ABSTRACT
The situation in Dubai is seemingly unique in that the city is primarily known for its ‘exclusivity’. One of its major landmarks, the Burj Al Arab, is inaccessible and can only be entered through a gate. Similarly, many of its attractions, it seems, derive their allure from this remoteness – the gated residences of the Palm Jumeirah, for instance, and even the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world, can only be seen from a distance, or by purchasing a ticket to reach its observation tower. Yet while this inaccessibility is typical at the level of individual buildings, it acquires a more serious dimension if we take into account movement across the city and its various zones. For the city’s morphology and its street system preclude any meaningful pedestrian movement. Confined to certain zones, outdoor activities are relegated to either highly regulated public parks or to street corners and empty building lots. Particularly for its low-income population who do not have the necessary mobility devices, public interactions are confined to informal outdoor settings. Unlike their mobile counterparts who can traverse city streets with relative ease in their air-conditioned cars to reach a shopping mall, a public beach,
or a park, they have to endure long waits at bus stops, lengthy queues and multiple exchanges on buses.
