusing on the effective ways to strengthen the connection between people and the places they live in.
The four key qualities in making a place successful and attractive are:
• Access and linkages: how well a place is connected to its surroundings, visually and physically
• Comfort and image: people’s perceptions about safety and cleanliness
• Uses and activities: events that create interactions, such as art shows, concerts
• Sociability: social interactions with friends, neighbours and strangers
NEIGHBOURHOOD CENTRES
Uniciti emphasises the importance of community building through neighbourhood centres, which involve the creation of self-sufficient, mixed-use areas designed within a 400 metre radius. Focusing on building distinctive places and connecting people to their immediate needs and activities through placemaking, neighbourhood centres are designed to serve the community. They also embed a complete range of housing options as well as green areas and spaces.
GREEN CONNECTORS
With 26 km of cycling and pedestrian paths, Uniciti brings together people through a safe, efficient and sustainable transport network that encourages clean transportation. This network links the city along beautifully designed green corridors and
well-thought green spaces, enabling people to easily commute to their mixed-use neighbourhoods.