RUNNING HEAD: LITTLE SPACE, BIG SPACE... EVERYDAY URBANISM IN DUBAI1

Little Spaces, Big Spaces: Everyday Urbanism in Dubai

Name

Course

College

Tutor

Date

LITTLE SPACE, BIG SPACE... EVERYDAY URBANISM IN DUBAI 2

The model of Dubai’s urbanism once presented a gleaming example of progressive

urbanization which has surpasses other urban centers in the Middle East. From immaculate

infrastructure to shopping malls and shining skyscrapers, Dubai stands out from the other cities

like Cairo and Damascus. This led to the birth of the phrase, The Dubai Model. However, during

the 2008 financial crisis, the weaknesses of the model were exposed as building sites became

empty and cranes ceased operating. Therefore, in his article, Yasser Elsheshtawy tries to offer a

different perspective to the Dubai Model.

His view is that, focusing on the extremes of Dubai is misguiding since it portrays the

city as a vision driven by its rulers with an aim of constructing spectacular buildings in order to

attract the worlds wealthy. It portrays Dubai as a money making enterprise. The author however

focuses on the everyday spaces which offer countering narratives to the above view. He explains

that after examining the marginal spaces, Dubai is pictured as a place of cosmopolitanism and

tolerance rather than a setting of excess and exploitation. The author argues that the city can be

seen through the two extremes, one involving magnificent works of architecture relying on

excess and the other showing exploitation, marginalization and alienation of its migrant

population which came to light when a Human Right’s Watchdog report exposed the degree of

poverty in which the construction workers live. The question that therefore comes up in the

author’s article is; is Dubai a bad idea?

The author bases his argument by interrogating the Dubai Model. In his research, he

examines the model prior and post the financial crisis.1 He looks into the effects of the crisis on

the city and the magnitude to which the feasibility of the model has been cast in uncertainty. The

1 Sassen, S. (2001) The Global City: London, New York, Tokyo. New Jersey: Princeton

University Press.

LITTLE SPACE, BIG SPACE... EVERYDAY URBANISM IN DUBAI 3

author is guided by research and fieldwork he has conducted since the year 2001 which consists

of observation of the city’s development as well as mapping its invisible settings. He concludes

that by examining spaces of the everyday, ‘little spaces’ offer a more correct portrayal of the city

as opposed to the ‘big spaces’. By writing the article from the perspective of an architect, his

point of interest is the physical space of the city.

The author starts by explaining the Dubai Model and how the idea became popularized.

The model can be viewed as an adaptation of similar ideas witnessed in countries like China and

Singapore. He examines pre-crisis Dubai and the Post-crisis Dubai which he describes as the end

of a spectacle. This sheds light on how projects in Dubai stalled after the crisis as opposed to

their busy operations before the crisis. The author also analyzes the various spaces in the urban

model such as sites of encounter, sites of exclusion, sites of commerce and sites of worship.

One major strength of this article is that it portrays the flaws in the Dubai Model which

haws made the city experience mass exodus2. Projects which were announced on a daily basis

now have become much fewer, and therefore jobs have become an issue. Also, the findings are

based on research carried out since 2001 as well as findings by a Human Rights Watch group.

However, there is a weakness in that the author does not bring out the positive contributions of

the Dubai Model to the city and its inhabitants.

Yasser Elsheshtawy therefore is of the belief that ‘little spaces’ and ‘big spaces’ are what

define everyday urbanism. Urbanization should be geared towards infrastructure development

without compromising the living standards and social needs of the population. Sassen indicates

2 Sassen, S. (2001) The Global City: London, New York, Tokyo. New Jersey: Princeton

University Press.

LITTLE SPACE, BIG SPACE... EVERYDAY URBANISM IN DUBAI 4

that the development of cities should be planned on both technical and social factors3. The locals

need to be engaged in re-evaluation of priorities regarding the development of urban centers.

3 Sassen, S. (2001) The Global City: London, New York, Tokyo. New Jersey: Princeton

University Press.

LITTLE SPACE, BIG SPACE... EVERYDAY URBANISM IN DUBAI 5

References

1. Sassen, S. (2001) The Global City: London, New York, Tokyo. New Jersey: Princeton

University Press.