Sultan Bin Zayed 

Photograph by Brian Moore

Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street   

As Abu Dhabi transformed from a fishing village to a modern city, the need to develop a coherent vision of the city became apparent. Urban planners and architects worked with the government to create a master plan that incorporated superblocks as Abu Dhabi’s defining characteristic. These superblocks take a modernist approach by outlining city blocks with tall, mixed-use buildings and large boulevards for cars. The superblocks are further defined by a distinct Arab influence, incorporating communal, human-scale structures within each block that provide housing, medical care, schools, mosques, and other basic service buildings.