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."
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.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.
San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.
Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.
Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
New York City School Construction Authority
Village of Glen Ellyn
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions