Dubai on a Path to 'Ecological Disaster'

With too much focus on "architectural bling" and a hyperactive development pattern, Dubai is in danger of becoming a modern planning disaster, according to architect Thom Mayne.

1 minute read

October 11, 2008, 1:00 PM PDT

By Nate Berg

"The US architect said the private sector's dominance in the Gulf state had led to a lack of joined-up planning and that this - combined with the immense speed of development - would lead to a major crisis in the future."

"In his speech, Mayne compared Dubai's public transport plans with the development of Los Angeles in the 1960s, claiming the "political class" had no control over the built environment."

"'There is no connected tissue,' he said. 'It might work today, but the prognosis is not good for the future.'"

FULL STORY: Mayne warns Dubai set for ‘ecological disaster’

Friday, October 10, 2008 in Building Design

Architecture Land Use Middle East Dubai United Arab Emirates

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