Following the current political (US Ports deal by Dubai Ports) and architectural (mega projects under construction) interest that Dubai has generated, I though the following links may be of interest:
A Dream of Dubai: Half fantasy, half reality, Dubai is re-writing the book on urbanism
Well, I can't say that at UAE projects at my firm, but several in China. Seems suddenly Dubai is the hype and China got forgotten.
Massive shopping malls, highrises and indoor ski slopes sounds a lot like Japan in the 1980's. Remember what happened to that? How about all the construction going on in Berlin right after unification? Sure, Dubai might be the architecture hot-spot right now, but give it a few years and we will all have forgotten and moved onto the next place.
Obviously Dubai is seeking a tourist interest in many of these projects. That's their choice but I would prefer to see them focus their wealth and energy on serious issues at home. Dubai has some of the worst poverty in the world, yet they also have the richest elite in the world building a Las Vegas style playground. Human rights are virtually non-existant in the mid-east and UAE is no exception. All this construction is paying very little attention to the environment. Dredging up islands in the gulf and massive high rises don't sound energy conscious to me. All that and it still isn't a safe country for a western tourist to visit, at least not by N. American or European standards.
Dubai city state: architectural fanatsy and financial superpower
Following the current political (US Ports deal by Dubai Ports) and architectural (mega projects under construction) interest that Dubai has generated, I though the following links may be of interest:
A Dream of Dubai: Half fantasy, half reality, Dubai is re-writing the book on urbanism
http://www.utne.com/webwatch/2006_239/news/12025-1.html
Dubai: tourism and the end of public space
http://katodrytis.com/main/72/Gulf-first-urban-planning-and-development-conference
Just as an informal poll, how many archinecters have projects running in the UAE? We have three at my firm...
Well, I can't say that at UAE projects at my firm, but several in China. Seems suddenly Dubai is the hype and China got forgotten.
Massive shopping malls, highrises and indoor ski slopes sounds a lot like Japan in the 1980's. Remember what happened to that? How about all the construction going on in Berlin right after unification? Sure, Dubai might be the architecture hot-spot right now, but give it a few years and we will all have forgotten and moved onto the next place.
Obviously Dubai is seeking a tourist interest in many of these projects. That's their choice but I would prefer to see them focus their wealth and energy on serious issues at home. Dubai has some of the worst poverty in the world, yet they also have the richest elite in the world building a Las Vegas style playground. Human rights are virtually non-existant in the mid-east and UAE is no exception. All this construction is paying very little attention to the environment. Dredging up islands in the gulf and massive high rises don't sound energy conscious to me. All that and it still isn't a safe country for a western tourist to visit, at least not by N. American or European standards.
For Middle Eastern people Dubai is like Europe.
I think Dubai attracts more middle eastern people rather than european
err.. have to disagree there sheri
why???
you live in Dubai?
yep ...
Please enlighten me, from what i know there are more middle eastern turists there than european.
well there are probably more middle eastern working expatriates than western .. but the tourist industry if without doubt aimed at the west.
if you ask me .. it's all crap .. but they make it sound big !!
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