Dubai Mega Mall Inspired By Nature

[The North One]

Originally Posted by edale

I think a lot of people hate Dubai because it seems like a completely artificial city that has sprung up out of seemingly nowhere, and has made a name for itself by over the top, gaudy developments. They built a mall with an indoor ski slope in it, for god's sake. They use essentially slave labor to build these crazy developments, and have zero concern for human rights. It's a city in the desert with lakes and fountains, and is totally unsustainable. They built a collection of islands in the shape of a map of the globe...need I continue? It's tacky, fake, unsustainable, extremely religiously conservative for Western (outside of Alabama lol) standards, and they seem to posturing themselves to be counted among the elite cities of the world, which is a total joke, but appears to be happening nonetheless.

You summed it up perfectly.

[Truthisgone]

Originally Posted by The North One

There is no ignoring of that facts here, all you have to do is look at a map of the city and tell it's an auto centric hot mess worse than anything in the US. Please show me pedestrian orientated human scaled urbanism built with density/transit in mind outside of old Dubai that isn't some gimmicky outdoor mall. You can't, it doesn't exist.

It's auto oriented. Yes. It's also pedestrian oriented. The two extremes are part of what make it so fascinating.

Again, you're wrong.

https://www.google.com/maps/@25.3535...7i13312!8i6656

This is in Sharjah. It's the Emirate north of Dubai. Completely separate from what we're calling "old dubai", which is actually many neighborhoods and quite large, but part of the same contiguous urban mass. There's no metro there yet, but it's in the works. Like a previous poster mentioned, even the "auto centric hot mess" areas like Sheikh Zayed Road have substantially more foot traffic than sun belt cities. You really just need to stop hating on it until you go experience it.

[Truthisgone]

Originally Posted by edale

I think a lot of people hate Dubai because it seems like a completely artificial city that has sprung up out of seemingly nowhere, and has made a name for itself by over the top, gaudy developments. They built a mall with an indoor ski slope in it, for god's sake. They use essentially slave labor to build these crazy developments, and have zero concern for human rights. It's a city in the desert with lakes and fountains, and is totally unsustainable. They built a collection of islands in the shape of a map of the globe...need I continue? It's tacky, fake, unsustainable, extremely religiously conservative for Western (outside of Alabama lol) standards, and they seem to posturing themselves to be counted among the elite cities of the world, which is a total joke, but appears to be happening nonetheless.

Seems being the key word.

Dubai is moving forward in the fields of renewable energy, sustainability and the environment, and enhancing its efficiency. The Supreme Council of Energy has set a strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 16 per cent, equivalent to reducing 11 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2021. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, launched the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to transform the emirate into a global hub for clean energy and green economy. Subsequently, clean energy sources will provide 25 per cent of energy needs by 2030, and 75 per cent by 2050.
https://www.khaleejtimes.com/editori...rbon-footprint
(The US is the only country not in the Paris agreement)

You don't like it because it's more conservative than Murica? How about accepting there are different cultures.

Your post is embarrassing.
Ignorance: lack of knowledge or information.

[The North One]

Sharjah is even further removed from all the new construction than old Dubai is. I made it clean that I'm not referring to those areas.

[Truthisgone]

Originally Posted by The North One

Sharjah is even further removed from all the new construction than old Dubai is. I made it clean that I'm not referring to those areas.

Then what's your point exactly? You're saying Dubai is fake and un walkable but ignore the areas that are? Uhhhhh. Ok? It's like saying Manhattan is all like Midtown if you ignore everything outside it. Silly. That area in Sharjah isn't ancient. It's relatively new. Are you talking about current developments? (Which, again, would be ignoring the areas of walkability and density that do in fact exist). Seems to me you're shitting on Dubai because they're not building areas like London or New York. Which is absurd. If you're talking about those new town center type developments we get in the states, they are building those. Much bigger and larger. Indoors. Because it's the desert and hot as hell. You're just not making much sense and seem to have an irrational dislike for a foreign place you've never been to.

[JAYNYC]

Originally Posted by Truthisgone

Then what's your point exactly? You're saying Dubai is fake and un walkable but ignore the areas that are? Uhhhhh. Ok? It's like saying Manhattan is all like Midtown if you ignore everything outside it. Silly. That area in Sharjah isn't ancient. It's relatively new. Are you talking about current developments? (Which, again, would be ignoring the areas of walkability and density that do in fact exist). Seems to me you're shitting on Dubai because they're not building areas like London or New York. Which is absurd. If you're talking about those new town center type developments we get in the states, they are building those. Much bigger and larger. Indoors. Because it's the desert and hot as hell. You're just not making much sense and seem to have an irrational dislike for a foreign place you've never been to.

Exactly.

According to that dude, Dubai and Dallas are poorly planned suburban shitholes, yet Detroit is a remarkably shining example of cosmopolitan urban living.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by The North One

There is no ignoring of that facts here, all you have to do is look at a map of the city and tell it's an auto centric hot mess worse than anything in the US. Please show me pedestrian orientated human scaled urbanism built with density/transit in mind outside of old Dubai that isn't some gimmicky outdoor mall. You can't, it doesn't exist.

You just moved the bar. First it was Dubai had no real urbanism. Now its, "well besides that large section of the city, what else do you have!?"

[SIGSEGV]

Dubai looks like when I play a city-building game with infinite money.

[BnaBreaker]

Obviously the Dubai that existed before the current boom started a couple decades ago was built in a more traditional fashion. But those areas constitute a small fraction of the city nowadays, and those areas aren't what people the world over obsess about, and it isn't what draws them in. Hell, the city itself more or less puts a cloak over these areas when marketing itself to the rest of the world. So hey, we'll judge them on the shit they show us, and when it comes to that, it's hastily, haphazardly planned unsustainable mess.

[Angalfaria]

As an urbanist, I feel proud. This Cityland Mall is close to my home, and it is a fantastic feeling when we get into this. The mall looks like a playground or stadium. I think it is worlds best nature suited shopping mall.

[Angalfaria]

Dubai is one of the best places for the real estate business with unlimited money and which for Dubai is famous.

[Nautica]

Originally Posted by The North One

Dallas is a perfect example of bad planning, their leaders deliberately sabotage public transit and funnel everything into urban sprawl. Bad planning isn't simply judged by traffic and cost of living.

The fact that some of you are bring up Boston of all cities as a poorly planned city says it all, totally clueless.

Getting your facts from a skyscraper forum doesn't serve you well. Look up most poorly planned U.S. cities and Boston and Atlanta will be listed every time. Or heck, actually go and visit-Boston is one of the most difficult cities to traverse Whether your driving or walking) with the maze-like layout of the streets. I'm not bashing Boston. Its a wonderful city to visit. While Dallas certainly is an auto-centric sprawling city, saying their city leaders deliberately sabotaged the transit system, which they've pumped hundreds of millions of dollars shows who's really clueless.

[Crawford]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

You just moved the bar. First it was Dubai had no real urbanism. Now its, "well besides that large section of the city, what else do you have!?"

I've been to Dubai for work. There's no large-scale urbanism. It's 90%+ unwalkable sprawl. There's a small fishing village area, but it's peripheral and largely irrelevant to modern Dubai.

[niwell]

Honestly, I have no interest in a place where I can't grab a pint with friends at a local pub after work on Friday (yes I know bars do exist in Dubai, but still). Flashy skyscrapers don't particularly impress me and tend to occupy the most boring parts of any city - I've seen enough urban fabric destroyed for them having grown up in Calgary and living most of my adult life in Toronto.

I'd probably visit for a couple days if I had the chance en route elsewhere, but I know enough people with similar interests to me who were miserable working there. I have no doubt that some people enjoy it, though.

[MonkeyRonin]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I've been to Dubai for work. There's no large-scale urbanism. It's 90%+ unwalkable sprawl. There's a small fishing village area, but it's peripheral and largely irrelevant to modern Dubai.

To be fair, the traditional urban city centre isn't tiny. It's probably comparable in size to the downtown/inner city of a Sunbelt metro of 3 million - just denser and busier:

https://goo.gl/maps/DEDKjewr6VhB2jyr9
https://goo.gl/maps/Q2PB75af4CeqvQWA6
https://goo.gl/maps/L8TyuM2NqhcFRRWM6

Of course, all the other criticisms are certainly valid - the architectural tackiness, wastefulness, ostentatiousness, inequality, and conservatism are all very much real and very much valid reasons to not like the place.

[Boisebro]

Originally Posted by MonkeyRonin

Of course, all the other criticisms are certainly valid - the architectural tackiness

while I agree that many of the skyscrapers are a bit gaudy, Dubai does have some nice architecture, as well. it would be a shame to paint too broad a brush when there are some real gems in the Dubai skyline.

for example, I love the Index and Burj Al Arab:


image source



image source



Dubai is a real-world version of Simcity. and though I don't necessarily care for some of the architecture and urban design, I can appreciate the scale and creativity of the place.

[10023]

The only positive thing I can say about Dubai is that it keeps the sort of person who is interested in going to Dubai away from other places. It’s like Times Square on a larger scale.

[SIGSEGV]

Originally Posted by 10023

The only positive thing I can say about Dubai is that it keeps the sort of person who is interested in going to Dubai away from other places. It’s like Times Square on a larger scale.

Dubai, the Navy Pier of the world.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Crawford

I've been to Dubai for work. There's no large-scale urbanism. It's 90%+ unwalkable sprawl. There's a small fishing village area, but it's peripheral and largely irrelevant to modern Dubai.

"Small fishing village"....where do you even come up with this stuff?

The point I am making is that so many people on here are quick to hate on Dubai for lack of urbanity yet don't realize the vast majority of American cities fit the same bill. Most American city metros have a very small core, tons of highways, and are 80-90% single family homes built in a suburban fashion. Dubai has many of these features, however, they have tons of skyscrapers and have more density of their built environment. Not saying its awesome, but compared to most American cities its barely different in its built form.

[edale]

Originally Posted by jtown,man

"Small fishing village"....where do you even come up with this stuff?

The point I am making is that so many people on here are quick to hate on Dubai for lack of urbanity yet don't realize the vast majority of American cities fit the same bill. Most American city metros have a very small core, tons of highways, and are 80-90% single family homes built in a suburban fashion. Dubai has many of these features, however, they have tons of skyscrapers and have more density of their built environment. Not saying its awesome, but compared to most American cities its barely different in its built form.

Dubai is a city of 3 million people. Its skyscrapers and roads are reflective of a place ten times its size. The whole point of Dubai is that its buildings, roads, coastal developments, malls, etc. are oversized for the very POINT of being oversized. Skyscrapers and such didn't just pop up there because land values are high, and it's the most efficient way to gain residential or office space. It's all artificial and part of the whole show that Dubai's been putting on for a couple decades.