Learning from Dubai: is it possible?

In this chapter of The Superlative City, I describe the kinds of formal experimentation that are occurring in Dubai. Although even Las Vegas’s teachable excesses may appear to pale in comparison to those of Dubai, a key to understanding the Gulf city lies in seeing how it partially cites and incorporates well-regarded planning and design traditions. It is this excessive citation and its amplification in terms of size, repetition and class segregation that are Dubai’s specific contribution to the current global urban landscape.

For more information on the anthology, see the Harvard GSD website, or read Elaine Housby’s review on the London School of Economics website.

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