Sustainable Mass Transport in Dubai Urban Environments

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Contextualization, Importance of the Problem, Scaling of the Phenomenon
Literature Review
EMS Application
Final Results
List of References

Introduction

Abstract

This report is designed to overview, assess, and reflect on the sustainable transportation initiatives implemented in Dubai. The problem of greenhouse gas emissions and other environmental hazards produced by conventional transportation means in overpopulated urban areas has been a recognized threat to sustainable development on a global scale. The report investigates this problem by reviewing the literature on the topic and identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the initiatives and strategies implemented in Dubai. The environmental management systems (EMS) are applied to characterize the strategy of the city. The strengths identified in the research include diversity, digitalization, flexibility, and resource efficiency. The recommendations include improvement of quality assurance and monitoring systems, increased investment in innovation and technological research, and facilitation of private-public cooperation.

Features to be investigated

When applying sustainable development strategies to the transportation industry, countries of the world refer to the phenomenon of smart cities. Dubai is one of the cities in the UAE that has benefited from a variety of initiatives and strategies aimed at reducing the harmful environmental effects of conventional transportation and increasing the efficiency of alternative transit means. This reflective report is aimed at investigating the strategies and decisions applied to Dubai’s transportation system to transform it into a sustainable example of urban mass transport. The advantages and disadvantages of the undertaken efforts will be evaluated, environmental management systems (EMS) reviewed, and recommendations made on the basis of the obtained findings.

Research questions and objectives

The research questions that this reflective report seeks to answer are as follows:

What strategies and initiatives have been developed in Dubai to achieve its sustainable mass transport goals?
How effective were the implemented efforts in terms of the environmental benefits?
What are the areas for improvement for Dubai to enhance its achievements of sustainable development in the industry of transportation?

Given the scope of research questions, the objectives of the report include:

Reviewing recent scholarly and governmental publications on the topic of sustainable urban transport;
Applying EMS to the sustainability strategies for analysis of their effectiveness;
Synthesizing the findings and generating concluding recommendations.

Contextualization, Importance of the Problem, Scaling of the Phenomenon

Within the context of sustainable development goals pursued globally, transportation in urban areas has been one of the pivotal aspects that required reformation. Indeed, the use of private transport and insufficiently managed public transport functioning on non-sustainable resources cause excessive damage to the environment through waste, pollution, gas emissions, traffic problems, and time consumption (Mohsin et al., 2019). In an attempt to minimize environmental damage caused by conventional transportation means, the authorities of Dubai, in compliance with the national sustainable development strategy, have directed their efforts at advancing smart city concepts in the transportation industry.

To contextualize the issue of implementing sustainable development initiatives in Dubai’s urban area, one should identify the steps the authorities of the city have undertaken throughout the years. Figure 1 demonstrates a compilation of the actions that have been implemented by Dubai to advance its smart city concept. According to Gugler, Alburai, and Stalder (2021), the overall city strategy aimed at advancing smart solutions across all industries allows for setting high goals for transportation development as well. The data presented in Figure one illustrates that the implementation of sustainable mass transport initiatives in Dubai is reliant on a systematic approach where the changes in each area occur under the umbrella of the general transformation strategy.

Figure 1. The Steps of Dubai smart city development. Source: Gugler, Alburai and Stalder, 2021, p. 3.

The problem of pollution through excessive gas emissions from cars, the number of which is too big due to the low costs and growing population, has been a significant threat to environmental safety in the long-term perspective. The urge to reduce the amount of conventional vehicle use for urban mobility needs is primarily associated with the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions caused by different means of transportation. In particular, as demonstrated in Figure 2, the share of greenhouse gas emissions produced by non-vehicle means of transportation is expected to grow by 2060. According to research, “although road vehicles currently represent about 70% of transport greenhouse gas emissions, other forms of transport—including aviation, maritime, and off-road vehicles—are substantial emissions sources and are expected to see continued growth in the coming years” (Hall et al., 2018, p. 1). Thus, the need to shift to green solutions for urban mass transport is evident.

Figure 2. Expected changes in greenhouse gas emission share by transport mode. Source: Hall, Pavlenko and Lutsey, 2018, p. 1.

The phenomenon of sustainable development should be scaled to the industry of transportation for the purposes of this reflective report. Since the objectives of the research study are based on the investigation of the advancement of the smart city concept in Dubai through the reformation of mass transportation, it is valid to consider sustainability issues related to transport specifically. In this regard, one might define that sustainable development in the context of transportation is often referred to as sustainable mobility or smart mobility, as informed by research (Ali, 2021). The definition of sustainable mobility implies that this phenomenon “includes the managing and controlling the demand based on best possible practices with the use of minimum resources” (Ali, 2021, p. 16). In other words, within this report, sustainability of transportation is regarded as the efficiency of meeting people’s mobility needs within the urban areas given the most beneficial economic and environmental means.

Literature Review

Sustainability issues in the urban transport industry have been a recurring topic investigated by scholars and addressed by governments throughout several recent years. The approaches, strategic decisions, and specific initiatives used by Dubai to advance smart urban mobility solutions are identified and analyzed in the literature. For example, Krzymowski (2020) takes a generalist approach to review the policies aimed at transforming the transport system toward green economic incentives. The scholar provides an overview of the sustainable development goals on the example of the UAE’s national sustainable strategy, within which the national transportation strategy is an important element (Krzymowski, 2020). Such an approach to contextualizing transportation initiatives allows for envisioning the setting in which the strategies are developed and implemented. Indeed, Krzymowski (2020) demonstrates that Dubai’s smart city solutions are consistent with the overall national strategy related to the pursuit of sustainable development.

In a similar manner, the same generalist stance is taken by Wang et al. (2018), who conducted a research study on the trends and challenges in sustainable transportation systems. In the researcher’s opinion, transportation infrastructure, as “a complex network, connects cities and accommodates human activities coupling the social, economic and environmental systems with the urbanization and population growth” (Wang et al., 2018, p. 1). It is stated that due to the abundance of negative implications of the transportation infrastructure on the environment, the overall change toward sustainable mobility is expected to yield significant improvements in the reduction of emissions. Thus, the overall approach to sustainable transport development in Dubai, as evidenced by the literature, is based on systematic implementation within a larger national sustainable strategy. Moreover, it is directed at incorporating innovation into the proposed solutions.

The review of scholarly literature and governmental publications has allowed for identifying several key elements of Dubai’s strategy toward sustainable urban transport. Overall, Geray (2019) states that the integration of both public and private entities’ efforts in the implementation of smart city projects has been an important attribute of Dubai’s experience in advancing sustainable transportation solutions. According to the researcher, the 2014 Smart Dubai Initiative has become a comprehensive framework leading the city toward achievable sustainability goals overall and in the transportation industry in particular (Geray, 2019). Among the many initiatives employed by Dubai within sustainable transport, the following have been most actively addressed in the reviewed literature:

Digitalization of on-demand flexible transportation means (Giuffrida et al., 2020);
Development of electric vehicle charging stations’ accessibility and affordability (Balaji & Soori, 2019);
Facilitation of urban railway stations (Larumbe Chacon, 2021);
Dubai Green Mobility Initiative (Sustainable transportation plans, 2022);
Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy (Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, 2022).

Such a diversity of efforts and efficient solutions allows the city to address the mobility needs of the citizens and yield positive environmental outcomes.

In addition to environmental concerns, sustainable transportation is one that allows for affordable and accessible means of mobility for urban dwellers. In particular, according to Larumbe Chacon (2021), “the target 9.1 of the established Sustainable Development Goals is access to reliable and affordable transport networks for all by 2030 (p. 1). This researcher has investigated and evaluated the compliance of Dubai’s mass rapid transit stations with sustainability expectations. The results of this research have shown that despite the wide range of stations of the city railway system and their claimed advanced functioning, one-third of the stations were non-punctual or ineffectively performing (Larumbe Chacon, 2021). Thus, not only the implementation of advanced railway solutions is important, but also the monitoring of their proper functioning with necessary adjustments is pivotal.

Within the smart city initiatives aimed at reducing environmental harm, the latest research findings and innovative solutions are being implemented. Indeed, the use of technology and innovation as a driver of change has been one of the success factors for Dubai. For example, according to Balaji and Soori (2019), the research into an innovative approach to flexible management of traffic lights is one of the contributors to reducing pollution. In relation to such an innovation, “preliminary unpublished results show that this system could potentially reduce vehicle wait time by 40% while simultaneously reducing tailpipe emissions from these vehicles” (Balaji & Soori, 2019, p. 110). Dubai actively uses this initiative within its smart city strategy and enjoys the benefits on both short- and long-term scales.

With the same purpose of eliminating excessive emissions, wait time, and accidents and increasing transport use efficiency, Dubai has advanced its use of autonomous means of transportation. According to Balaji and Soori (2019), “autonomous vehicles (AVs) have become the latest trend, combining data analytics, robotics and computer vision to safely transport people from one place to another” (p. 110). Indeed, Dubai’s Autonomous Transportation Strategy has been developed to increase the number of automated vehicles on the streets of the urban area and increase economic and environmental benefits. The authorities suggest that “the strategy is expected to bring AED 22 billion in annual economic revenues in several sectors by reducing transportation costs, carbon emissions, and accidents, and raising the productivity of individuals as well as saving hundreds of millions of hours wasted in conventional transportation” (Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, 2022, para. 2). Thus, the literature review demonstrates that Dubai authorities implement diversified, multifaceted, innovation-driven, technological, and overall effective sustainability solutions to achieve smart mobility goals.

EMS Application

The analysis of sustainability in the transportation system of Dubai should be conducted with reference to the application of EMS. In particular, the evaluation of the implemented initiatives can only be properly evaluated for their compliance with environmental contribution when placed in the context of EMS. In essence, EMS is a framework that allows for systematic implementation of sustainability initiatives throughout the whole industry with the opportunity to align the functions of all the involved stakeholders at different stages of the initiative undertaking. The environmental management systems focus “on reducing waste, possibilities, and methods of waste disposal, preventing pollution, reducing the use of natural resources, and in the context of the transport industry, reducing emissions” (Jagodzinska, 2019, p. 71). When using this framework in the context of Dubai’s smart mobility efforts, it is reasonable “to apply ‘Plan, Do, Check, Act (PDCA)’ model into environmental management” (Ozusaglam et al., 2018, p. 115). In this regard, the initiatives and strategies that have been identified through the literature review process might be evaluated from the perspective of their compliance with the planning, implementation, checking, and acting.

On the level of planning, the initiatives introduced by Dubai are well-organized and coherent. Studies and governmental publications have shown that Dubai’s sustainable transportation strategy is aligned with the overall city sustainability vision across different segments of urban functioning (Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, 2022; Geray, 2019; Krzymowski, 2020). The implementation stage of the EMS is also conducted effectively since the planned initiatives are scheduled and delivered according to the plans. Moreover, the complexity and diversity of sustainability projects conditioned by resource availability and technological challenges are broadly implemented in the city.

However, it is necessary to address the challenges that the implementation of projects is characterized by. In particular, the functioning of rapid transit stations within the city railway system has been functioning with drawbacks, which indicates inefficiency in managing the demand with capacity (Larumbe Chacon, 2021). In addition, the implementation of projects that require the involvement of multiple stakeholders might also be challenging. The dependence of the Green Mobility Initiative and Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy on the contribution from both public and private sectors in terms of technological development limits the opportunities for fast implementation (Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, 2022; Sustainable transportation plans, 2022). Ultimately, it might hinder the opportunity for EMS use and the achievement of environmental objectives in a planned manner.

The application of EMS to Dubai’s sustainable transportation efforts analysis also reveals strengths in maintaining successful support in promoting green solutions through public-private collaboration. It is through deliberate empowerment of the development of privately-held solutions that the city strives to diversify its transportation system in a sustainable way (Geray, 2019). However, there is a necessity to improve the mechanisms of checking and evaluating the achievements according to EMS to obtain consistency.

Moreover, the analysis has revealed the pursuit of economic benefits that might be a diminishing factor for environmental benefits pursued by sustainable development goals. Indeed, the discussion of the strategy for integrating autonomous vehicles into the urban transportation system has been presented from the perspective of its validation of economic gains rather than environmental (Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, 2022). In this regard, it is essential to ensure that the priority is set on obtaining resource efficiency and minimizing harm alongside economic advantages.

Compliance with international standards is a pivotal element of proper sustainable development with adequate environmental goals achievement. According to Jagodzinska (2019), ISO 14001 is a global environmental protection standard that requires entities to comply with international rules to minimize harm to the environment due to transportation utilization. The advancement of the efforts that comply with this standard is a significant contributor to the success of Dubai’s sustainability efforts.

Final Results

Recommendations, Findings, Conclusions

During the course of this research, the answers to research questions were found, and the objectives were achieved. In particular, in reference to the first research question, a list of strategies and initiatives implemented by Dubai has been identified. They include small-scale initiatives aimed at advancing flexible transit transportation means, electric vehicle charging stations, and digitalization of traffic lights in connection to a whole smart city electronic system. In addition, some of the large-scale efforts implemented and planned by Dubai authorities include the Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy, Green Mobility Initiative, improvement of urban railway stations, and others. The findings of the conducted research study allow for identifying several strengths and weaknesses.

In response to the second research question identified at the beginning of this report, the research has established that the majority of initiatives have been indicative of a successful path the city has launched toward a sustainable transportation system establishment. The diversity, digitalization, intersectionality, and consistency of the applied efforts allow for stating that the overall strategy of Dubai’s transition to smart mobility has been effective. However, given the third question, there are some areas for improvement that might benefit the urban mass transport system in Dubai. The particularities of the suggested improvements will be addressed in the recommendations section below.

The objectives of the research study have been achieved, the environmental impact has been assessed, and the leveraging of economic and environmental benefits is recommended. Indeed, it is imperative for the city to use its strengths in promoting digitally-driven industries to benefit from smart transportation projects. In addition, it is strongly advised to increase investment in the innovation and technology segment to ensure proper talent and resources for the achievement of the sustainability goals that the city has set forward. The analysis of the findings suggests that the use of digital solutions is one of the most significant advantages of Dubai. Therefore, it is imperative for the city to continue implementing smart solutions on a level that allows for driving continuous change with enhanced benefits for the environment.

In addition, it is recommended to develop an intersectional monitoring tool that would allow for timely identification and addressing of drawbacks in the implemented systems. In particular, the application of transparent EMS would contribute clarity and consistency to the implementation of the planned project. As the review of the literature showed, the drawbacks in the functioning of one of the first sustainable initiatives in Dubai, which is rapid transit railway stations, have been disruptive to the functioning of the whole system. Therefore, it is important not only to implement the projects but also to check and review them for potential failures with an opportunity for proper improvement. Such a recommendation is validated by the fluid nature of the demand for transportation, which changes with the alterations in population density and social and economic factors. Therefore, the advancement of the already implemented projects should be an obligatory element in the sustainability strategy for Dubai.

Key Learning Points and Transferable Skills

When completing this project, I managed to contribute to my expertise as a researcher and as an environmental studies learner. There were several pivotal learning points that I discovered when completing the paper.

Firstly, I advanced my understanding of the phenomenon of smart cities, which is characterized by a list of features that range far beyond the digitalization of urban areas.
Secondly, I learned that Dubai has a diversified sustainability strategy.
Thirdly, I found that sustainability in transportation is not limited to shifting to green energy but involves passenger management and traffic facilitation.
Fourthly, I learned the benefits of applying EMS to urban sustainable development strategies.
Fifthly, I familiarized myself with the international standardization of the environmental impact of organizational performance.

Moreover, during this course and the completion of the coursework, I acquired such skills as:

Critical thinking;
Data analysis and synthesis;
Comprehensive and critical literature review;
Academic writing skills;
Finding evidence to support my point of view.

List of References

Ali, N. (2021) ‘Evaluating sustainable urban transport systems: a review study for the identification of smart mobility indicators’, Transactions on Transport Sciences, 12(2), pp.16-23.

Balaji, A.K. and Soori, P.K. (2019) ‘Sustainable transportation infrastructure for smart cities in the gulf cooperation council: the case of electric vehicle charging’, In Smart cities in the Gulf (pp. 107-121). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Dubai Autonomous Transportation Strategy (2022). Web.

Geray, O. (2019) ‘An impact-driven smart sustainable city framework to address urban challenges: smart Dubai experience’, In Smart cities in the Gulf (pp. 13-39). Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore.

Giuffrida, N. et al. (2020) On-demand flexible transit in fast-growing cities: the case of Dubai. Sustainability, 12(11), pp. 1-15.

Gugler, P., Alburai, M. and Stalder, L. (2021) ‘Smart city strategy of Dubai’, Harvard Business School, pp. 1-27.

Hall, D., Pavlenko, N. and Lutsey, N. (2018) ‘Beyond road vehicles: survey of zero-emission technology options across the transport sector’, International Council on Clean Transportation Working Paper, 11, pp. 1-22.

Jagodzinska, N. (2019) ‘Requirements of the ISO 14001 environmental management standard and the expected effects of its implementation in transport undertakings’, AUTOBUSY–Technika, Eksploatacja, Systemy Transportowe, 24(6), pp. 71-74.

Krzymowski, A. (2020) ‘Sustainable development goals in Arab Region – United Arab Emirates’ Case Study, Problemy Ekorozwoju, 15(1), pp. 211-220.

Larumbe Chacon, J. (2021) ‘Evaluating sustainability of mass rapid transit stations in Dubai’, Sustainability, 13, pp. 1-16.

Mohsin, M. et al. (2019) ‘Integrated effect of energy consumption, economic development, and population growth on CO2 based environmental degradation: a case of transport sector’, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 26(32), pp. 32824-32835.

Ozusaglam, S., Kesidou, E. and Wong, C.Y. (2018) ‘Performance effects of complementarity between environmental management systems and environmental technologies’, International Journal of Production Economics, 197, pp. 112-122.

Sustainable transportation plans (2022).

Wang, L. et al. (2018) ‘The impacts of transportation infrastructure on sustainable development: emerging trends and challenges’, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(6), pp. 1-24.

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