Alleyways: An asset for greener, more vibrant cities 

The streetscapes of Dubai have changed significantly since the early 1950s. As rapid urbanization took hold, and the city prioritized highways, the pedestrian-friendly pathways previously shaped by organic growth evolved into expansive roads designed for vehicles. This shift came at the cost of street-level connectivity that once brought suburban neighborhoods together. 

A study led by Khaled Alawadi from the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at Khalifa University mapped how the layout of 11 Dubai neighborhoods has evolved over that period. In particular, the team studied the role that alleyways have played, and continue to play, in that streetscape. The resulting paper, published in the Journal of Planning Education and Research, evaluated how these changes affected what Alawadi and his colleagues call ‘network connectivity’.

“I define network efficiency by directness; how easy it is for you to reach your destination,” Alawadi says. The more a route from one place to another deviates from the most direct path between the two places, the less ‘pedestrian route directness’ it has, and therefore the less efficient it is.” 

Network efficiency is particularly important in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, where the hot, arid climate makes it essential for pedestrians to reach their destination as quickly as possible. Network connectivity fosters community connectedness, allowing people to make use of their local streets for leisure, exercise and social interaction.  

Alleyways are a really critical part of the urban fabric that was ignored for many years.

Khaled Alawadi

The impact that alleyways have on this network connectivity and efficiency has, however, long been ignored. Alawadi and colleagues considered the impact of streets alone, then they included both streets and alleyways in the analysis. Their findings revealed that when only streets were considered, network efficiency values decreased over time. When alleyways were included in the analysis, however, the decline was less pronounced, suggesting that alleyways partly mitigated the loss of network efficiency over time, thus addressing deficiencies in network connectivity. 

In some neighborhoods, alleyways made up 30 to 40% of the network. “Alleyways are a critical part of the urban fabric that has been ignored for many years,” Alawadi concludes. His research group is now undertaking a study of alleyways and their pattern and contribution to network connectivity in 50 cities around the world, including in Africa, Europe and North America. The hope is that greater attention will be given to alleyways in urban planning practice and research. 

Reference

Alawadi, K.; Alameri, H.; Scoppa, M., Reclaiming Alleyways to Improve Network Connectivity: Lessons from Dubai’s Neighborhoods. Journal of Planning Education and Research, 43 (4), 917-939 (2023). | Article