The world is becoming more urban and recent forms of development have had numerous negative environmental, energy, social and economic consequences. New approaches are necessary, urgently, in what can be considered humanity’s first urban century.
At a fundamental level, new developments in cities should be comfortable for people as well as safe, healthy, relatable and stimulating. The Arabian Gulf, in particular, faces amazing opportunities and challenges in the face of rapid urbanisation. The Gulf states have the providence of abundant oil and gas supplies that generate wealth in the cities. Meanwhile, the region is arid hot and dry with limited prime farmland.
Khaled Alawadi and his colleagues advocate a smaller, more human scale. Their ideas are deeply rooted in nature and culture. Their goal is nothing less than a radical rethinking and re-orientation of the cities in the UAE away from the bigness of its recent past. In many regards, this is a bold undertaking even more audacious than the muscular high rises that dominate the skylines of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
About the Author
Dr Khaled Alawadi is trained as an architect and urban designer. He is also one of the principal founding members of the Emirates Urban Planning Association (EPA), which was found in 2020.
About the Publisher
Now part of St James’s House, which is a member of a world-leading creative media group that delivers bespoke solutions for a global client base, Artifice was previously an independent publishing house based in London that made books about architecture, urbanism, and design.
