Dubai’s Creative City Is On The Way – And It’s Built For Strolling, Sketching and Seriously Cool Living

A walkable waterfront district is being designed from the ground up.

Dubai is getting ready to unveil its next big urban obsession – a brand-new, design-led neighbourhood on the Dubai Canal that blends homes, studios, galleries, and green spaces with a bold pedestrian route running through its heart. And we’d expect nothing less from our fair city.

Walkable streets and urban green areas abound.

Planned as an extension of Dubai Design District, the new community will stretch across roughly 18 million square feet and sit between Downtown Dubai and Dubai Creek. Think: water views, contemporary architecture, and the kind of cafés where everyone looks like they’re working on something interesting.

Instead of one uniform block, the development is carved into distinct zones, each with its own personality. Along the canal you’ll find sleek residences, restaurants and places to wander by the water. Move further in and the action shifts to mixed-use living – retail, dining, and stylish apartments designed for that live-work-play rhythm.

The new city has close proximity to all of downtown and surrounding areas.

A dedicated cultural quarter will anchor the creative side of the community, complete with performance venues and mid-rise homes overlooking the district’s central bowl. Another zone focuses on wellbeing, bringing parks, sports areas and mangrove-inspired landscaping for people who want nature without leaving the city. The final cluster will be home to loft-style studios and galleries, built for artists, designers and makers who like their workspace with skyline views.

At the centre of it all will be the development’s signature feature: a pedestrian “spine” designed for walking, lingering and people-watching. Lined with public art, installations and community pockets, it will link the entire neighbourhood together – more strolling, less driving, and plenty of green space along the way.

Sunset views over the city are unparalleled. 

This is not just another address, but a full creative ecosystem: part neighbourhood, part open-air gallery, part lifestyle playground. Sounds pretty fabulous to us. Stay tuned for more updates or read more here.