The Manual will ensure the creation of safe, secure and sustainable communities for new developments and existing areas.

Abu Dhabi, November 5th 2013: To guide the development of safe and secure communities, the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) has introduced the Abu Dhabi Safety & Security Planning Manual (SSPM), developed in close collaboration with a large number of Government and private stakeholders. The process for preparing the SSPM included a series of workshops over a nine-month period with senior representatives of the UAE's Federal Ministries, Abu Dhabi Government departments, along with a high level of collaboration and coordination with the Department of Municipal Affairs, representatives of the private sector and higher education institutions.

HE Major General Obaid Salem Al Ketbi, Deputy General Commander of Abu Dhabi Police, said, "Forces are joining towards the realization of Abu Dhabi 2030 Vision by building firm foundations and safe and secure infrastructure that meets the standards of 21st Century whilst addressing the safety and security requirements of sustainable projects being undertaken Emirate-wide. The Manual therefore offers safety and security-centric principles for planning and design as well as design kit that will help planners undertake informed decisions enabling developers to promote stable and safe places and communities that are in line with Abu Dhabi's development."

Stressing the Manual will provide guidelines and directions for world-class service facilities and new developments in Abu Dhabi, HE added, "The encompassed elements of the Manual such as policies, strategic laws, planning for areas and public places, developments, and existing buildings, will have long-term and positive impacts on the lives of residents whilst ensuring sustainable and quality life. It is therefore a vital tool to help enhance living standards and national identity by promoting safety and security in building and landscape design as well as in new and existing communities."

The Manual integrates the diverse needs of the stakeholders to guide developers, property owners and a wide range of professionals, including urban planners, designers, transport engineers and safety & security specialists, towards creating solid foundations for safe, secure and sustainable communities. Government agencies will assess the appropriateness of community safety and protective security arrangements for existing developments using the Manual as a reference. For developments in planning,

The SSPM contains eight overarching principles for planning and designing buildings and communities with safety and security at their core. In addition to driving the direction for safety & security in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the principles complement the planning and design directions of the UPC's framework plans while playing a pivotal role towards the overall realisation of the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Vision 2030. Whether the Manual is being used during the early stages of the development process or to make improvements at existing buildings, it is designed to promote innovative and aspirational solutions that addressing the specificities of the local context.

As stated by HE Falah Al Ahbabi, General Manager of UPC: "The importance of embedding the eight safety and security principles at the project inception phase ensures that we are always in a position to balance competing development objectives with safety & security measures and able to incorporate unobtrusive measures into the built environment right from the start and before construction takes place. Such an approach prevents the need for retrofitting, which could alter design quality and add to overall costs."

The Integrated Development Process that is central to the SSPM clearly describes how safety and security need to be integrated in a project while highlighting who will be directly involved, when they will be involved and their roles and responsibilities. Following the release of the Manual, all new developments shall implement the SSPM planning and design principles. The eight pre-defined principles cover a comprehensive range of safety & security issues, such as access and connectivity, structure and spatial layout, ownership, surveillance, activity, physical security, public image and adaptability. The Manual is to be used for all developments, both those to be constructed in the future and where enhancements are required at existing buildings. As such the planning and design toolkits are essential to guide owners of existing facilities through a wide range of options for increasing safety & security levels. The planning toolkit is designed to assist urban planners to ensure their project site will comply with the relevant safety and security regulations, while the design toolkit is intended to support architects, engineers and urban designers. The process of preparing the SSPM included a major benchmarking study, which examined both community safety and protective security practices at an international, regional and domestic scale. As a result, the UPC had an opportunity to ensure best practice while also taking specific factors into account to reflect Abu Dhabi's culture and religion, climate, pace of development and built form.  

Al Ahbabi concluded: "While the Manual does not set out to offer detailed guidance for each sector, it presents fundamental principles and guidance that are applicable to a large geographical area and a wide range of projects. It intends to be a clear starting point to identify those projects that shall be treated with high priority in regards of the incorporation of safety and security features. In the future, I am convinced that adopting this type of manual, along with meeting the UPC's other key regulatory documents, will have a determinant positive impact on creating cohesive Complete Sustainable Communities (CSC) and enhance the use of our urban environments."

Aligned with a clear prioritisation methodology, strategic urban planning and design are central to community safety and protective security. Therefore, the core SSPM principles and requirements are embedded into the UPC's Development Review process to ensure stakeholders will correctly apply the safety and security regulations for their developments.

For more information and pictures, please go to: upc.o2-cafe.net/sspm/index.html

About the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council:
The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council was created by Emiri Decree number 23 of the year 2007 and is the agency responsible for the future of Abu Dhabi's urban environments, and the expert authority behind the visionary Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 Urban Structure Framework Plan published September 2007.  Chaired by His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council defines the shape of the Emirate, ensuring factors such as sustainability, infrastructure capacity, community planning and quality of life, by overseeing development across the city and the Emirate as a whole.  The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council ensures best practice in planning for both new and existing urban areas.

The Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council's primary purpose is to deliver upon the vision of His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, Ruler of Abu Dhabi for the continued fulfilment of the grand design envisaged by the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and the ongoing evolution of Abu Dhabi as a global capital city.  By drawing on urban planning expertise locally, throughout the GCC and around the world, the UPC strives to be a global authority on the future of urban planning and design.

For more information please contact: 
Amal Mourad
Corporate Communications Manager
Direct: +971 2 409 6255
Email: amal.mourad@upc.gov.ae
Web: www.upc.gov.ae

© Press Release 2013