The site will be repurposed into a community of shops and homes and renamed District 2020 once the fair ends on March 31
After Dubai finishes hosting the World Expo next month, the city will repurpose the international fair’s 4.38 sq km site into a residential and commercial district designed with sustainability and convenience in mind. As the event’s finale approaches, plans are already in motion for the future of the site, located near Dubai’s southern border with Abu Dhabi, when Expo 2020 wraps up on March 31.
From April, the UAE government will commence a US$8 billion transformation of the space into “District 2020”, a new residential area it dubs the “15-minute city”, based on the idea that it can be cycled across in 15 minutes and offers quick access to amenities. District 2020 forms a significant part of Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan, a 20-year map for sustainable urban development in the city.
Speaking after an event during Expo’s Health and Wellness Week, David Gourlay, director of architecture for District 2020, promised a “fully integrated community” and said wellbeing was at the heart of plans for the site: “A significant portion of District 2020’s infrastructure is centred on health and wellbeing, with the goal of supporting an active and balanced lifestyle.”
The United Arab Emirates’ most populous city has positioned itself as a conduit for ideas and innovation by hosting the World Expo, the latest in the series of large international exhibitions, held every five years in a different country each time. After a year’s postponement, the fair opened in October, becoming the first World Expo to be held in the Middle East.