Urban Planning And Decision Making in Dubai - Research Paper Example

Urban Planning And Decision Making: Dubai Introduction Dubai’s rapid development on the local, federal, and international levels over the past several years has been truly astounding. From barren, sandy deserts, a highly developed city has risen: remarkable advances in technology have allowed for the construction of numerous roads, airports, and bustling ports, and the population has benefited from the addition of a great many luxury hotels, shopping malls, and high-rise buildings. It is difficult to describe Dubai’s progress or infrastructure without sounding like a travel brochure. It is the contention of this paper that the biggest concerns Dubai seems to have at this point are: 1) sustainability 2) cultural considerations 3) labor relations and 4) traffic. Sustainability is an issue that can best be judged from a future point. The cultural considerations are also elements that are being worked out in many ways. So labor and transport issues become the central themes of this paper. The biggest complaint to date is traffic problems. The planning of roads seems to have lost its way. This, in contrast to the other planning elements, seems a small problem but it is becoming more and more of an issue as Dubai becomes popular and established as an international city. Labor problems come in two forms: the lack of native labor, and the treatment of imported labor. Migrant workers have made headlines recently as they protest their treatment. What role does the public play in the decision-making process during the development of Dubai? To what extent did the government maintain a monopoly over these decisions? How active of a role did the private sector play in the urbanization of the city? How has globalization affected the decision-making process? A History of Dubai and City Planning A review of Leonie Sandercock’s “Toward Cosmopolis” shows that Sandercock writes about the cultural pluralism of planning theory in a way that is highly idealistic (Blanco 1998). She is said to discuss her social project in a political and economic vacuum, failing to address the underlying causes of the social problems. Cosmopolis is, for Sandercock, “a common civic culture which has embraced the social project of tolerance, alterity, and inclusion” (Blanco 1998). Sandercock states that there are three forces that create the major cultural politics of difference: migration and multiculturalism, postcolonialism, and the age of women and minorities. She believes that the history of planning has supported segregation and discrimination. These are major forces at work in Dubai’s planning. A perceived threat of marginalization (Aarts 1999) by less developed countries has often led to their full interaction with the world economy, before they may be ready. Aart feels that regionalization is reflected in the diversity of each integration project. In general, the Middle East or Arab world is seen as regional, or an “international subsystem”, but no political or economic arrangements between the segments of the Arab world has occurred (1999). It is out-of-step. A lack of democratic tradition combined with ‘realist’ thinking has not created any unity to date. Dubai, however, has its own agendas and is not as out-of-step with the world market. Dubai is a sheikhdom of nearly 200 years and part of the federation of seven United Arab Emirates in southeast Arabia on the Persian Gulf. It was once the “dependency” (Columbia 2004) of Abu Dhabi until 1833. It became a British protectorate in the 1800’s and the commercial capital of the sheikhdoms. British steamers used Dubai as their port of call on the way to India. There was a war with Abu Dhabi (1945-8) but it is now an ally with Abu Dhabi which is only 2 hours drive from Dubai. Oil was discovered in Dubai in the 1960’s and Dubai was included in the UAE at its founding in 1971. The 1970’s saw the building of a deepwater port and a supertanker dock. Sandercock writes “From Barcelona to Bilbao, Baltimore and Boston, Vancouver and Toronto, New York and London, city governments in the late 20th century began to see their waterfronts as . . . capable of luring investment and reversing patterns of decline, creating new urban zones where pleasure and profit come together.” The ports are considered working ports or ‘industrial sewers’ less so than then they were and are now “terrains of availability” (Sandercock 2002). In Dubai, their waterways are vital to their successful development. An international airport has brought international corporations to headquarter in Dubai. In the 1980’s the Gulf War brought the United States into play, having strong leverage (Alnasrawi 1999) as a result of having ‘saved’ several emirates and the Saudi royal family. The regulation of oil output changed dramatically at this point from a Saudi way of thinking to an American way (Alnasrawi 1999). As of 2001 Dubai had a population of 1.1 million in a 1,500 square mile area. It is the 2nd largest of the emirates (Dubai Direct). With three all-grass golf courses, horse and camel racing and the World Islands* (picture below) that are scheduled to be finished in 2008, Dubai has become a very popular place to visit, work and live. Its aim is to be the gateway to the Middle East for business travelers and tourists. *Construction of the World Islands, designed to look like continents, continues. British consul general, Simon Hollis, says that Dubai is in the top 12 world cities even though it once had only its character as anything of significance. The oil accounts for only 6% of its GNP as it develops its manufacturing end. A country’s economic dependence on the development and expansion of another country’s economy (Alnasrawi 1999) is not something Dubai has to worry about right now. Some Arab oil-exporting countries are influenced by the changing demand for their oil. Industrial nations’ oil needs influence Arab countries when the former’s economic conditions change. The Arab countries export earnings and economic conditions will be affected, in other words. Dubai has been working to overcome their dependence on other countries, or reduce the impact anyway, by creating an environment that is rich with other forms of industry and business. Tourism alone is beginning to account for a great deal of Dubai’s wealth and status. Construction costs are half of those in Britain but the standards are high. Dubai is considered a straightforward business environment, according to the consul general (wikipedia 2006). The government has pursued a policy of economic diversification and new industry. Dubai is also virtually crime-free (Hancock 2005). According to journalist Tiffany Hancock, who grew up in Dubai and lived there for 25 years, “I have yet to hear of a mugging.” Methodology Once I established the research question, I found many sources to provide background and perspective. I combined classroom readings with current newspaper articles when answering my questions. I have noticed that many of the articles that I have read about Dubai fail to consider the potentially negative effects of such rapid growth. This is an issue that is often overlooked, and one that I would like to examine in the context of transport planning and decision-making in Dubai. In researching the city planning process of Dubai, not an easy task, it has developed that Dubai is not a democratic city and there is little, if any, public participation. This is contrasted with a case study of Melbourne’s waterfront in Australia. The Melbourne project includes every aspect of city planning, from those that develop positive results to others that anger the public and cause mayhem. Comparisons and contrasts to Dubai’s city planning are discussed. City Planning in Dubai Transport Issues in Dubai According to Banister (2002) transport planning has come full circle, developing from analysis based on “open-ended inductive experience” to new large-scale systematic analysis that involves a systems approach. Significant changes came at the end of the 1970’s with the initial widening of concerns about the distributed effects of decisions, the environmental concerns and the restructuring of economies. The financial position of public transport authorities in major cities deteriorated because of the growth of car ownership over the past 40 years. However, given the current fuel prices, public transportation is becoming much more involved again. In Dubai there are growing indicators that all is not well in paradise. Serious accounts of trouble in Dubai’s infrastructure show a problem with the management of the city. There seems to be more interest and emphasis on constructing the mammoth buildings, islands and entertainment facilities than in revamping a bad road system or water facility. With the expectation that the population will double in a few years, this will be a major issue. From the Desert-Voice, February 2006, is a piece that states that Dubai and Sharjah, a neighboring town, are facing “bad traffic problems” with no apparent solution or plan. “Dubai will soon be the worst city in the Middle East in terms of traffic”. The irony in this situation is in the praise that Dubai has received for its ability to build islands in the Persian Gulf. It has also been named one of the cities with the “best practices” in terms of city planning (1995) by the International Conference on Best Practices in Improving Living Environments, a conference that Dubai hosted. The criteria used to determine best practices is: impact or the most tangible improvements, partnerships or its involvement with pertinent groups, and sustainability or initiatives that result in changed legislation, policies and long-term funding (scienceblog 1995). Traffic does not seem like a city-destroying problem. But in conjunction with high rents, despite the cap set in 2006, that are causing workers and others to leave Dubai and live in nearby Sharjah where rents are cheaper, it leads to more commuting and makes traffic problems worse, causes gridlocks and ‘paralyzes’ Dubai. And this leads to economic problems, and inflation, which will move Dubai toward a stagnant economy just in time for their oil reserves to run out in 2010 (shelteroffshore 2006). In December of 2005, 200 taxi drivers went on strike (without a union) for working 18-hour days, and a payment system that allows their employer to fine them for anything including having a dusty car (Desert-Voice 2005). April 2005 – long traffic jams are becoming the trademark of Dubai along with illogical direction signs. March 2005 – a motorcycle patrol officer is killed on the road while on his way to a traffic accident (Desert-Voice 2005). It is possible that one of the big reasons the government officials have not done enough about improving road conditions is that they do not have the workers to do it. Even with a flexible urban policy and a “bottoms-up” approach (scienceblog 1995), not having actual manpower can be a big setback to any project. Over 80% of Dubai’s residents are expatriates. Dubai has a large bus system (wikipedia 2006) with 59 routes and “e-go” swipe cards. It transports over 200,000 people each week, mostly low-income people. It has not attracted the higher income groups that would ease traffic congestion by riding the bus instead of commuting. According to wikipedia.com, Dubai’s roadway problems come from lack of foresight about the increasing population, the ease of renting or buying a car, and the convoluted roadways that are being changed constantly, which also help hold up traffic. Dubai has a record number of roadway deaths and accidents, at least one every 3 minutes. These also tie up the roads. Underway and expected to open in 2009 is the Dubai Metro project. Three Japanese companies and a Turkish company form the consortium that is building this project. In addition, seven monorails are supposed to be constructed and connected to areas such as Dubailand, Palm Jumeriah and others. Labor Problems in Dubai With so many construction projects in place that use all the available workers, Dubai has resorted to importing workers from Pakistan and India. But these low-paid individuals are treated as indentured slaves, denied their passports to leave, not being paid for months at a time, working long hours, etc. This led to a strike on March 22 of 2006 in which workers came to work but refused to work. Mafi Wasta, an online human rights group, is trying to persuade Dubai to allow labor unions and sign their human rights agenda. This is an area where Dubai is out-of-step with Western practices. One worker, Kundala, interviewed by Mercury News, said he had paid $2,500 to get a 3-year work visa to go to Dubai. His company took his passport and he has been living in squalid conditions and working 10-12 hour days laying brick. His pay is about $270 a month. The UAE has basic standards for their labor camps but has only 80 inspectors to track the 200,000 companies that are doing business in the UAE. Dubai has tried to deal with this by setting up a 24-hour labor complaint hotline and claims to have recovered almost $300,000 for 25,000 workers. But workers are reluctant to complain. Many have been kicked out who did. According to www.internationalreports.net of 2005, the UAE has been drafting a law to allow laborers to form trade unions. It was to have been law by the end of 2005. But in early 2006 the BBC reported that the UAE had yet to take steps to end the abusive labor practices of migrant workers in Dubai. Even though the migrant workers constitute 90% of the work force in the private sector of the UAE, they are denied basic rights of association and collective bargaining. Employers are said to regularly deny workers their pay. Workplace deaths are in dispute by the UAE government, as they name only 34 in 2004, while independent research found 880. Apparently, the labor minister, Dr. Al Kaabi, has been very proactive in working toward improving the plight of laborers. He is said to have made trouble for lazy ministry employees, salary defaulting companies and even went to see laborer and helped them get their pay. Public Participation Leonie Sandercock states that (as in the Melbourne riverfront project*) there is no unified ‘public’ and no neutral ground to work from but in a value-based judgement planners can find out who gains or loses from the project. She also does an analysis of the goals and interests that are at work. She looks at the ‘choices that seem possible’ (Sandercock 2002). Dubai has been governed by a sheikh family for hundreds of years. The main concern of this government is to grow, create a world-renowned city, and make their corporate partners happy. Public participation in Dubai’s city planning decisions does not seem to exist. Sandercock discusses ‘public interest’ as a defining element of urban planning. The “multiple publics” that are characterized by different interests do share an interest in what becomes of their public spaces. Sandercock does not believe that the ‘public good’ can be ascertained by objective professional expertise, but only politically, and through ongoing public debate. Dubai enjoys little debate with the public. Freedom of speech is severely limited and the press avoids direct criticism (Hibbitts 2003). In a riverfront project in Toronto done 1988-1992, the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront deemed it should be “clean, green . . . attractive; functional . . . diverse, open and connected; . . . also affordable and accessible” (Sandercock 2002). Sandcock states that this model is the embodiment of Jane Jacobs’ 1961 principles of mixed use, which include permeability, density and diversity, and is debated publicly. Sandcock asks what “attractive” means. The visions of the public may be expanded or limited by the imaginations of the planners. She notes that this political process has the potential for manipulation (by anyone involved). In Dubai, decisions concerning city development rest in the hands of the ministries. Omro Hamzawi, senior fellow at the Washington, D.C. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace said, when interviewed (Janardhan 2006), that “democracy is unacceptable if it affects the culture it is meant to govern in a negative way.” UAE leaders seem to think that democracy must come in increments while problems are solved in “home-grown” ways. Iraq is cited as an example of how ‘foreign’ solutions are “not suited for the region.” (Janardhan 2006) Citizens seem to agree that the new ideas will come but that local cultural standards must be considered. One Arab working at an oil company said, “. . . democracy cannot be achieved in a short period. It will be successful only if it is planned in stages . . .” In Dubai, nationals do not vote. But the sheikhs attend regular open meetings where citizens air concerns. For many citizens there are no complaints. Free education and health care along with a booming economy provide them with little to complain about. But the internet is a government ISP that blocks unsuitable websites and movies are often censored. The Dubai School of Government (DSG), however, signed an agreement with the Jordanian government to support public sector reform in Jordan. The DSG is considered the leading knowledge and research institution for government studies in the area and is considered to have “expertise” in public sector reform. The objectives of this reform program is to improve the ‘machinery’ of government, and to ensure that the improvements are integral to all policies. (www.ameinfo.com) Because Dubai’s growth in such a short time has had great environmental impact and resource depletion, it needs to plan with sustainability as its goal. The Emirates Environmental Group (EEG), a non-government organization based in Dubai, has been very active in promoting “green” causes such as waste management, public transport, combating desertification and more. *Under two ‘contrasting political regimes’, Melbourne’s riverscape is developed between 1980-2000 and based on other projects from the late 20th century. It goes from being a “river of mirth” to a “landscape of dreams and desires”, a modern landscape of “pleasure and profit”. Government Domination In Dubai it there are really only three factors at work: the government, the private sector and the global influences. The nationals do not have any real say in how the city is planned, constructed or managed. The Al Maktoum dynasty of the Bani Yas tribe took over Dubai in 1833. Despite the protectionism of Britain of the 1800’s, the Maktoum family still rules over Dubai, making the core decisions over its future. The current sheikh is Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum as of January 2006. He is also the Vice President and the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emerates. There is great importance placed on educational and health care facilities. All residents have emergency medical treatment available to them for free and there are other medical treatments that are subsidized. Many expatriates have their own health insurance through an employer but it can be obtained inexpensively. And in schooling, there are 80 private schools for all that use the curricula of Britain, Japan, Italy or the U.S. (shelteroffshore.com 2006) Current laws do not allow ownership of land by expatriates but have been changed to allow property ownership, homes, apartments, etc. The rent has become so high that many find the capital to buy property instead. The Private Sector and Globalization’s Impact on Planning The private sector is making sweeping changes to Dubai and has for the past 30 years. Even the lifestyle of the largely Muslim citizenry has changed due to these influences. A large number of the world’s cities are taking on increasing economic importance in the international arenas due to their concentration of high-order activities such as research, innovation, finance and producer services, information and communication (Bordeaux 2002). The leap into the globalization process for Dubai has reduced a great deal of its regulatory capacity (Aarts 1999). Spurred by fears of marginalization from the global market, Dubai has responded with unprecedented development and immensely imaginative plans. Thus they can “ride the two tigers” (Aarts 1999) of international capital and national interests. Regional planning experiences have many things in common throughout all the cities of the world but each regional integration project has its own distinctive features. Dubai has the World Islands, for instance, as possibly the most unique feature ever created. Other points in their city’s planning show the diversity that is needed for any planning program. Sustainability is very important to the longevity of any planning project, and Dubai is focusing on entertainment and technologies for its future growth. The Commercial Companies Law that governs the operations of foreign business has specific rules such as ordering a total local equity of no less than 51% in any commercial company. It determines capital contributions, the number of directors and shareholders and other business logistics. There are “free zones” such as Jebel Ali, Dubai Airport, Internet City and Media City. There are seven legal structures for business. Contrasting Dubai with Melbourne’s Waterfront Program “New urban economic conventional wisdom” was the foundation for the 2nd transformation of Melbourne’s riverfront (Sandercock 2002). This wisdom found a pattern of investment that was strongly influenced by intangibles that made up the image of a city such as a pleasant environment and a desirable lifestyle. These include natural assets such as the river itself. But the Yarra river in Melbourne was muddy and had older buildings built with their backs to it. A concept was created to refurbish the Yarra’s reputation and create a Seine-like area, an integral part of the city. Industry had declined by the river. Key principles in the policies and design involved a desire to have the riverfront compliment the city, not compete with it, and be of mixed functionality, with full public access. They also decided against having the government be the developer but only provide guidelines for development. The Melbourne project failed to include ecological goals, mixed housing and mechanisms for public debate. Despite all this and a lack of imagination in an initial part of the project, 1992 saw the riverfront “burst into life”. A little too much was invested in the entertainment aspect of the project. Sandercock notes that this period of development was marked by the way the public sector took the lead. Unlike Dubai’s public sector that has little impact on the progress of the city, Melbourne considered the public’s opinions very seriously. Melbourne’s economic downturn of the early 1990’s saw a new government that took radical action, changing laws to speed up development. A high security tower for Esso (Exxon) was built that took away from the overall design. “The urban design goals of functional mix and public access were sacrificed to corporate image and security” (2002). This stage marked an era in which planning was considered an obstacle to development and the planners were considered obstructionist. “Performance criteria” predominated. Secrecy by the government prevailed in restrictions to information. A casino vision was created. The public was told what it would want. The casino made 10 times more revenue than projected. The implication of government promoted gambling was made by the use of the casino logo on street signs. Local democracy was “suspended” in preference to appointed planners. Melbourne was going after a place in the global economy, just as Dubai has been doing. Already gambling-related poverty has been seen and ethnic targeting has siphoned funds to attract Chinese people to the casino. Paris was replaced by Vegas. The government was voted out. The World Economic Forum that convened in Melbourne turned the area into a fortress of security, a “compound”, that separated the local space from the global space. Violence ensued as protests rang out. The desired global image became very undesirable quickly. However residential development was finally underway. The waterfront area, though, is high priced, and is becoming the “privileged cultural quarter.” Conclusion The Melbourne riverfront case emphasizes what happens when the public is involved in the planning stages and other facets of public needs are ignored. Dubai might want to take note of this type of record before it becomes engaged in battle with citizens who feel neglected. Dubai’s ruling family is fostering a democratic attitude while at the same time allowing big business to run the show. As they educate their young in leadership and business, the students will eventually want to be leaders in business and government. Public reform policies will need to keep up with predictable changes. Dubai and Melbourne were both compared to Las Vegas, by their carnival atmosphere that seemed to overwhelm all other considerations. Sustainability factors are not being implemented as well into Dubai’s landscape as they will need for their future growth. Traffic alone will cause a lot of consternation in the public that will become a major issue for the government to deal with. If Dubai loses citizens to traffic problems, they will lose revenue that is needed to run the city. Labor reform has always been an important issue. To be accused of slave labor in any part of the world today is shameful and avoided by most countries. Again big business has the upper hand in this situation as well, as reforms would add to their costs. But to avoid even more revolts and violence, business and government must create solutions to these problems. Most of the information about Dubai today is of a positive nature. It is a city of the future with the biggest plans ever known. The planners of Dubai seem aimed at being recognized as the most forward thinking of all the Arab nations, while at the same time holding onto their ancient cultural values. References Blanco, Hilda. (1999) Towards Cosmopolis: Planning for Multicultural Cities. Journal of the American Planning Association. Volume: 65. Issue: 2. Page Number: 229+. Banister, David. (2002) Transport Planning. Spon Press. New York. Page Number: 163 Bourdeau-Lepage, Lise, Huriot, Jean-Marie. (2002) Metropolisation in Warsaw: Economic Change and Urban Growth. Canadian Journal of Regional Science. Volume: 25. Issue: 3. Page Number: 423+. Sandercock, Leonie, Dovey, Kim. (2002) Pleasure, Politics, and the "Public Interest": Melbourne's Riverscape Revitalization. Journal of the American Planning Association. Volume: 68. Issue: 2. Page Number: 151+. Alnasrawi, Abbas. (1991) Arab Nationalism, Oil and the Political Economy of Dependency. Greenwood Press. New York. Page Number: 1+. Aarts, Paul. (1999) The Middle East: Eternally Out of Step with History? Racing to Regionalize: Democracy, Capitalism, and Regional Political Economy. Kenneth P. Thomas, Mary Ann Tétreault - editors. Lynne Rienner. Boulder, CO. Page Number: 201 Living and Working in Dubai. Retrieved 4/15/06 from www.shelteroffshore.com/index.php/living/more/living_and_working_in_Dubai/ Scienceblog. (1995) Innovative Solutions to Urban Problems Reviewed At Dubai Conference, 19-22 November. Retrieved 4/15 from www.scienceblog.com/community/older/archives/L/1995/A/un950492.html Henry, Ed. (2006) Dubai vs. Nola – Where’s the Beef? Retrieved 4/15/06 from www.etherzone.com/2006.henr031606.shtml News & Issues from United Arab Emeritas (U.A.E.) (2005-6) Retrieved 4/15/06 from www.desert-voice.net/news_from_uae.htm Dubai. (2006) Retrieved 4/15/06 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai Hancock, Tiffany. (2005) My Kind of Town. Sunday Telegraph. Jan. 30, 2005 Marashi, Habiba Al. (2006) Encouraging Sustainable Urban Development in the UAE. Retrieved 4/25/06 from www.globalurban.org/GUDMag06Vol21ss1/A1%20Marashi.htm Janardhan, Meena. (2006) After Iraq, Arabs Wary of ‘Western’ Democracy. InterPress Service News Agency. Retrieved 4/25/06 from www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=32669 Hibbitts, Bernard. (2003) JURIST: The Legal Education Network. Pittsburgh, Pa. Read More