Wasn't it just a year ago that Dubai was held up as a shining example of modernity in the Arab world? The future of cities in this interlocking global economy? Its reliance on tourism and finance was lauded because everyone knew that oil in the Persian Gulf would eventually run out. And a lot of people I know wanted to go to Dubai (my sister actually wanted to be spend a year working overseas there) just to check it out.
Dubai's problem is that they've built an economy that's almost entirely pro-cyclical. Tourism does well when the economy booms, but dries up when it busts. Finance does well when the economy booms, but blows up when it busts. So it's no wonder that in the biggest downturn in 80 years, Dubai's economy is hurting.
But that doesn't mean that Dubai's an example of how not to build a city, any more than Silicon Valley or Detroit are examples of how not to build a city.
For me, the city looks like if they were trying to build already complete adult human, then turn it on and hope it will live, without having to be born and then grow up to that form. Which is something I'm quite afraid of, because it usually works badly.
our icons of today are our counter-examples of tomorrow.
Moreover I think the list of counter-examples bout cities is full, thank you everybody: Brasilia, Valparaiso, Paris, New York, Tokyo, etc., now Dubai.
Maybe now is time to resurrect Christopher Alexander's spirit (I just checked, he is medically alive) and look at what is good and why it's good.
It was held as a shining example, by many of the same people lauding the innovative financial products we now label as toxic. They were wrong.
Should Dubai fall into ruin, it will serve as a powerful weapon in the hands of those that oppose a secular society in the Middle East. Dubai should be a lesson we learn from, but not at the expense of positive modernization.
Dubai's problem is that they've built an economy that's almost entirely pro-cyclical. Tourism does well when the economy booms, but dries up when it busts. Finance does well when the economy booms, but blows up when it busts. So it's no wonder that in the biggest downturn in 80 years, Dubai's economy is hurting.
But that doesn't mean that Dubai's an example of how not to build a city, any more than Silicon Valley or Detroit are examples of how not to build a city.