ARKAT

ARKAT Crafting sustainable, human-centric urban landscapes

On Earth Day, climate action is often discussed through energy, emissions, and environmental protection.But cities are p...
22/04/2026

On Earth Day, climate action is often discussed through energy, emissions, and environmental protection.

But cities are part of that conversation too.

Urban planning shapes how land is used, how people move, how public space performs, and how urban environments respond to heat, pressure, and long-term environmental change. These decisions influence how the cities adapt.

At ARKAT, we see planning as part of the climate conversation, because the environmental future of cities is not only managed. It is also designed.

Dubai Loop invites an important urban question: what happens when mobility infrastructure moves faster than the city aro...
17/04/2026

Dubai Loop invites an important urban question: what happens when mobility infrastructure moves faster than the city around it?

The promise of autonomous underground transport is clear, reduced congestion, shorter travel times, and a new model for high-frequency movement. But the long-term value of systems like this will depend on more than speed.

How people reach each station, how easily they transfer, and what kind of urban life surrounds each stop will shape whether this becomes a transport upgrade or a more connected mobility ecosystem.

For cities, the opportunity is not only to invest in advanced infrastructure, but to align that investment with walkability, mixed-use density, safe cycling access, and strong first- and last-mile connections.

Because the future of mobility is not only about moving faster. It is about integrating movement more meaningfully into everyday urban life.

A simple reminder that streets are more than corridors of movement. They are where urban life unfolds, where people meet...
16/04/2026

A simple reminder that streets are more than corridors of movement. They are where urban life unfolds, where people meet, pass, pause, and share space.

At ARKAT, we see streets as one of the clearest expressions of how a city works at the human scale, shaping not only mobility, but also public life, connection, and everyday experience.

Because the quality of a city is often felt most clearly in its streets.

Urban heat in GCC cities is not only a climate condition. It is also shaped by urban form, material choices, shade, vege...
07/04/2026

Urban heat in GCC cities is not only a climate condition. It is also shaped by urban form, material choices, shade, vegetation, and the way public space is designed over time.

This is why heat cannot be understood through temperature alone. It affects how streets are used, how comfortable outdoor environments feel, and how easily people can move through the city in everyday life.

At ARKAT, we see urban heat as more than an environmental issue. It is also a public realm, liveability, and design issue, especially in cities where outdoor space plays a critical role in movement, access, and social life.

Because in hot-climate cities, heat is not only experienced. It is also built into the urban environment.

Dubai Loop reflects a growing ambition in urban mobility: faster, more flexible, and more autonomous movement across the...
30/03/2026

Dubai Loop reflects a growing ambition in urban mobility: faster, more flexible, and more autonomous movement across the city.

But infrastructure alone does not create better mobility. Its real value depends on how well it connects with the urban fabric around it, walkable access, last-mile integration, mixed-use density, and strong connections to wider public transport networks.

As cities explore new transport systems, the question is not only how fast they move people. It is how well they fit into everyday urban life.

How should cities balance major mobility investments with walkable urban design?

Across the GCC, residential aspiration has long been tied to scale.Larger villas.Master-planned compounds.Peripheral exp...
28/03/2026

Across the GCC, residential aspiration has long been tied to scale.

Larger villas.
Master-planned compounds.
Peripheral expansion.

More space often feels like progress.

But urban form quietly shapes everyday life.

Car-dependent districts.
Long commutes across arterial highways.
Limited walkability in extreme climates.
Separated land uses that stretch daily routines.

We tend to measure what is visible:
square meters, private gardens, gated amenities.

We rarely measure what accumulates:
time in traffic, reduced spontaneity, limited street interaction, distance from daily needs.

In rapidly growing Gulf cities, the question is no longer whether to expand.

It is how expansion aligns with daily life.

Proximity, shading, mixed-use density, and human-scale streets are not aesthetic choices. They are structural decisions that influence well-being.

What defines a better neighborhood in the GCC context, more space, or more access?

We’re hiring at ARKAT.We’re looking for an Urban Planning Strategist/Masterplanner with 2-5 years of experience to suppo...
24/03/2026

We’re hiring at ARKAT.

We’re looking for an Urban Planning Strategist/Masterplanner with 2-5 years of experience to support our growing pipeline across the UAE and wider region. The role combines strong planning thinking with project management discipline.

Key responsibilities:
•⁠ ⁠Develop masterplans, planning frameworks, and public realm strategies
•⁠ ⁠Structure insights into clear concepts, narratives, and recommendations
•⁠ ⁠Produce high-quality client deliverables (reports, presentations, drawings)
•⁠ ⁠Manage workplans, timelines, and coordination across disciplines and stakeholders

What we’re looking for:
•⁠ ⁠Experience in urban strategy and masterplanning (GCC experience is a plus)
•⁠ ⁠Strong written communication and presentation skills
•⁠ ⁠Organized, proactive, and comfortable in a fast-moving environment
•⁠ ⁠Proficiency in common planning/design tools and strong deliverable packaging

If this sounds like you, please send your CV to: [email protected]

We’d also be glad to hear from candidates who would like to share a portfolio or selected work samples alongside their application.

Cities are not defined only by infrastructure, but by the encounters they make possible.Richard Sennett reminds us that ...
18/03/2026

Cities are not defined only by infrastructure, but by the encounters they make possible.

Richard Sennett reminds us that urban life gains its depth through difference, exchange, and the ability to live alongside others. Designing cities, then, is also about designing for coexistence.

What makes a city feel open to encounter for you?

غالبًا ما تركز النقاشات الحضرية على المشاريع.لكن المشاريع لا تعمل بمعزل عن غيرها، بل ضمن أنظمة متكاملة.في مختلف دول مجلس...
10/03/2026

غالبًا ما تركز النقاشات الحضرية على المشاريع.

لكن المشاريع لا تعمل بمعزل عن غيرها، بل ضمن أنظمة متكاملة.

في مختلف دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي، تدخل المدن اليوم مرحلة تحول هيكلي،
من نموذج النمو القائم على التوسع إلى التخطيط القائم على سهولة الوصول.

فهم لغة التصميم الحضري أصبح أمراً بالغ الأهمية.

إمكانية الوصول تعيد تعريف الازدحام.
التطوير الموجّه نحو النقل العام يعيد هيكلة الكثافة العمرانية.
الطلب المستحث يطرح تحدياً لمنطق توسيع الطرق.
العمران المستجيب للمناخ يحدد قابلية المشي في البيئات الحارة.
العمران القائم على القرب يعيد تشكيل الحياة اليومية.

هذه ليست مصطلحات أكاديمية.
بل أدوات تشغيلية.

المدن التي ستقود العقد القادم لن تكتفي ببناء المزيد من البنية التحتية.

بل ستعمل على مواءمة استخدامات الأراضي والمناخ والتنقل والحوكمة.

برأيكم، أي من هذه المفاهيم هو الأكثر أهمية لمدن دول مجلس التعاون الخليجي في الوقت الحالي؟

Addressing physical inactivity requires more than awareness campaigns.It requires structural change.The Dubai 2040 Urban...
06/03/2026

Addressing physical inactivity requires more than awareness campaigns.
It requires structural change.

The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan explicitly recognises the relationship between urban form, daily movement, and public health, placing healthy urbanism at the centre of long-term city planning.

One of its core principles is the 20-minute city:
a model where residents can access daily needs, work, services, education, and leisure, within 20 minutes by walking, cycling, or light transport.

As highlighted in recent public health and urban planning research, proximity alone does not guarantee movement.

For the 20-minute city to function in the UAE’s climate, it must be supported by shade, thermal comfort, continuous pedestrian networks, safe crossings, and strong connections to public transport.

At ARKAT, we approach the 20-minute city not as a planning slogan, but as a lived condition.
Sidewalks, shade, and distance are not amenities, they are health infrastructure.

Designing for movement is designing for life. Contact us: [email protected]

Urban conversations often focus on projects.But projects sit within systems.Across the GCC, cities are entering a struct...
05/03/2026

Urban conversations often focus on projects.

But projects sit within systems.

Across the GCC, cities are entering a structural transition, from expansion-led growth to accessibility-driven planning.

Understanding the language of urban design matters.

Accessibility reframes congestion.
Transit-Oriented Development restructures density.
Induced demand challenges road expansion logic.
Climate-responsive urbanism defines walkability in hot environments.
Proximity urbanism reshapes daily life.

These are not academic terms.
They are operational tools.

The cities that lead the next decade will not simply build more infrastructure.

They will align land use, climate, mobility, and governance.

Which concept do you think is most critical for GCC cities right now?

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Dubai Design District
Dubai
DUBAI

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