Green Infrastructure Initiatives for Sustainable Urban Development in Desert Cities

As cities continue to experience various challenges due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, the implementation of green infrastructure (GI) is gaining popularity as a strategic method for achieving sustainability. Nevertheless, its applications remain limited in arid regions in comparison to other climates. This thesis, therefore, aims to investigate whether GI can effectively address the unique urban sustainability challenges faced by arid cities. To achieve this, two cities, Phoenix, USA, and Abu Dhabi, UAE, were selected as case studies due to their extreme desert climates, which offer an ideal comparative basis for analysing GI implementation. Their analysis provides valuable insights for expanding the limited literature on GI in arid environments while offering practical guidance for other arid cities. This study adopts a qualitative approach by examining a wide range of sources to analyse major urban challenges, policy frameworks, and implemented or planned GI measures in both cities. Findings were then organised using visual tools, including diagrams classifying challenge origins and tables contrasting GI policies and implementations between the two cities. The comparison between these cities enriched my research by offering various approaches to GI within similar desert climates. The findings show that while strategies may differ, certain shared practices are essential for GI to effectively tackle sustainability challenges in arid cities. These include the use of drought-tolerant vegetation, recognising the link between water resources and greenery, and focusing on the maintenance of existing GI alongside new initiatives. Overall, GI proves to be a valuable tool for sustainable urban development when carefully adapted to local conditions.