Abu Dhabi residents want more facilities

Residents of Abu Dhabi emirate want more parks and playgrounds in rural areas.

ABU DHABI // A survey of nearly 11,000 households by the Urban Planning Council has shown 63 per cent found community facilities are lacking.

Among things most residents in the emirate want are more restaurants, more parks and playgrounds, and more healthcare centres in rural areas.

The survey also discovered a demand for sports facilities. Thirty per cent of households visit parks three times more often than any sports amenity.

There is also strong support for using school facilities after hours.

The survey began on September 20, 2010, and was conducted among 10,882 households.

Of those, 29 per cent were Emirati.

Residents from Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Gharbia took part, with numbers determined by each region's population. Households were chosen at random.

Falah Al Ahbabi, general manager of the UPC, said the survey helped to involve the community in Abu Dhabi's Vision 2030 plan.