Middle East

Sarah Lazare and Clare Bayard visit Israeli-controlled Hebron and find the city marred by barbed wire, barriers and homes and shops sealed with concrete and metal.

November 18, 2009 - Dialogues Against Militarism

With its rich history and wealth of artifacts, palaces, and natural beauty, some wonder if tourism could help Iraq to recover.

November 18, 2009 - BBC News Magazine

A former Beirut resident returns to the Lebanese city to find a vibrant and emerging tourist destination, but with many of the quirks of a developing country.

November 12, 2009 - The Guardian

Photographer Dustin Aksland spent four days in Dubai taking pictures of the spaces in-between the buildings, where construction workers rule.

November 11, 2009 - GOOD Magazine

Construction has begun in Riyadh, capital of Saudi Arabia, on its new light rail system.

November 11, 2009 - Arab News

While a number of mega retail developers crashed and burned during the recession, some smaller developers have thrived.

November 6, 2009 - Retail Traffic Magazine

This piece from The New York Times looks at the role of private gardens and public-facing landscaping in the city of Baghdad.

November 3, 2009 - The New York Times

With closed borders and a military lockdown on all imports and exports, the Palestinians of Gaza rely on a network of smuggling tunnels to obtain goods.

October 28, 2009 - Time

With barely a third of its metro stations in operation, there is some doubt over whether Dubai's metro will be a success.

October 16, 2009 - The Christian Science Monitor

While other nations work to fight climate change and cut oil consumption, Saudi Arabia thinks they should be guaranteed compensation for the fall in revenue.

October 15, 2009 - The New York Times

In order to cope with the Israeli blockade, millions of dollars have been invested in tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. Israel has bombed many of them. Now investors want their money back.

October 14, 2009 - BBC News

A TIME reporter attempts to pay a visit to The World, the collection of manmade islands off the coast of Dubai that has gone from dream to disappointment in the economic crisis.

October 12, 2009 - Time

The World, the artificial islands being constructed off the coast of Dubai in the shape of a global map, has been officially canceled.

September 28, 2009 - The Times

The new Dubai Metro rail system recently began operations in the desert city. Christopher Corbett, an American planner who's been living and working in Dubai, takes us on a visual tour.

September 21, 2009 - Christopher Corbett

A new rail system has opened in Dubai, becoming the world's longest fully automated, driverless metro system. But some wonder whether the system will see much use in the oil-rich Emirate.

September 11, 2009 - Der Spiegel

U.S. Military bases in Iraq are being consolidated, but their footprint is hard to ignore. Many operate much like small cities, housing as many as 20,000 people and all the services and infrastructure they require.

September 10, 2009 - The New York Times

Citywide metro rail service is set to begin operations today in Dubai. The system will start out with ten operational stations, but eventually include 47 stops along 70 kilometers of track.

September 9, 2009 - Business 24/7

In Afghanistan, cities are changing. More and more people are leaving behind their agricultural past for city life, and the tide of new urbanites is stressing the fabric of the city.

September 7, 2009 - Forbes

A new 50,000 seat amphitheater is being planned for construction in Tel Aviv's new urban park, which was built on top of a garbage dump.

September 4, 2009 - Haaretz

Once a booming mideast Las Vegas, Dubai is struggling amid the economic downturn. As a result, bills are going unpaid. By some estimates, UK engineers and architects are owed more than $652 million. One architect breaks his silence on the issue.

September 2, 2009 - Building