Residents of a new Dh6-billion residential community on Yas Island will be able to walk, cycle and run through the development without having to navigate surface traffic, its developer said on Friday, September 18.
The Wadi, launched by Cosmo Developments, will have its cars and parking facilities placed underground, leaving the surface of the 140,700-sqm development largely free of vehicles. The project will include a running route stretching about six kilometres through the community, alongside pedestrian and cycling paths, landscaped areas, water features, parks and a central valley.
“It’s a close community that is really designed to give this kind of perception in any of the steps that you are doing,” Andrea Nucera, managing director of Cosmo Developments and group managing director of Reportage Group, told Khaleej Times.
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“You are moving without a car, and you are moving in contact with many elements. You have the tree, you have the grass, you have the water, you have the canal,” he added.
The development, located along Yas Canal, will comprise 3,950 residential units, including studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, as well as commercial, recreational, sports and hospitality facilities.
Nucera said the decision to move cars underground was intended to create a safer and more walkable environment, particularly for families with children.
“If you see the master plan, there is no car,” he said, adding that residents would be able to walk between different parts of the community without encountering vehicle traffic.
The master plan will also incorporate restaurants and retail spaces, tennis clubs, gyms, spas, and dedicated children’s areas.
The developer said buildings, open pathways and landscaped areas have also been positioned to facilitate air movement across parts of the community, while native planting, including ghaf and palm trees, will feature throughout the development.
Homes from Dh850,000
The project went on sale on Septemnber 18, with prices starting at about Dh850,000 for studios and reaching approximately Dh7.5 million for larger four-bedroom units, according to Nucera.
Some of the larger homes will have balconies or terraces of up to about 150sqm.
The first phase has initially released around 700 homes across two buildings. Nucera said about 350 to 360 units had been sold within hours of the launch, while studios in the first phase were already sold out.
The project will be developed in two phases, with construction of the first phase expected to begin after the initial preparatory period.
Nucera said the overall development would take approximately 55 to 60 months to complete, although the two phases would be delivered separately.
The development has an estimated investment of Dh6 billion and will combine residential, retail, leisure and hospitality uses within a single master plan.
The project also includes a waterfront and yacht marina, according to the developer.
Nucera said the location at the entrance to Yas Island would eventually benefit from road connections intended to improve access around the area, including links towards major Yas Island attractions.
The launch comes as developers increasingly incorporate walkability, greenery and outdoor amenities into large residential communities, particularly as Abu Dhabi expands its waterfront and mixed-use developments.
Source: Khaleej Times