Overview
Associate Urban Designer Jobs in UAE at Blake Anderson
My client a leading real estate developer in Abu Dhabi requires an Associate Urban Designer to lead the creation of innovative, sustainable, and commercially successful urban environments across a portfolio of major residential, mixed-use, waterfront, hospitality, and destination developments.
Working within the Master Planning and Design team, this role is responsible for transforming development strategies into high-quality urban design solutions that create vibrant, people-focused communities. The successful candidate will lead the urban design process from early visioning through concept and master planning, ensuring projects balance placemaking, commercial objectives, infrastructure integration, sustainability, and long-term value.
Key Responsibilities
Urban Design Leadership
* Lead the development of urban design concepts for large-scale master-planned communities, mixed-use districts, waterfront developments, and destination projects.
* Translate development objectives into innovative urban frameworks, neighbourhood structures, and place-making strategies.
* Develop land-use plans, movement networks, density strategies, block layouts, and public realm concepts that support commercially successful developments.
* Establish the character, identity, and spatial quality of projects through high-quality urban design.
Master Planning & Design Development
* Lead projects from visioning and concept design through master planning and planning approval stages.
* Prepare and review urban design frameworks, design guidelines, public realm strategies, and development principles.
* Test development scenarios to optimise land use, density, connectivity, and commercial performance.
* Ensure urban design proposals respond effectively to planning policies, infrastructure requirements, environmental considerations, and market demands.
Consultant & Stakeholder Management
* Manage and coordinate international urban design, architecture, landscape, transport, and infrastructure consultants.
* Lead design workshops, visioning sessions, and multidisciplinary coordination meetings.
* Review consultant submissions to ensure compliance with approved design strategies and project objectives.
* Prepare consultant briefs, scopes of work, and technical requirements for urban design commissions.
Collaboration & Project Integration
* Work closely with Development, Architecture, Landscape, Infrastructure, Engineering, Commercial, and Project Delivery teams.
* Ensure urban design solutions integrate effectively with architecture, transport, utilities, sustainability, and delivery strategies.
* Balance design excellence with commercial viability, programme requirements, and construction considerations.
Presentation & Design Governance
* Present urban design strategies and recommendations to executive leadership, government authorities, and key stakeholders.
* Support design governance through structured design reviews and quality assurance processes.
* Ensure projects maintain consistency with approved visions, planning principles, and corporate design standards.
Innovation & Best Practice
* Research international precedents, emerging planning trends, and innovative urban development practices.
* Promote sustainable design, walkability, smart city principles, and resilient community planning.
* Contribute to the continuous improvement of urban design standards, processes, and methodologies across the organisation.
Team Leadership
* Mentor and develop junior urban designers and support the growth of design capability within the team.
* Foster a collaborative, creative, and high-performing design culture.
* Share knowledge and promote design excellence across multidisciplinary teams.
Title: Associate Urban Designer
Company: Blake Anderson
Location: UAE
