A return to the old landscape? Balancing physical planning ideals and cultural constraints in Dubai's residential neighborhoods

摘要

Tracing the morphological evolution of Dubai's built environment from the 1960s to present discloses two key neighborhood patterns. Earlier neighborhoods designed with the inception of Dubai's urbanization are characterized by compactness, diversity and pedestrian-friendliness. Neighborhoods developed after 1980s tend to be sparse, massively expanded and geared to accommodating automobiles. Despite its negative environmental and social consequences, this low-density model of neighborhood design has not changed in the past 30 years; Dubai has not witnessed new creative ideas to inform the new generation of neighborhoods. Analysis reveals that the suburban trend of urbanization is socially desired for cultural and economic reasons. This form of urbanism creates a planning challenge because it compromises the environment to meet social needs. Future development must take into account both cultural and environmental needs to create workable compromises. The article argues that planners in Dubai should rethink the current model of urbanism and challenge the status quo with policy reform that attends to both environmental stewardship and cultural needs. Successful reform entails not only reviving traditional design ideals from older neighborhoods but also honoring cultural necessities and current needs.