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Mazaya Monthly Real Estate Report -
Week 5 - May 2016
Health & Wealth benefits
In addition to preserving the natural
habitat, “green spacing” within and
outside cities helps to prevent dust,
reduce contamination from pollution
and absorbCO2 emissions – all of which
offer positive contributions to residents
as well as the planet’s health. Of course,
green spaces naturally give a city a
more aesthetic value, but sustainable
and smart cities are not just “nice
ideas to have”. By offering significant
environmental, energy, social and
health benefits, it will make them some
of the most sought after places to live.
Real estate market indicators, around
the world, point out that pricing is
directly related to green spaces; real
estate prices go up whenever nearby
landscaping and parks undergo
expansion and development. It is worth
mentioning that studies show that
residents of cities with a higher ratio of
greenspacesenjoyabetterqualityoflife.
Today, over 50 per cent of the world’s
population lives in urban areas, amatter
which reflects positively on efforts
to augment the use of landscaping in
the planning and execution of cities.
It has also been noted that end users
increasingly realise the long-term
importanceofsustainablerealestateand
environmentally friendly construction
practices. This, in turn, is affecting
purchasing and re-sale priorities.
The report also indicated that pressures
and challenges facing environmentally
sustainable developments are set against
the forecast that 4.9 billion people will
be living in cities and urban areas, by
2030. This means that urban areas will
expand by no less than 150 per cent,
over the same period. This presents
a major challenge to maintaining the
natural environment, particularly in the
extremely large cities, which continue to
attract migrating populations. Moderately
sized, smaller cities do have better
opportunities to manage this trend.
To this end, Al Mazaya’s Report states that
while problems exist in certain large cities,
developingnewandsustainablecitiesofthe
future is a concept that is being embraced
by GCC countries. This can be seen and
recognised in a variety of new projects
and cities being developed in the region.
According to Al Mazaya’s Report,
green spaces have a direct relationship
on the attractiveness of real estate
projects. Health and environmental
considerations have become key features
and priorities for consumers of many
types of housing units. Expanding
the green space around buildings has
become an environmental and social
requirement that helps reduce water and
air contamination as well as having some
cooling effects on high temperatures.