LIVEX starts today: what a district dashboard means for everyday liveability

Abu Dhabi’s LIVEX exhibition runs from 29 September to 1 October at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi. In its 28 September announcement, the Department of Community Development said it would showcase its Districts Dashboard, which combines district-level quality-of-life and development indicators to help identify residents’ needs, set priorities and monitor the impact of initiatives.

The same programme includes a framework for disability-friendly cities and communities, linking access to facilities, services and technology with participation in everyday life. The dashboard is described as a decision-support tool. The announcement does not establish that it is a public search portal or a rating for individual properties.

For someone comparing neighbourhoods, the underlying idea is useful: look at how the parts work together. Start with a real weekday, rather than a list of attractive facilities. Write down the places your household actually needs to reach, the times you would travel and who makes each journey. A destination nearby on a map is only the beginning of that exercise.

Then examine the route. Where are the crossings, entrances, steps and shaded sections? Can you follow it comfortably with a pushchair, walking aid or shopping bags if those are part of your routine? Visit at the time you would normally use it, where practical. A short, pleasant walk during a viewing does not answer every question about the morning school run or an evening return.

Separate what you can observe from what is proposed. Record which connections and services are operating now, which are under construction and which appear only in plans. Ask for the current information behind a future claim, and keep unanswered questions visible. This is a way to organise a viewing and a conversation, not a scoring formula that ranks every household’s needs alike.

For a visit to LIVEX itself, the official FAQ lists free registration, 09:00–17:00 on 29 September and 09:00–18:00 on 30 September and 1 October. Check the organiser’s current registration and programme information before travelling. DCD points visitors to the Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion and Community Zone for its projects and discussions.

The cover is an original AI-generated conceptual scale model of a connected neighbourhood. It is not a LIVEX exhibit, a real district plan, a rendering of the Districts Dashboard or a promised SIBRIS development.