The Abu Dhabi Public Realm Design Manual (PRDM) was commissioned by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC) to guide the development of a world-class public realm. The PRDM is a planning tool that creates quality public spaces that work towards a vision for the public realm. The Manual users are municipalities, agencies, designers and developers.

The PRDM establishes the foundation for public realm planning. It identifies the context of public realm planning, provides guiding statements for all public realm development and illustrates concepts for community-wide public realm systems. Additionally, the manual outlines recommendations for achieving the vision, principles and policies of the PRDM

The public realm includes all exterior places, linkages and built form elements that are physically and/or visually accessible regardless of ownership. These elements can include, but are not limited to, streets, pedestrian ways, bikeways, bridges, plazas, nodes, squares, transportation hubs, gateways, parks, waterfronts, natural features, view corridors, landmarks and building interfaces.

PEOPLE FIRST

A feature of the Manual is the “people-first” approach that is fundamental to the establishment of a world-class public realm. The primary focus of each section of the PRDM is how the public realm meets the needs of the future residents and visitors of the Emirate.

Public Realm Design Manual