Citizens and residents of Dubai now have a unique opportunity to shape the design of an upcoming park in Nad Al Hamar 3. A recent workshop gathered their inputs on various features, such as an interactive play area, a humidity-to-water conversion system for plants, and a shaded cycling track.
High school student Noora Abdullah Ashoor described the workshop as a novel experience. “One of the things we discussed was an interactive play area that would engage all five senses of children,” she said.
The 17-year-old added, “So the play area would have a little water fountain for the little ones to experience and music will be played using speakers on the floor. This would be very helpful in engaging them.”
The workshop was part of the launch of the Dubai Urban Design Platform, an AI-powered initiative aimed at allowing residents to envision transformations in urban spaces. This platform’s activation was directed by Dubai Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum during the AI retreat in June.
Noora mentioned that the workshop attendees focused on maintaining the area’s identity. “We discussed planting Ghaf trees as vegetation because it is much more suitable to the environment here,” she explained.
Additionally, she noted, “The floor will be painted in light colours so that the floor doesn’t absorb too much heat and the playground won’t have a faded look after being exposed to harsh sunlight.”

Collaborative Effort
The workshop, attended by over 20 people of various ages, divided participants into two groups to discuss potential park features. Ideas were initially written on sticky notes, leading to extensive discussions about what should be included.
Suggestions from attendees included utilizing solar panels, setting up an animal shelter, and installing amenities like a gym, cycling track, padel court, and water fountain. Moderators used the Urbanist tool to show how each feature would appear in the park.
Ahmed Al Zarouni, Director of the Department of Public Parks and Recreational Facilities at Dubai Municipality (DM), expressed his enthusiasm for the ideas presented. “I was so excited to hear from them,” he told. “This was something that we would love to know — what are the things that people want in their parks because they are the users. They had some very nice and very futuristic ideas.”
He added that other DM officials attended the session to discuss the technical feasibility of the suggested ideas. “This pilot project was involving the project in Nad Al Sheba 3,” he noted. “But for our part, we are willing to do this project for all our upcoming 32 parks.”
Innovative Platform
Organized by the Mohammed Bin Rashid Centre for Government Innovation (MBRCGI), in partnership with the Supreme Committee for Urban Planning, Dubai Municipality, and Furjan Dubai, the workshop also introduced attendees to the Dubai Urban Design Platform. Held at the Umm Suqeim majlis, the event allowed participants to explore the platform’s features for designing public squares and urban spaces, identifying promising designs for future implementation in Dubai Municipality projects.
Participants were encouraged to reimagine several areas with pocket parks, sustainable squares, plazas, urban gardening, sustainable streets, and urban oases and canals. For example, one street around Emirates Towers was reimagined with a waterfall, and another area near the Al Qusais metro station was redesigned with an urban garden patch.
Officials emphasized that this initiative aims to streamline the urban planning process, reduce costs, and prioritize active participation from city residents in shaping their environment.