A Building Boom with a Human Cost

This piece from Next American City looks at the human toll major building projects are taking on construction workers in China, Dubai and other rapidly developing places.

1 minute read

March 13, 2009, 9:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"We are in the midst of a breathtaking round of mega-project construction, and it is happening mainly in Asia and the Middle East. China and the United Arab Emirates are leading the movement, and neither is known for being labor friendly, to put it mildly."

"Working conditions for migrants in Dubai are appalling. The government reported 39 people dead from workplace accidents in 2005 alone, which is likely to be a conservative estimate. This maltreatment caused a riot by 2,500 fed up laborers working on the Burj Dubai, which temporarily halted construction in 2006. That at least forced the government to acknowledge the problem, which so far has only amounted to lip service."

"As with Dubai, the construction booms in magnet cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou flourish on migrant labor, but from China's own rural interior instead of foreign countries. There are 150 million rural laborers living in cities. The cities count on them to toil cheaply and without complaint."

Thursday, March 12, 2009 in Next American City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Ken Jennings stands in front of Snohomish County Community Transit bus.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series

The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

April 20, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Man sitting on bench sillhouetted against golden hour trees in tranquil park.

‘Smart Surfaces’ Policy Guide Offers Advice for Building and Maintaining Urban Tree Canopies

Healthy, robust tree canopies can reduce the impacts of extreme heat and improve air quality.

30 minutes ago - Smart Cities Dive

Aerial view of gold-covered New Jersey state capitol dome in Trenton, New Jersey at dusk.

New Jersey Lawsuit Targets Rent-Setting Algorithms

The state of New Jersey is taking legal action against landlords and companies that engage in what the state’s Attorney General alleges is illegal rent fixing.

1 hour ago - New Jersey Monitor

View of Washington state capitol dome in Olympia, Washington at golden hour.

Washington Legislature Passes Rent Increase Cap

A bill that caps rent increases at 7 percent plus inflation is headed to the governor’s desk.

April 29 - Washington State Standard