The DPM has developed Plan Capital to optimise the city's development through a comprehensive urban evolution program. In doing so, it is laying the foundations for a socially cohesive and economically sustainable community that preserves the Emirate's unique cultural heritage. This foresight to plan for infrastructure ahead of time is a key example of a visionary governance.
To create Plan Capital, DPM staged inspirational meetings with H.H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.The work of DPM, which manages social and economic development in total harmony, aims to create a stronger sense of community and identity across the city. As a result, it will deliver new, higher levels of social cohesion and well-being. The assigned objective is to project a vision of a harmonious society, diversified, culturally rich and evolving in a continuously stable environment. Every element of DPM's work is underpinned by environmental sensitivity and the desire to protect our unique ecology for future generations. To this end, DPM has developed a unique environmental framework in collaboration with the Environment Agency. This framework is called 'Estidama', which is the Arabic word for sustainability.
Estidama enabled DPM to create a sustainable 4-pillar development program, setting out guidelines and regulations. The initiative is led by DPM and a group of government agencies and developers.
Estidama is the first program of its kind that is tailored to the region, promoting a new mindset. As the symbol of a clear political vision that is intended to balance citizen "sustainable" interest through a planning process of visionary scope, the Estidama program addresses sustainability concerns at large through its environmental, economic, social and cultural angles.
With the recent recognition as one of the top 10 sustainable cities of the future by the Ethisphere Institute, a US/based think tank that researches and promotes good government and social responsibility by corporations, Abu Dhabi is on the right path in transforming itself into THE sustainable capital of the Arab world. To meet this challenge, DPM has developed a political vision that focuses on cutting-edge urban design, protecting cultural assets, fostering Arab/Muslim-based communities and engendering interaction between citizens and their built environment.
