A number of Arab countries are struggling with complex urban assignments. Because of the influence of the Arab Spring, their highly centralist urban development is under pressure. Foreign urban developers will have to bring about a new design culture. The joint venture CULD (Complex Urban Landscape Design) was founded by three designers of landscape architecture and urban developments. CULD work in Germany, England, Iceland, among other places, and now also find themselves in the United Arab Emirates. There, the three of them - Cor Geluk, Huub Juurlink and Jaakko van 't Spijker - are working on things like urban renewal. In the Emirates, cities used to be knocked together double quick, without a great deal of planning sophistication. In Juurl-ink's view, the authorities have learnt from developments over the past decades: 'The Crown Prince is responsible for planning, and he doesn't want a second Dubai.' As the developers put it: 'Housing assignments are urgent there. The people are more articulate now, also due to the Arab Spring. This has seen to a speeding up within projects.
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