‘Wanna go for a stroll?’ isn’t a phrase used by Dubai residents, unless it’s from November to March aka winter. We’re a city of drivers (and shade-seekers), not walkers. However, according to a study conducted earlier this year by financial website Insider Monkey, Dubai barely squeezed itself onto the list of 30 Most Walkable Cities In The World at #30
Compiled using walkability data from sources such as Tourlane and WalkScore, Insider Monkey then mapped out the distance between each city’s top five tourist attractions. Other criteria that were factored into deciding a city’s walkability were air quality rankings and crime and safety indexes.
Dubai – one of the most walkable cities in the world
Dubai was given an air quality score of 53 (not too bad considering the humidity and sand!) and a safety score of 83.78 – no surprises there, since we leave phones around in public places and cars unlocked. The distance between the top five tourist attractions was marked as 14km and the time it would take to cover this distance, Insider Monkey concluded, would be 176 minutes.
Here’s the interesting part – the top 5 tourist attractions they picked for Dubai were Burj Khalifa, Dubai Aquarium, Dubai Mall, Dubai Frame, and Etihad Museum concentrated in the Za’abeel-Downtown Dubai area. Not what we’d pick but then we’d never describe Dubai as the most walkable either.
Walking on Sheikh Zayed Road?!
They’ve also mentioned the walkability of Sheikh Zayed Road and I’m stumped… The last time any Dubai resident walked on the arterial highway that was SZR was when the RTA temporarily shut down traffic during the ecord-breaking Dubai rains in April. Or during the annual Dubai Run. But I’ll hand it to Insider Monkey about the ease of exploring Downtown Dubai on foot and enjoying the shopping, dining and stunning views the neighbourhood has to offer.
This walkability ranking, however, shows that Dubai is well on its way to achieving Sheikh Hamdan’s Dubai Quality of Life Strategy 2033 which plans on turning Dubai into a pedestrian-friendly city amongst other things. More than 115 km of pedestrian and cycling tracks will be constructed in three districts: Al Mizhar 1, Al Khawaneej 2, and Al Barsha 2. This is still a project that’s in the pipeline.
But there you have it – minus the heat, Dubai has been declared a pretty rad city to amble about in! Find the full list of the most walkable cities here.