UAE and Sustainability Status
The UAE plays host to two of the world ’ s fastest-growing urban centers Abu Dhabi and Dubai . These cities are emblematic of urban-centered growth and according to ( Bassens 2012 ) the two cities continued to experience prosperity despite the 2009 debt crisis experienced in Dubai . Moreover , both cities experienced exponential growth in their populations spurred initially by the discovery of oil . Recent times however saw the sanctioning of development of cities with an aim to shift away from oil-dependency . These cities are designed as business trade and servicing centers ( Bassens 2012 ). As part of the wider gulf region , the UAE plays an important role as a source of global capital .
In the study of urbanization in the UAE , it is of paramount pertinence to consider Abu Dhabi and Dubai . The two cities also serve as states and are part of the large unity of Arab Emirates . They are hallmark city-states of the emirates , with ( Bassens , 2012 ) indicating that they possess a history of rivalry . Abu Dhabi serves as the federation ’ s capital and also provides the president , a position secured owing to its oil wealth . Dubai on the other hand , was able to secure veto power in the supreme council . The themes of urban regeneration are explicated in the design of urban centers in the emirates . Bassens ( 2012 ) indicates that the city-building projects operationalized in the emirates mirror those of successful urban economies oriented towards service . The role of the royal family in the development of these modernized urban centers has been a significant one . According to ( Bassens 2012 ), this has been through the facilitation of international investment from a supply-side perspective . Moreover , there has also been a relaxation of the fiscal and juridical environments with an aim of attracting regional as well as global investors . The endeavors of the royal family in creating a favorable environment for urban development is an exemplification of the role of government envisioned in the local strategic partnerships phase of the urban regeneration evolution process .
While the tremendous growth of the emirates urban centers is quite remarkable , it raises important sustainability questions . This is because according to ( Bassens 2012 ); Dubai was able to build its dream using large amounts of borrowed money . This is through the construal of Dubai as a prime destination for property development , tourism , real estate and other service related opportunities . However , the property bubble of 2008 led to a financial crisis in Dubai towards the end of 2009 due to the collapse of the property market and the emirates consequent inability to reclaim issued revenue . The Dubai debt crisis of 2009 highlights issues on economic sustainability of the emirates ( Bassens 2012 ). In terms of figures , Dubai had an ambitiously laid out master plan designed to make it the economic hub of the world . Samarai and Qudah , ( 2007 ) indicate that part of Dubai ’ s ambitious aims were to play host to 6 of the world ’ s top ten tallest buildings . Moreover , it also aspired to play host to the world ’ s largest airport . All this projects require heavy capital expenditure not only during construction , but also during maintenance . The economic sustainability problem is compounded by the current construction methods . According to Samarai and Qudah ( 2007 ), the current methods lead to heavy energy consumption of the buildings not only during construction , but also during their day-to-day operations . The sheer magnitude and size of Dubai ’ s constructions and projects therefore bring into focus the questions of energy consumption . The consequence of continual growth in energy consumption would be shortage of housing and food supply . The UAE is said to be five times more unsustainable than any other country globally ( Samarai and Qudah 2007 ). This brings into stark focus the extent of the unsustainability of the UAE , which is rather expected going by the magnitude of its overly ambitious projects .
Environmental behaviors of modular neighborhoods through regulations “ Estidama ”, UAE 433