This document demonstrates how the Route Directness Index (RDI) can be used to measure and improve pedestrian connectivity in the design of neighborhoods according to Abu Dhabi's Urban Street Design Manual. It shows how calculating the RDI score with and without proposed "sikkas" (pedestrian paths) can identify areas of improved connectivity. Applying these principles, it analyzes a demonstration neighborhood project in North Wathba to measure accessibility to amenities like mosques and the nearby LRT station, identifying parcels that would benefit most from new sikka connections.

1. Applying Principles of thePlan Abu Dhabi 2030Urban Street Design ManualToolbox of Connectivity Using An Abu Dhabi Emirate Demonstration * * Trademarks provided under license from ESRI.

2. North Wathba Demonstration Using RDI Desktop to demonstrate functional implementation of the Abu Dhabi Urban Street Design Manual for North Wathba Master Plan area connectivity: Comparing North Wathba Neighborhood Plan to existing Abu Dhabi neighborhood Measuring connectivity to LRT station and the importance of sikkas 1 2

4. The RDI can be measured separately for motorized and non-motorized travel, taking into account non-motorized shortcuts, such as paths that connect cul-de-sacs, and barriers such as highways and streets that lack sidewalks.

5. The RDI is calculated by dividing direct travel distances by actual travel distances. For example, if streets are connected, have good sidewalks, and blocks are relatively small, people can travel nearly directly to destinations, resulting in a high index. If the street network has many unconnected dead-ends and blocks are large, people must travel farther to reach destinations, resulting in a low index.

8. Historically sized at about 3.2 meters wide – sufficient for passage of two laden camelsDeveloped Under-developed

10. Existing Abu Dhabi NeighborhoodAirport Road 23rd Street 25th Street Khaleej Al Arabi

15. Good-Excellent RDI scoresRDI DesktopTM Metric Poor Fair Parcel Parcel Excellent Average RDI Score: Fair .65

17. Good-Excellent to excellent RDI scoresRDI DesktopTM Metric Poor Fair Excellent Parcel Parcel Average RDI Score: Good .73

20. Street Sidewalks OnlyRDI DesktopTM Metric Poor Fair Parcel LRT Station Excellent Average RDI Score: Excellent .77

22. Street Sidewalk and SikkaNetworkRDI DesktopTM Metric Poor Fair Parcel LRT Station Excellent Average RDI Score: Excellent .79

24. Plots benefiting from planned SikkasPlots that benefit significantly by Sikka connectivity

28. Emirati Neighborhood Concept

29. Planned Street Layout

30. Sila’a Base Street And Plot Map Converted to GIS for RDI analysis RDI is calculated by dividing direct (“crow flight”) travel distances by actual travel distances on a scale of 0.1 – 1.0. Streets that are well connected are patterned in small blocks, and have good sidewalks - where people can travel nearly directly to destinations thereby resulting in a higher index value. Street networks with many unconnected dead-ends and large blocks – where people must travel farther to reach destinations thereby resulting in a lower index value. An RDI of 1.0 is the best possible rating, indicating that pedestrians can walk directly to all destinations. An average RDI value of 0.65* is considered acceptable RDI DesktopTM Metric Parcel Parcel

31. RDI Without Sikkas 314 lots > 0.65 (62%) Average RDI Score: Fair .67 RDI DesktopTM Metric Parcel Parcel

32. RDI – With Sikkas 465 lots > 0.65 (92%) Average RDI Score: Good .72 RDI DesktopTM Metric Parcel Parcel

33. RDI Delta - With and Without Sikkas RDI DesktopTM Metric Parcel Parcel

35. Walking time baseline assumption: 1.1 meter / second

37. Travel time to nearest MosqueChallenge: Identifying shade routes to better connect outlying plots with neighborhood Mosques

41. Shade sikkas by a combination use of building face, planted trees and awnings

42. Stagger sikka corridor alignment to enhance safety perception by avoiding a long 'tunneling' effect

43. Emphasize private ownership or sponsorship of adjoining sikkas - helps prevent disutility

45. Help Establish Non-motorized Neighborhood Connectivity Standards - design guide thresholds for neighborhood planning site plan review