Dubai: Behind An Urban Spectacle

For many, the image of Dubai is of islands shaped like palm trees, luxurious shopping malls and the iconic building in the shape of a dhow’s sail – the Burj al Arab. Dubai: Beyond an Urban Spectacle, reveals a very different city, a place full of aspirations, struggles, and encounters taking place in all sorts of settings. It represents a new form of urbanity, which cannot be explored by looking only at spectacular developments. One must move into the lesser known spaces of Dubai’s traditional neighbourhoods for they constitute the essence of the city and where its unique urban experiment is played out.

Following a theoretical review setting Dubai within the current discussion about globalization, a photo essay introduces the reader to the city, its places and its people. Then Dubai’s history is explored, from its beginnings as a small fishing village to its place on the world stage today, using historical narratives, travel writing, personal and press accounts, and the author’s own experiences. Then, the role of planning in shaping Dubai’s urban morphology and in creating a global city is unpacked. Next, attention turns to the city’s megaprojects and its spectacular – and not so spectacular – retail environment, followed by the city’s ‘forgotten urban spaces’, the meeting and living places of the low-income migrant community. And finally an examination of the viability of ‘the Dubai model’ and its durability, both in its birth place and in those cities where it is being emulated.

Book Chapters