While Dubai's fantastical Burj Khalifa is mostly empty and development has ground to a halt, Abu Dhabi continues to develop - and smartly, says Philip Langdon.
"In a still-shaky world economy, one place stands out as an enthusiastic employer of new urbanists and a potential model of how to develop cities. That place is Abu Dhabi, the wealthy emirate that has recently been in the news for bailing out its profligate neighbor, Dubai.
When overextended real estate development in Dubai collapsed late last year, it was Abu Dhabi that came to the rescue with $10 billion. The largest and most petroleum-rich of the seven members of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi has a reputation for prudent government by its royal family. In the past several years, while Dubai was erecting flamboyant towers and building islands arranged like palm trees, Abu Dhabi was searching for a course that would work better in the longer run."
Thanks to Renee Brutvan
Read the full story: Abu Dhabi: new urban showcase in the Middle East?
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