September 14, 200717 yr :bang: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/72/DubaiSkyscrapers.JPG http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/54/Abu_Dhabi_0701-0411.JPG Designed for just 600,000, it has well exceeded that...
September 14, 200717 yr Designed for just 600,000, it has well exceeded that... What was designed for 600,000...the road?
September 14, 200717 yr Well, they can forget about sprawl. It's all up up and up! :P You can have vertical sprawl...and IMO, that is what Dubai is experiencing. Even though they are building tall buildings...I don't think it's being done in a sustainable manner. Just some food for thought. Totally agree. We've had this debate over in the Cleveland threads regarding the potential new tower.
September 14, 200717 yr ^^ No, city planning. Transportation and facility wise. At least, what was posted at Wikipedia, that is.
September 14, 200717 yr sooo...600,000 people? Are you saying that Dubai was built for that amount of people?
September 14, 200717 yr Damn, I'm looking at the wrong article. I was looking at Abu Dhabi http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abu_Dhabi
September 14, 200717 yr Look, Dubai is not attracting many permanent residents. Most of what is being built are vacation homes, time-shares, hotel rooms, etc. Until it starts attracting non-tourism businesses like banks, manufacturing plants, ship building, etc., its permanent population will not rise significantly. And an economy and reason for being based so fundamentally around one industry sets the place up for Detroit-like disaster. I've talked to people who have been there and they say there's basically nobody there, you have the whole hotel to yourself, etc.
September 14, 200717 yr Well, they can forget about sprawl. It's all up up and up! :P You can have vertical sprawl...and IMO, that is what Dubai is experiencing. Even though they are building tall buildings...I don't think it's being done in a sustainable manner. Just some food for thought. I think the vertical sprawl comment is right on point. These streets of towers remind me of Hong Kong. Only Hong Kong developed that way due to a large amount of people wanting to live in on a small island. Dubai is artificially developing in this way.
September 26, 200717 yr taa daa, now they are number one! Dubai tower now world's tallest free-standing structure Sep 13 08:24 AM US/Eastern http://img.breitbart.com/images/2007/9/13/070913122359.s0ukm6mr/SGE.UBB63.130907122033.photo00.photo.jpg The world's tallest building, still under construction in the booming Gulf emirate of Dubai, has become the world's tallest free-standing structure, its developers said on Thursday. The Burj Dubai tower is now 555 metres (1,831.5 feet) tall and has surpassed the 553-metre- (1,824.9-feet) CN Tower in Toronto, Canada, which held the record for the world's tallest free-standing structure since 1976, developers Emaar Properties said in a statement. Came across a website detailing the new world's tallest building, the Burj Dubai, noted above. link: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/496681-view-to-a-thrill?ln=en And a photo duo of the Burj Dubai tower now (left) and finished rendering (right). http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1217/1443646156_05b82d14a6_o.jpg And a height graph below showing the Burj with the next nine world's tallest buildings. I could only copy a small partial view of it. You'll have you go to the website to view the full interactive graph. It's worth it. FYI - the Burj Dubai tower is the tallest building on the left. The fourth building is the Sears Tower! http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1321/1443646164_52c6e883d8_o.jpg
September 28, 200717 yr An interesting commentary on ArabianBusiness.com about mega-luxury Dubai-like development: http://www.arabianbusiness.com/500942-supersize-you-me-everyone Supersize me, you, everyone by Lisa Magloff Wednesday, 26 September 2007 Small, it seems, is no longer beautiful, at least in the world of high-end tourism. All around the world, resorts and hotels are competing to see who can build the biggest, tallest, most outrageous, most resource hogging developments. The push for all this growth in epic-sized resorts is most likely the success of Dubai, which has become one of the world's highest-profile tourist destinations. Other resort owners look at Dubai's indoor ski runs, artificial islands, world's tallest buildings and plans for small country-sized theme parks and think, "We want some too."
October 5, 200717 yr Author dubai=dubious :-o Thursday, Oct 04 Nazis + Real Estate Advertising = Huh? http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/original/1004hitler.JPG So here we were, hoping to catch up on advertising news... and then we stumbled across this Hitler-themed real estate ad in Dubai. The ad above, which puts a picture of Hitler next to the line "Conqueror — The world is yours," ran in the UAE's Gulf News a few weeks back. It's for Dubai firm Conqueror Real Estate, "No. 1 for commercial real estate in Dubai." Because, if anything makes you want to rent an apartment or get some office space... it's Nazis. http://www.mediabistro.com/fishbowlny/advertising/nazis_real_estate_advertising_huh_68391.asp
October 5, 200717 yr One cool thing about Dubai is that people here don't fit the regular stereo type for a Middle Eastern city state. The ideology of the people seem to be focused on economic development and not so extreme on religion. Gives me hope for the middle east, due to the many things once only considered to be in western culture are now popping up everywhere throughout the city. except for that whole human rights thing......... Killing for Allah=Bad. Killing for Capitalism=Ooh, shiny!
October 8, 200717 yr Author i finally made it to the skyscraper museum this past wkend and they happened to be spot lighting the burj dubai. here's a few pics i snuck: the museum is all the way downtown manhattan on the west side of battery park -- then go to the west side of the new ritz-carlton hotel tower (i say that because its small and hard to find) ps -- if its after 4pm make sure to go up to the rise bar in the ritz -- superb sunset views! this map of the city-in-progress fills a wall, it was fascinating to look over one of several wind tunnel models displayed a panel of the actual cladding they are using, it ws shiny and kinda neat to see random there was an awesome hi-def construction video running too, it was amazing to gawk at so thats it -- its a slick but small museum, one or two floors (only one used for this) the bookstore is very small and a letdown considering what it ought to be final impression - only rec'd for us geeks, not the general public (admission=$5) upcoming exhibitions: future cities, ny & china info: http://www.skyscraper.org/WHAT'S_UP/CURRENT/exhibits.htm
October 15, 200717 yr It's 8pm and they're talking about my favorite corporation; Blackwater. It says 7:30-9pm...how the hell is 60 minutes going to be an hour and a half long?! LOL.
October 15, 200717 yr Well excuse me!! There was a football game on before which was obligated to be shown in its entirety. The dubai interview will be sometime during the show.
October 15, 200717 yr I caught the 60 Minutes story on Dubai. Fascinating and scary at the same time!
October 15, 200717 yr free health care and education and no taxes for the citizens. crazyness. and oh yea, they seem to be building a lot of tall buildings too.
October 15, 200717 yr Author please tell me it wasn't by andy "didja ever notice theres a tall building in the desert? well there is." rooney!
October 29, 200717 yr AP: Dubai strike threatens building boom (10-28) 16:25 PDT , By BARBARA SURK, Associated Press Writer DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Thousands of South Asian construction workers went on strike Sunday over harsh working conditions in the latest threat to a spectacular building boom already endangered by a falling currency and labor shortage. While laborers have long complained about working conditions in this Gulf city known for its avant-garde skyscrapers, luxury dwellings and archipelagoes of artificial islands, their recent action comes as contractors are struggling to find workers to complete their ambitious projects... http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2007/10/28/international/i144436D70.DTL
October 29, 200717 yr Cue the D-Day style floatilla of unemployed construction workers arriving from America.
October 29, 200717 yr They demanded pay increases, improved housing and better transportation services to construction sites. On Saturday, workers threw stones at the riot police and damaged to police cars. Emirates' Minister of Labor Ali bin Abdullah al-Kaabi described workers' behavior as "uncivilized," saying they were tampering with national security and endangering residents' safety. This coming from a country that turns a blind eye to the labor abuses put forth by the contractors, and by the human rights violations that occur on a daily basis in an upstart country. Since when is pandering to the rich a "national security" issue?
November 8, 200717 yr Bridge collapses in Dubai marina Last Updated: Friday, 9 November 2007, 11:34 GMT A bridge under construction has collapsed in Dubai, killing seven workers and injuring 15, police said. The bridge was being built in Dubai Marina, a new development in the United Arab Emirates city which is a regional business and tourism hub. A large number of ambulances were driving to the scene of the accident... http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7085597.stm
November 28, 200717 yr Dubai: The World Islands The same company that brought us The Palm Islands, Al Nakheel Properties (Nakheel Corp), have done it again expanding their portfolio of man-made islands with this latest Dubai island project shaped like the continents of the world. The World will consist of between 250 to 300 smaller private artifical islands divided into four categories - private homes, estate homes, dream resorts, and community islands. Each island will range from 250,000 to 900,000 square feet in size, with 50 to 100 metres of water between each island. The development is to cover an area of 9 kilometers in length and 6 kilometers in width, surrounded by an oval shaped breakwater. The only means of transportation between the islands will be by marine transport. Construction has begun on the $US 1.8 billion project which is set to be completed by the end of 2005. It will be located 4 kilometers off the shore of Jumeirah, close to the The Palm Jumeirah, between Burj Al Arab and Port Rashid of Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Each island will be sold to selected private developers and are expected to have pricing beginning at Dhs. 25 million (US$ 6.85 million). [youtube=425,350]kTyks-IRFPY Satellite image via wikimapia http://wikimapia.org/#lat=25.222335&lon=55.1651&z=13&l=0&m=a
November 29, 200717 yr So I wonder if there are any big plans for Dubai's part of The World. Dubai has taken shallowness to new depths.
January 4, 200817 yr Apparently everyone is moving to Dubai! Islamic leader moving to Dubai: Influential Ohioan worked for MORPC Thursday, January 3, 2008 - 3:22 AM By Debbie Gebolys, THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH A local and national leader of the Islamic community is leaving central Ohio for a top transportation job in the largest city in the United Arab Emirates. Ahmad Al-Akhras steps down Friday as assistant transportation director at the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission to become an adviser to the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority. He leaves after 15 years with the regional planning commission. Past president of the Ohio chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, he said he'll still be vice chairman of the national CAIR board... http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2008/01/03/Ahmad.ART_ART_01-03-08_B4_E88UT87.html?sid=101
January 5, 200817 yr Author from the looks of it 2,100 are uninteresting. dubai is on its way to being the hong kong or sao paulo of the desert.
January 5, 200817 yr ^---Yea, but unlike Hong Kong, half of Dubai's buildings will be vacant 20 years from now.
January 5, 200817 yr !!!!!!!!! Yeah, no f******* kidding! Is that a typo!? It's a typo...more like 220. Dubai currently has about 300 or so completed skyscrapers and about 600 in construction/proposed/approved status.
January 5, 200817 yr By the way, has anyone ever seen this nutty azz concept of Dubai Towers? I wonder if these things could even stand??
January 6, 200817 yr ^---LOL! I thought of something like claws coiming out of the ground, but the seam monster tentacles are even better!
January 6, 200817 yr It actually has a Quake / Shub Niggurath / H.P. Lovecraft thing going on, too: http://kong.se/images/38/29/82c1488f62ce1bb62edc578d70fab92e.jpg
January 6, 200817 yr Well, I guess if it comes out of sci-fi, then Dubai would be the place to build it!
January 8, 200817 yr did everyone see that dubai now has plans to build a one trillion dolllar airport? it will be larger than Heathrow and O'Hare combined.
January 21, 200817 yr Author :roll: Dubai to add "The Universe" to artificial islands Jan 20 08:32 AM US/Eastern ‘Eight Wonder’: Dubai’s Island Developments Require Intricate Engineerin A cluster of articifial islands inspired by the "wonders of the solar system" is to be built off the coast of the booming Gulf emirate of Dubai, developers Nakheel said on Sunday. "The Universe" project will feature islands in the shape of the sun, moon and other planets. "The development will create new luxury living space, commercial opportunities and additional coastline," Nakheel said, without stating the cost of the project or its planned completion date... http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080120133219.qn2eiq77&show_article=1 http://img.breitbart.com/images/2008/1/20/080120133219.qn2eiq77/SGE.UWT88.200108133215.photo00.photo.jpg
January 21, 200817 yr uh guys, Oil and Natural Gas only accounts for about 5% of their GDP (which yes, is still huge, but it isn't like >50%) For the UAE as a whole, its closer to 30% (CIA Factbook)
January 21, 200817 yr Dubai loses it a little more each day. Wonder when we can commit it to the ranks of Babel or Babylon?
January 22, 200817 yr Not Dubai... but close. Abu Dhabi to build world's first zero-carbon city BY AFP JANUARY 22, 2008 Construction work on the world's first zero-carbon city housing 50,000 people in a car-free environment will begin in the oil-rich Gulf emirate of Abu Dhabi next month, the developers said on Monday. In Masdar City, which will be run entirely on renewable energy including solar power to exploit the desert emirate's near constant supply of sunshine, people will be able to move around in automated pods... http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/science/story.html?id=5de9f8a1-00b3-47c7-bdce-1ab5d72fff39&k=2492 http://img.breitbart.com/images/2008/1/21/080121221825.159q9tzi/SGE.AJG03.210108221248.photo00.photo.jpg
January 22, 200817 yr using a light railway line and a series of automated transport pods. "They're like a horizontal elevator. You just say where you want to go, and it takes you there," Awad said of the pods. Sounds like Cincinnati's skyloop project :lol:
January 22, 200817 yr Good for you, Abu Dhabi. I was picking up on a slight pollution problem over there in Dubai: http://img.breitbart.com/images/2008/1/20/080120133219.qn2eiq77/SGE.UWT88.200108133215.photo00.photo.jpg
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