ZEMCH 2015 - International Conference Proceedings | Page 35

International Conference | Bari - Lecce, Italy Session I - II DEVELOPING ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES FROM SOCIAL ASPECTS: A CASE STUDY OF DUBAI Dania Tachouali1 & Hasim Altan1 1 Sustainable Design of the Built Environment, Faculty of Engineering & IT, British University in Dubai, UAE, [email protected] / [email protected] Abstract In a city where everything is possible, architecture plays a significant role in improving the quality of life, by reducing the CO2 emissions, today Dubai is a modern city with over two million inhabitants, the modern architecture of Dubai carries the Arabic culture with western influence which is inspiring to the mind and the imagination, on the other hand, due to the rapid developments and their environmental consequences, the UAE was ranked the first with the highest ecological footprint according to the world life fund of nature 2010; Dubai Plan 2021 is a key inspiration to adopt new strategies and implement new solutions to the social, environmental and economic challenges in the region. Dubai Plan 2021 consists of five main elements; the Society, the Experience, the Government, the Place, and the People. The paper is aiming to achieve one of the Dubai Plan 2021 elements, the Society, by presenting solutions that can help in reducing CO2 emissions and can mitigate the impact of the built environment, which can be achieved by creating a sustainability package. This paper discusses the results of each practice to demonstrate how this will add value and help in achieving the highest standards of a clean environment to face the challenges of today. Keywords: Sustainable Built Environment, Dubai Plan 2021, Innovative Solutions, Sustainable Development, CO2 Emissions, Sustainability. 33