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Medusa Arising from the Water

After reading an article on the “Dark Side of Dubai”, it is clear that people and the environment are exploited, and the collapse of the booming metropolis is looming in the near future. It’s like a fast-forward of the rise and fall of a civilization on a micro-scale. However, we are presented with images of sandy beaches, Western designers, flashy architecture, and money.
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A great civilization is built on the backs of others. In fact, I argue that in order for a society to be “great”, a fraction of its (or other) people must be impoverished because of it. Some other guys have said it too, but I forget their names. They’re old, famous, and dead. Anyway, I encourage you to think of an example that defies it. Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia, Great Britain, and America are guilty of it. Traces slavery still exist in the fibers of any powerful and powerless society. Human trafficking and exploitation is ever present and visible especially in Dubai. Yet, this is not the issue of concern for this post.

Let’s pretend that human trafficking is not a problem and everyone is relatively wealthy. Dubai still could not last. It is a city pretending to be a city in any environment other than a desert. High rises, grass, and usable water don’t belong. As a result, the high rise construction is more complicated and more expensive. As of the recession, many projects may never be completed. People do not actually want to live here. Yet, for the “free tax” status and other incentives, Westerners see opportunities to grow their money and leave ASAP (not always easy). All this building is for nothing and no one other than a show for tourists. Many homes and floors of buildings are vacant.

They grow grass in Dubai. No kidding, the neighborhoods have grass. Supposedly, the idea of a manicured lawn and white picket fence appeal to everyone. Despite all the misplaced ecosystems destroyed by the aggressive construction, they added a Western aesthetic and are paying because of it. I remind you this is a desert. Grass does not grow in a desert. I’m no enviro-scientist, but I’m pretty sure it grows in deciduous and rain forests. Sprinklers water the lawn. With temperatures of 90+ on a daily basis, this must take a lot of water. Let’s ignore the dust storms for now.

Where does this usable water come from? The salt water on the coast of course! Plants around Dubai filter the salt out so people can drink (if they can afford it) and water their grass. *Dubai has the world’s most expensive water.

If history has taught us anything, no amount of money, engineers, or architects can overpower nature. Dubai is developing with no plan and desperately out of it means, financially and ecologically. By no plan I mean- there are no codes or zoning. Unless they find a way to live in congress with nature, which can be achieved through innovative, sustainable, and still flashy architecture and city planning, there is no hope.

I love the image and promise of Dubai. The reality is another story. I won’t speak of the human rights violations in plain sight of tourists and Western expats. That deserves a discussion longer than a blog post. There are so many innovative and interesting architectures, sciences, and cultures that could be born of the unique environment of Dubai. Hopefully, it will last long enough to see its own potential and change. Otherwise, it will be another region that found money, chased Western ideals which did not fit its environment, and fell tragically on its myopic greed.

Check out the article. If you are looking for a balanced article, I suggest finding a different read. As the title says, you’ll only be reading about the negatives- kind of like this post.

http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html

Dubai

More Roadway than Land

Architecture for Humanity Competition

Also, these projects stimulate the economies in these developing areas!

You can get involved too. There are many US Chapters to join!

Medical Training Facility, Tanzania