Petro-dollars are fueling the tiny emirate's ambitions to become one of the world's top commercial and tourist destinations. Experts wonder if Dubai's blazing growth is sustainable.
"With ambitions to become a hub of global commerce, a top tourist destination and a shopping mecca --- a New York/Las Vegas/Miami rolled into one --- Dubai has spent tens of billions of dollars to build an astonishing modern city nearly from scratch in a mere 15 years. Some $45 billion worth of real estate under construction continues the boom."
"This tiny emirate is currently building the tallest skyscraper, the largest shopping mall and the biggest theme park in the world. And that's just on land. Immense formations of man-made islands shaped like palm trees and world continents are rising out of the turquoise waters of the gulf."
"In using its strategic location and oil revenues as springboards to modernize, diversify its economy and attract foreign investment, Dubai's leaders see their Rhode Island-sized nation as a role model for development in the Arab world."
Read the full story: Dubai: Big Dreams in the Desert
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
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Chicago Avenue bridge construction delays enrages city leaders
The bridge has been closed since 2025. The city originally aimed to re-open it in December, and now expects to finish construction in 2027.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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