Dubai Is An Urban DISASTER. Can It Be Saved?

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Try Opera browser FOR FREE here: opr.as/Opera-browser-theaestheticcity

[@rancidrhino4315]

wow omg

[@MemesAndLs]

opera is chinese comm spyware. hard pass

[@MarcoPolo-YogurtSlinger]

Opera is mid, Brave is better

[@MaticTheProto]

you are so uneducated you showed ford as the inventor of the car... big L 5:09

[@MemesAndLs]

@@MarcoPolo-YogurtSlinger my comment has been deleted. not nice. look into who owns opera before installing it

[@steemlenn8797]

It's so stupid that they have ignored all the historic knowledge of how to live in the desert. And they don't even have solar power on those bridges, right? Even though that would be self-regulated energy system: The more sun, the more cooling need but also the more solar electricity.

[@thomasgrabkowski8283]

Well deserts are historically very sparsely populated. It’s different building a huge city in the desert that’s now home to almost 6 million people

[@LeoPlaw]

That's the blindness induced by the bling of new technology. The kids (current generations), always think they know better than their "outdated" parents (ancestors).

[@steemlenn8797]

@@thomasgrabkowski8283 Of course. But basic principles - creating shadows and shaded alleys, white paint etc. are still true. Putting up full-glass fassades is so stupid on so many levels... (who wants to sit there inside the building, getting burned by the sun?? Computer screens hard so see and so on.)

[@Random.ChanneI]

They absolutely use solar energy. Just type in “MBR Solar” on Google maps and you’ll see one of the largest solar parks in the world just outside the city.

[@fookorf]

@@LeoPlaw tbf most of them do. The boomer generation are some of the most ill informed, ignorant cretins out there. They have no fcuking idea about anything, but they seem to think they do. And last I checked the people who created Dubai aren't gen Zers.

[@mdhazeldine]

Props for actually going there and visiting it before spouting out opinions on the internet. That's not an easy thing to do, but I really appreciate it when it happens!

[@robtyman4281]

Dubai represents human greed and excess in its worst, most vulgar form. Ironic given how it's illegal to drink alcohol in public. I'll admit I've never been there....but at the same time, have no desire to go there at all. Mind destroying place with no authenticity. They could have created a beautiful new city...but instead just built soaring ugly concrete towers, with eight lane highways going through the middle. Too much like that 'Bladerunner' city, but without the rain. Even places like Las Vegas have an authentic nature and an intriguing history. Dubai has none of this. It sorely lacks Las Vegas's unpredictable nature, its energy and pizzazz, or its unique history.

[@Eh-Mungu-Nguvu-Yetu-q8p]

Yeah people shit all around a place even without experiencing it at all.

[@nnuae]

Word. I've seen a dozen "anti-Dubai" videos, and literally all the other ones are making up garbage on the spot, or just repackaging old lies. This one is very well researched. And the criticism seems to come from a place of care, rather than blind hatred. Still, on the skyscraper subject - there is substantially less heat next to the sea, compared to a few miles into the desert. So where do you guys think people would rather live - in a glass box with a nice view next to the ocean, or in a ten degrees hotter boiling pot in the middle of nowhere? Dubai might have unlimited land, but it has very limited shoreline area (practically all of it is already occupied) so it makes perfect sense that the architecture is centered around the demand.

[@damiano_ferraro]

It is absurd to contemplate how much enduring beauty could have been realized with those vast sums of money squandered on a fake, inhumane city…

[@bart_u]

Yeah, same with "similar" places like Las Vegas or megacities in China, sadly... What were they thinking? :/

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Short term thinking in action… I hope they turn around, now they still can

[@AbrahamCasillas-t3o]

@@bart_u Housing a ton of people which is proven that skyscrapers can't actually house millions of people other than the upper middle class and rich.

[@solok3779]

What do you expect the city to be? Its in the middle of the desert with an average temperature of 40 degrees Celsius. Of course it’s going to be all artificial. Dubai is the example of a city that is better and safer than all of the cities in America combined.

[@Zaabi]

@@bart_uit wasn’t

[@horatiohuskisson5471]

It’s such a shame they chose to build a cheap imitation of a car centric American city rather than a beautiful Arabian city

[@AL-lh2ht]

ah the "beautiful Arabian city" that only exists in your head and not actually part of their culture.

[@horatiohuskisson5471]

@@AL-lh2ht like Al Balad, Manama, Rijal Almaa, Esfahan or Shibam? Or ones that have been largely destroyed, like Diriyah, Petra, Babylon or Damascus? Are you one of those shitty modernist architects who want to destroy heritage and make every city in the world look exactly the same with glass and steel boxes? Can’t you guys fuck off and ruin somewhere else?

[@alexrose8251]

@@AL-lh2htbeautiful Arabian cities exist, what are you talking about? Thats pretty rude

[@AMINE-dd1qy]

@@AL-lh2ht no culture ? all u do is copying

[@ryanfalgoretti]

that's the Arab vision of a beautiful Arabian city, and it is widely successful by any metric. Their goal is to develop their country, not to appease westerners that want to go in holiday in places that will look exotic in their instagram photos

[@dweeznutz]

Another thing to mention too: UAE has a problem beyond the extreme heat: extreme humidity. This is why traditionally, the locals lived in places like Al Ain, rather than Abu Dhabi or Dubai, which were fishing/ pearling spots. Places like Al Ain had drinking water and were far dryer, making them more hospitable

[@ahmedalqamzi8555]

As a Local this is false. Historically locals left Alain 9 months of the year and moved towards abu dhabi dubai and other coastal cities due to the heat

[@7Word]

​@@ahmedalqamzi8555hahaha

[@ahbe9232]

@@ahmedalqamzi8555humidity is still a BIG issue

[@skyleonidas9270]

Yeah I think he thinks it can be fixed, its air conditioned 24/7 or abandon ship

[@grahamturner2640]

Dubai seems like what would happen if Phoenix had oil money.

[@paulfri1569]

😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉

[@Sam-gs7yb]

No comparison while Dubai is more modern/safer is also a lot more humid. Phoenix has more culture and not flat within a short distance we have beautiful N AZ Flagstaff/Sedona. Within a few hours we have Vegas/CA/Mexico. Phoenix much better

[@shehnamansoor4270]

Dubai doesn’t have oil

[@Sam-gs7yb]

@@shehnamansoor4270 but UAE which Dubai is part of does smh!!!!

[@russ549]

Even Phoenix could get it's water more sustainably. They could tap the Columbia or something. Dubai uses so much electricity to desalinate water!

[@guywithyoutubechannel8176]

dubai has to be among the top 5 most farmed video topics on this website more people talk about it than actually live there

[@Ruder6163]

It’s a bunch of jealous westerns who despise the fact that an Arab MusIim state is prosperous.

[@ryanfalgoretti]

yeah people that actually live in Dubai enjoy life instead of complaining that a city in the desert is not built the same as a city in northern Europe

[@Heligoland360]

​@@ryanfalgorettiBut it is built the same, that's what guy's complaining about.

[@clozmo2171]

​@@ryanfalgorettiit's a coatal city not a desert city

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@Heligoland360 In reality thats not really true.

[@Trargent_08]

Its quite weird how the city gets richer, it also gets less attractive/ beautiful...

[@BariNapach]

I don't think it's true look at Alexandria Egypt despite having a more traditional city layout it's one of the ugliest cities and the quality of life there is about 100 times worse.

[@Trargent_08]

@@BariNapach thanks for your response. I meant that rich cities nowadays dont build nuch attractive and beautiful as much as they used to do, when nowadays with modern technologies we can do it easier.

[@napabilirim]

@@BariNapach Because Alexandria is poor. Dubai is a really wealthy city and it has so many opportunities to have better design

[@fookorf]

@@napabilirim there's rich cities out there that don't look like soulless plastic Dubai. Your argument is dumb.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@fookorf if you call a entire major city of millions of people as "soulless" then you are a bigot.

[@cartercasias6318]

Those ai generated images depicting what Dubai could have been were incredible. Imagine if the UAE had built a city specific to their own culture and people instead of trying to appeal to the world. The people and culture are the soul of a city which I wish the government had cared more about. Arabian architecture is so beautiful. I loved the Ai image of the underground metro too, It was a very nice modern/futuristic touch. I hope those ideas will be implemented to that degree of beauty somewhere in the future.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Exactly. There’s so much potential, they could have built a splendid city but now they try to imitate whatever architect’s fever dream is fashionable at the moment. The city looks like they just ordered large corporations and architecture firms to build them a city according to current principles without much further thought if it was the best or most future proof way to build

[@egodeath7097]

i think some small areas look hella fine. around burj kahlifa for example, where they got the pretty lake, parks, mid rise urban fabric with arabic feel to it and some modern art deco skyscrapers in the background. But if you see the city as a whole it´s all a big mess

[@BuildNewTowns]

I really enjoyed the AI generated image examples too!

[@ngwanawamobu8990]

Their idea is working more well than the one you have, in terms of generating revenue from tourism, it's just that they overdid some things and the consequences are exaggerated because of the city's size and fame.

[@oreodepup]

That’s not entirely fair though. The reason Dubai gained fame in the first place was because it appealed to the very tourists they sought to attract. There was a demand for what Dubai is now today and they Emiratis met that demand. The fact of the matter is the UAE faced an existential crisis. With oil only expected to last another couple hundred years (and less than a hundred in the gulf) and other countries rapidly developing and undercutting their own industry as new deposits are discovered the only thing they could have done was rapidly build a city to quickly change their business model. Now that it has worked I perfectly agree that change is needed if the city wants to survive but the problem required a near immediate solution so you can’t fault them for the route they took (you can fault the unethical working standards but that’s not what I’m trying to defend)

[@GABiHatchiiwa]

Thank you for making this video! It's one of the more level headed ones I've seen on this platform. As a resident and a student, the car centric-ness of this city is the bane of my student life. I use the metro and bus system for my commute and the capacity is not matching with the growing population. Even worse when you live near Sharjah where the end of day traffic lasts well into the night. The Blue Line of the metro is hopefully on the way which connects the green line to Mirdif and neighboring areas but I still feel like they need to address the conjestion from Business Bay to Union Station. Changing portions of the highway underground and turning them into walkable parks is definitely a good idea! I would love it if the city did that along with more dedicated bus lanes that they started to implement. Life is comfy here (as far as my introverted, hangout averse self goes) but the city planning here has lots to be desired.

[@robmeagher2443]

I'd rather go to Muscat in Oman... Dubai looks pretty boring and bland to me

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Been in Muscat too, years ago, indeed stunning

[@michaelpapadopoulos6054]

Muscat is basically what the aesthetic city recommends Dubai should become

[@LoCoAde87]

Oman is stunning. If you're ever out that way, definitely a place to visit.

[@Zaabi]

Two different cities that complement each other, your weird

[@Zaabi]

@@michaelpapadopoulos6054sooo it’s a orientalist take with zero understanding of the city?

[@hafizwildones]

I feel it's important to mention that they are starting to realize all this, They're already building a metro expansion with a lot more coming after that one as well as connecting areas that are disconnected by highways. The issue is more societal than government at this point as doing anything outside of a car is just not even in the thought process. Changes are happening though, road redesigns usually include alternative forms of transport and bike lanes. Change is happening and that's always good

[@Nounooon]

I've been here for a decade now and that's to the point. Dubai is often judged for what it is, but a fairer evaluation in its context is a judgment on what it achieved in that short time, and its ambitions which are effectively very much in line with what is being presented as what they should do in the foreseeable future.

[@AL-lh2ht]

in reality in one walks outside during the day, that is why people use cars so much.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

4:00 The London School of Economics revealed in a recent study that on average low taxes do not attract millionaires, how to attract them is making an attractive place to live. As you said clean streets etc. It is why the UK in the 1960s which was centre of art and culture in the world had a huge influx of millionaires even though the top rate of tax was 97%. Now the actual tax rate received was lower, however well over double and some estimate show it at triple what is reciebed today. That is why the Uk was a world leader in research and development, the streets were clean and money could be put back into the arts attracting more people.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Very interesting! Thanks for sharing, will definitely check that out 🙏🏼

[@Xero026]

I love that. All the more reason to tax the super rich even more. Put that money back into liveable cities. Make sure small businesses don't fail and people don't end up homeless so the streets will continue to be attractive. Make them invest in the space they too want to live in. Check out Gary Stevenson, he's an ex trader from the same LSE advocating for this, especially in the UK.

[@Alex-cw3rz]

@@Xero026 Gary Stevenson is brilliant

[@Betweoxwitegan]

​@@Alex-cw3rzHe's a commonsense talker but I guess he has to appeal to as many people as possible

[@dl6860]

California, New York, London, Paris, and many, many more would beg to differ. Sounds like that study was a wash.

[@dangerousfox123]

I recently watched a video ahout Dubai by Arab basically talking about how amazing it is but not focusing on any of the negatives, and I thought that was very misleading. I love how this video is more objective with some valid opinions thrown in, like "a developed city is not one where the poor drive, but where the rich take public transportation". Love this channel, keep it up

[@HMKfilms360]

Not surprised, Arab is a major grifter.

[@naga_h1316]

As someone who lived there for my entire life, it’s quite noticeable and sadly been ignored for soo many years until recently when it almost feels like it’s too late. I study architecture here and it’s been an important topic and our jobs is to create something that could save the city, and notice that i only said the city because funny enough the other cities have a more compact and more sustainable infrastructure unlike dubai, abudhabi in example has a more centreic design in the city where urban planning was way more focused on making sure people have all options to either walk or drive or use public transportation, same with sharjah and ajman which are also both same concept as abudhabi, while dubai just wanted to become the realstate and rich people paradise where everything is made to optimize profit and luxury then actually being an organic city with life, the solution exists, its just that dubai is was rush planned and didn’t care much about other things like sewage system or public transportation since their only goal was to look as shiny as possible, it been lately addressed and there are plans to build more metros and more urban centers fouced on making sure everyone is satisfied and sustainable for the future, but i think it’s probably too late for dubai unless they go full on demolising all existing urban sprawls and roads, which are highly unlikely…

[@razgmk]

Love Dubai! It is the future. It's clean, modern, safe and has the best restaurants, hotels and service anywhere in the world. For me, it's what I look to when choosing a place to live. Also, it's not just skyscrapers, it also has traditional arabic architecture with water canals like Madinat Jumeirah.

[@carlitoxb110]

some people really hate Dubai just for the sake of hating it, most of these critics apply for most big cities in the world. Dubai was made to attract tourism it wasn't made for being efficient or affordable as possible, the main goal of this city was achieve oil money independence, they succeed, so did the city .

[@vladimirc422]

That's only possible thanks to armies of slaves and no democratic institutions or rights.

[@5trmgqshd8p40]

Yes, most of those criticism are from people following by the book urbanism 101… the reality is that most people I know who live in Dubai love it, I visited and loved it Yes, you have to use car, but guess what? Regular people don't carry this irrational hate of cars, it is comfortable, fast and practical

[@SquidProQuo80]

It's disgusting how Dubai had the opportunity and resources to design one of the world's most beautiful, pedestrian-friendly and well served by excellent mass transit cities on the planet and instead they recreated Houston.

[@doujinflip]

Indeed, even Doha is more walkable now that they built out their metro network. The Dubai Metro is seriously undersized and its style-first feel makes it seem like it was originally a pet project rather than a serious alternative to the car.

[@AL-lh2ht]

"pedestrian-friendly" buddy has no idea you get heat stroke if you try to walk outside for more then ten minutes. Then again why should we be surprised a bigot knows nothing about why other people do things differently.

[@Ruder6163]

Why would they build a “walk-able” city when the temperature reaches 120 degrees for half the year?

[@archimetropolis]

@AL-lh2ht they shouldn't have built the goddamn city in the desert in the first place

[@shauncameron8390]

And what's so pedestrian-friendly about walking in 50 Degree Celsius weather especially in the Summer?

[@floresamor4146]

The ai images reminds me of Mucat city in Oman. They opted out of skyscrapers and instead used traditional architecture and shorter buildings. It’s so beautiful

[@moza337]

I am not a Muslim or an Arab but I study history and many of the buildings in the past in the Middle East are very amazing, And now I am building my dream house in Asia with the concept of Middle Eastern buildings in the past.😊

[@BarlasF]

What is the name of that specific concept

[@iycekold]

Need to see your buildings progress

[@AL-lh2ht]

These buildiings were in in the gulf states.

[@LoCoAde87]

It is sad to see what Dubai became from when I was first there, well, not including 1996 as it was just a connecting flight, but in 1999. 2004 was good too. But with the wave of social media it's gone to hell.

[@EVIL-t4o]

Please do this with more cities, I would love to see the good and the bad from around the world from your perspective.

[@skyblueo]

The renderings for the future "Arabic" Dubai look like something from a Star Wars prequal movie. But I love the passive cooling system using the Qanat. Humans have been very clever long before the industrial revolution and the high energy civilization created by fossil fuels. Thanks for highlighting that.

[@ryanfalgoretti]

yeah try to spend 5 months with 45°C outside using only passive cooling, than you'll understand why Arabs prefer to use AC

[@westacheny4162]

They built everything from scratch, imagine if they had experimented with new ways of integrating both cars and walkable paths. Maybe they would have discovered better way to lay out the infrastructure for both.

[@StukovM1g]

This has been done in Milton Keynes and Stevenage. Car centric urbanism with plenty of walking and cycle paths. Historically that meant that people drove everywhere as it was so convenient. Now more people are cycling. Jay Foreman, in one of his videos, puts forward that convenient active travel needs to be paired with making driving inconvenient.

[@ryanfalgoretti]

it's 45° C in summer, no one wants to walk. Locals need to live there all year, the city it's not just for the tourists that come in winter

[@AL-lh2ht]

This assumed dubai knew they were going to be successful when they started building, and ignores the reality they were primarily about expansion and attracting investment and tourism.

[@naga_h1316]

Take a look at abudhabi city center, it was built way back in the 80s way before dubai even started doing the whole tourist stuff, the city is way well planned and there was an actual thoughts behind it, even people in dubai prefer abudhabi, sewage system and public transportation and walkablity and underground highways so it doesn’t create huge separation in between neighborhoods, and also future plans for metros and trams that actually surve people to go from place to another, I don’t think dubai will do good in future but this city definitely will.

[@ryanfalgoretti]

Traffic in Aby Dhabi is horrible, people move there from Dubai only because it's cheaper or for work reasons

[@raheelsabir9441]

Are you checking this in chat gpt 😂😂😂? Complete Non Sense

[@ryanrodrigues9902]

Create a series called "Saving Cities"! And make a video of how to save São Paulo, Brazil! Please. 😬

[@the_aesthetic_city]

That would be a fun idea! Never been to Brazil 🇧🇷

[@JeckoSTARlaloo]

​@@the_aesthetic_cityoh please save Manila too ❤😂 (I feel so much pity for my city I beg a KZbinr to do such things)

[@alexrose8251]

@@the_aesthetic_cityyou should do a video on how you would redesign cities. Maybe do a theoretical Haussmann/Burnham plan for LA. With AI art, it could look great!

[@gate8475]

I visited Dubai, and I have to say yes I was completely blown away by the city; I had such a good time, the city is just amazing, i absolutely love the whole bling blang, i loved the old souk, so special, I used the metro, it was super great and easy, if the metro stop was to far from the destination we used taxi, it wasnt to bad at all. The Burj Khalifa area is absolutely a place with a character, the place is teaming with life during evening hours, you can enjoy your dinner while watching light show on Burj Khalifa, its just sooo great. I really hope the city survives

[@Big_Tall_In_Short]

This was a fascinating subject, easy sub! Really cool that you went there and shot all this footage. Do wonder about your proposed solution though, what conditions are needed that someone will develop that 6-7 story urbanism with walkable areas... as like a new district? It's not flashy, but it does seem like that style is getting a lot of interest organically online. Guess we will have to see where Dubai is in 5 years, and will any of Saudi Arabia's projects like Jeddah Tower or Neom pull interest from it. Kinda all over the place with this comment lol but it's a very interesting subject

[@shahriar4706_]

speaking of actual thousand year old cities, take a look at Mecca. the holiest and one of the oldest cities in the world. its architecture doesn’t reflect that, plus its a bit strange how luxury hotels simply tower over the Kaaba. the vibe doesn’t match the lore.

[@Game_Hero]

Saudi Arabia destroyed almost everything of historical value en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Destruction_of_early_Islamic_heritage_sites_in_Saudi_Arabia

[@affan3095]

Ask there countries leader's whom are trying to appese Western media and leader's by selling their culture 😅. Look at Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan modern and old blend which reflects their culture and silk road history

[@obdxb]

@@affan3095the point is to house million of pilgrims around le site of pilgrimage, a lot of whom are not rich, They could have built 100,000s low rise buildings around the city and expend its infrastructure exponentially or build high density high rise hotels. The latter is cheaper to build and commercialise. There’s what’s ideal and what’s realistic and financially viable / easier to implement on the short term. I would personally have preferred if the masjid al haram site was kept ´islolated’, with tourist only reaching the site by a well integrated smart public transportation.

[@shahriar4706_]

@@obdxb anything but a modernist dystopia tbh

[@isamusika]

I've been an expat in Dubai for 17 years now. Obviously, I don't have a say in how the city is planned. I can make suggestions, requests, or criticisms all day long, but at the end of the day, I can choose to stay or leave whenever I want. That said, after all these years, two things are clear: this city offers 1. better economic opportunities and 2. better security for me and my family. We’re wishing Dubai all the best in the future. It’s a young city, and it’s still learning.

[@wfwerker]

Actually Gustavo Petro never said that, it was Enrique Peñalosa who did, a former mayor of Bogotá

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Ah.. it’s all over the internet for some reason. Will check it out

[@marlonelias]

They abuse Filipino people like myself in that city!.!. That’s one of the reasons why I don’t want to visit that city!.!. The concept of Human Rights doesn’t exist in that city!.!.

[@christianwestling2019]

Great video. Could you do an analysis on ski towns aswell?

[@Alex-cw3rz]

4:00 this isn't actually true, millionaires are threatening to leave, but when all your wealth is tied up in assets, all they can do is make baseless threats as they always do. Unless they want to fire sale all their assets. Which even Russians banned from London have struggled to do.

[@flyinpatrick]

UAE has the highest amount of millionaires moving to it in the world do a google search. I think you’re talking about billionaires not millionaires. Millionaires can sell up everything and move out in a couple of months

[@kaleb5926]

You see the statistics though. They arent threatening they literally just left

[@BuildNewTowns]

I enjoyed seeing the nice walkable example pics!

[@inglishhomeandgarden8386]

The anxient cooling system is so clever! And the old, genuine clay houses look so charming. And the options you presented were just what I would love to see. All those sky scrapers are so unfriendly and imposing. (- And what if there's a fire?!) I would *never ever* want to go to glitzy Dubay, the way it is now. Built for rhe rich at the expense of poor migrant workers with no insurance or unions. It's completely offputting. Give me instead the Old Suqs of Damascus and Aleppo, or the amazing traditional architecture of Yemen and Oman. Really anywhere with a genuine, regional style in local building materials.

[@matiascalo5194]

i have to say, thanks to you i went to the le plessis robinson, and by far is the best place i went in my life, i never have seen something similar

[@TruDeinoz]

Good video. I like that you were constructive instead of just being negative and cynical.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

That was the objective :) Channels like Adam Something do that enough already.. we need solutions instead of just criticism

[@wernleppan]

Nice video and got a great point across. Finally great to see someone who didn’t just slag the place like most KZbinrs do that haven’t even been here. Glad you had a great time here and as a EU expat who has lived here for 9 years I can honestly tell you it’s a great place to live and my family loves it here too

[@TheImmortalArt]

Great video. Educational!

[@caioborges6176]

Awesome video! The AI pictures of what Dubai could be are so beautiful! If turned reality, it could compete with any European city in aesthetics. Adam Something made an interesting video about Dubai 20 minutes city. Which they’re claiming they’ll make Dubai more walkable and be more bike friendly than Amsterdam by 2040. Would it be awesome if you make a video about Rio de Janeiro. It’s very dense, walkable and lively city in its south zone, where hundreds of thousands live in. It also has a great and affordable rental bike infrastructure and much safer thank people may think. Thank you!

[@andreymor5201]

Finally a normal and objective video on Dubai and not just pure hate that often surfaces nowadays 😬

[@saimalishahid1406]

The gulf countries ignoring and not innovating on native architectural and city philosophies is a depressing reality about modern Middle Eastern times.

[@AL-lh2ht]

"native architectural" that only exists in your head and not with these peoples actual cultures.

[@saimalishahid1406]

@AL-lh2ht I see when you mean, but that's not exactly what I'm getting at. I'm hoping for something more bold and inspired as opposed to rich Gulf cities treating turning into another skyscraper fest as a standard for becoming a great city. It's a lot more infuriating when taking into account how actual historical heritage is neglected by them, as if such states only started becoming worthwhile after getting oil or natural gas.

[@Ruder6163]

It exists, it’s just not the entire country. They have traditional markets.

[@ryanfalgoretti]

Is the west building modern housing using medieval style buildings? Of course not that would be very inconvenient and inefficient, why do you have this expectation for other cultures? Those people actually need to live in their city, it cannot be just a nice tourist spot where you go to have an exotic experience before going back to you modern apartment in your home country

[@saimalishahid1406]

@ryanfalgoretti I'm talking about urban architectural aesthetics. In that department, Europe has a rich history of making towns with interesting design philosophies. The Gulf countries do have something distinct going on, but not nearly enough.

[@sirkermitthefirstoffrogeth9622]

Yo! Great video! You should check out Oman's new city which is the opposite of Dubai. Sultan Haithman City.

[@tanabasa5371]

Great insight on the city, except Part 3. It was hard to watch and really felt like going through an orientalist/exoticist POV.

[@AbrahamCasillas-t3o]

Dubai is the meaning of Aesthetics over logic!

[@Ruder6163]

There’s the typical jealous westerner who refuses to give any credit to the GCC countries. Enjoy your rampant crime and open drug markets in the US. At least Emiratis don’t have to worry about stepping in a homeless drug addicts feces while they’re on the way to get their morning coffee.

[@valle_4ustral]

9:55 You gotta tell me what promts you used for that

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Happy to help! Midjourney 6.1: “aerial photo of a vast high density traditional Arabian city, 7 stories tall, lush streets, fountains, human scaled, haussmann urbanism meets Arabian Emirati traditional architecture, palm trees, green, domes and wind catchers, extreme population density, arabian liveable urbanism”

[@TheRealLink]

Some great down-to-Earth explanations and discussion here! Went back in September 2015 and had an absolutely wonderful time with the glitz, glamor, and luxury stuff, but as an aspiring architect originally, I am all too aware of the issues surrounding the city too. Hopefully they'll eventually go all-in on more sustainable and region-specific energy needs.

[@NW255]

I hate Dubai. This town was so hastily built that it’s urban design is completely nonsensical. A city can’t function properly when there’s no design

[@doujinflip]

For such a car-centric society, it amazes me how incoherent their road layout is. It's like their urban planners had no foresight for consistency in wayfinding, instead relying on "just one more flyover, bro".

[@ald1144]

@@doujinflip Here was the design process: Take a handful of spaghetti. Throw it down on the table. "Yup, there we go!"

[@Ruder6163]

Why would they build infrastructure for civilians to walk around when no one’s going to want to be outside for half the year due to ungodly heat.

[@ALLSTAR.X.]

You just stupid jealous

[@AL-lh2ht]

Its amazing these fishermen camel herder managed to developed so much westernizer feel the need to berate and make snide comment how stupid they are for creating the third most visited city on earth.

[@ciandryl]

These comments probably never went to Dubai, it’s 10x whole better than US and UK combined

[@dondhabi168]

As H.H Shaikh Mohammad ruler of Dubai said, people will keep talking, while we will keep accomplishing 👍🏾

[@TraderRemus]

9:14 Dubai, Qatar, Kuwait & Singapore are city states. I think energy consumption per capita of the Cities of USA & Canada would be higher than the Arab Gulf City States.

[@TheMagnifying]

Dubai is not a state. It's a city in a country called the United Arab Emirates

[@TraderRemus]

@@TheMagnifying 70% of UAE's population live in the 3 biggest cities.

[@TheMagnifying]

@@TraderRemus yeah so the population is distributed. Hence it's not a city state

[@magisteryura]

@@TheMagnifying , facepalm. Dubai is an emirate and a city, Dubai is the capital of Dubai emirate.

[@TheMagnifying]

@@magisteryura yes but Dubai is not a state as in it's not it's own country. He's calling it a city state when it's literally just a city

[@prototropo]

That quote by Gustavo Pedro is genius.

[@qaisarjamalkhan8908]

America bulindig sky scrapers : development 🗿 other county building sky scrapers : concrete jungle 🤡

[@alnaghashmn]

Typical western mindset syndrome 😂

[@AP-yd1wz]

Skyscrapers aren't good even for the US, at least not when coupled with massive suburban developments and even larger highways with no public transport to speak of. The US urban designs (hyper-high-density downtowns, huge hyper-low-density suburbs, massive highways, ridiculous public transport) are a monstrosity anywhere. The only reason to build skyscrapers is to literally create land value out of thin air, and end up causing massive generalized land value increase which automatically make real estate inflated beyond what sensible to be sustainable. From an energy and overall sustainability perspective skyscrapers can still make some sense in places with mild weather conditions as long as the transport infrastructure is as much as possible designed around public transport. This enables concentrating a city, hence making more efficient use of land and other resources.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@AP-yd1wz guys remember making apartment buildings is evil and makes housing worse somehow.

[@AP-yd1wz]

@@AL-lh2ht you know the difference between apartment buildings and skyscrapers, do you?

[@skyscraperfan]

Energy should not be a problem for Dubai. They already built giant solar plants and there is a lot of space in the desert to build more of them.

[@e1123581321345589144]

It's a shame they chose this route, because Arab architecture can be so beautiful. They need to embrace their roots, not run away from them.

[@JuanPerez-qd1ir]

Gustavo Petro didn’t say that phrase it was Enrique Peñalosa, the mayor that design transmilenio in Colombia and provoked the explosion or BRT world wide

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Yes I saw someone here saying that - apologies as the quote is spread widely on the internet with credit to Petro. I can fix it in the subtitles probably

[@johanalejandrocazadordepin7225]

11:17 Petro is a bad example. I am from Colombia, he has prohibited colombian pezrol companies to extraxt oil and gas, as a result, ecopetrol now buys 30% of the gas to Venezuela (a dictatorship). Petro put colombians like me in a difficult position only to help a dictatorship

[@the_aesthetic_city]

I even heard the quote isn’t even his… a lesson for me to double check all quotes haha

[@JeckoSTARlaloo]

Nice cover on Dubai. Have you been to Muscat? It still has the boundary highways of course but they keep the architecture adhering to the local climate and culture. Somehow it's not losing its sense of place. ❤

[@8ghaly]

You should have a city ranking on your website, where you rank cities based on how liveable they are from your perspective.

[@MrAlen6e]

Dubai had the oportunity to be the next Babylon or Constantinople yet choose to just popy the worst parts of modern New York and London and made it car centric

[@shalahuddinumar3386]

Imagine if UAE with their vast budget rebuild a great city like the ancient Baghdad. Just use classical Arabic and moorish architecture language and it will be a million times more interesting than these glass and horrid building will be

[@YouBetterThink]

Underground tunnels with electric robotaxis is much better than public transport: it's private, point to point, and adapts to your schedule

[@ms-zy5wl]

Those comments come mostly from people that do not know much of the city. You have to envision it as a cluster of a variety of towns that look very different but work within themselves. Deira and Dubai Marina among others are worlds apart in every possible regard but work as an entity within themself. I sometimes take the bus from Abu Dhabi to Sharjah and am still impressed when I pass through.

[@DarwishSR]

If you look careful, there would be many European cities and depopulated countries to be save right now, just stop thinking about Dubai which just started and still have time and money to move forward 😎

[@eldinsmajlovic1554]

Great video! People should listen to you!

[@arkalonn]

babe wake up new aesthetic city upload

[@GreatGreebo]

Great video; one note: it was former Bogeta Mayor *Enrique Peñalosa* you quoted (not Gustavo Petro). Thank you and cheers.

[@ronvandereerden4714]

It'll never happen. People would rather the whole thing dries up and blows away than be perceived as going backwards - no matter how forwards those solutions actually are. Dubai will barely exist in a century.

[@bythecliff]

They could have built a city similar to European cities which is a blend of culture and advanced tech. But instead, they decided to build a New York rip-off.

[@TommyHoff]

Because the place is very capitalistic.

[@shahriar4706_]

literally look next door in Oman. they're the opposite to Dubai and did so many things right!

[@THEemperialHOUSE]

yes he should really visit there

[@the_aesthetic_city]

I’ve been, way back in 2018. Indeed very beautiful. Peaceful & human scaled. Maybe I should do a video about it but would need to film more first 😬

[@THEemperialHOUSE]

@@the_aesthetic_city you are a very hard-working person may God take you far. i enjoy ur content a lot

[@AbrahamCasillas-t3o]

Kind of, most people live in single family homes but there still is beauty.

[@user_UCivuk7q9i]

@@the_aesthetic_city Yes! Please make a video about Oman

[@Ren-1979]

First of all, great topic and good work. 👍 That being said, I have a few comments. 1) Could you please set a slower pace for the image swapping and also the spinning. I was struggling with nausea when trying to focus the view. 2) The tips on ‘ saving Dubai’ are very good, apart from the one with the metro. I never understood why the metro lines have to be weird shapes instead of a grid of lines which would work much better being more flexible. 3) I think it's too late to save Dubai. This video should have been watched before they built all this....

[@Colossalsize]

Very nice presentation by the way❤

[@richardadams6988]

This is what happens when people become wealthy overnight !and have no financial skills in handling wealth !! There is a huge responsibility in having and maintaining vast amounts of money !!!

[@TommyHoff]

Neither are they accountable to anyone that makes them behave like that.

[@richardadams6988]

It is almost like institutions living !! Without heart and no soul !!

[@nikolaybelorusov5522]

the video name is such a clickbait but the content is actually good and well-argued

[@dweeznutz]

Very well balanced. It’s so nice to see someone highlight the cleanliness and fantastic service. It’s become trendy to hate on these cities, for all the reasons that have now become obvious. One more thing to note is that these places are an oasis in an extremely unstable Middle East. Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo are all examples of old, traditional and ‘sustainable’ cities, which have been and will be around far longer than Dubai. But the past and far future do not matter when you want a good job, a place to raise your family and somewhere you can live in safety now and in the next 20 years. The Gulf states ARE an anomaly, but for the Arab world, they are a welcome one. Could they be better? Yes! But trust me, I have lived in these countries, and they could be far, far worse.

[@AL-lh2ht]

Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo all have a much different climate and geography, This is like saying Britain and southern Italy have the same climate.

[@Zonex0123]

Dubai must be the most farmed city on this platform

[@paulfri1569]

So Dubai is a modern day Babylon?

[@RCSVirginia]

'Tis hard to figure why anyone would want to visit artificial and plastic Dubai when he could journey to the authentic, sustainable and exquisitely-managed cities of Kinshasa, Port-au-Prince, Lagos, Islamabad, N'Djamena, Dhaka, Khartoum and Sana'a. In the country of the latter, the Houthi Home Stays in the North are supposed to be heavenly. Not to be missed is Beirut, which has undergone a thorough process of decolonization over the last few years, and where one can currently enjoy the excitement of free fireworks' shows on a nightly basis.

[@AL-lh2ht]

by "Beirut undergone a thorough process of decolonization' you mean they are a failed state in a four way civil war....

[@evlexnet]

Is it only me hearing Duba instead of Dubai?

[@Fkod88]

Man, this is simply amazing. We’ve just lived there for 2 years and decided to move back to a real city (and perhaps the best for living in today’s world, Moscow, which you should definitely visit!) And I’m genuinely surprised and super impressed how you nailed exactly what’s wrong with it and its main problems that can make Dubai feel hostile to a person used to a proper city. With the state of big European cities today though (and I’ve visited a bunch of places in the past couple of years) I can see why people still choose to flee to the desert though 😂 Unfortunately.

[@gutly]

There is a model that made Dubai what it is today, and it's called private capital. So Dubai had no chance to become a compact city, because all the regions were developed and owned by different entities. The Dubai created by the government is just the Deira region, which is quite compact. However, Downtown Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, DIFC, Barsha Heights, and other areas were all privately developed regions. Therefore, contrary to popular belief, Dubai is not a unified project; it developed according to the business plans and spreadsheets of investors.

[@zenclicks4480]

At 9:55 i would Definitely visit that place 😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮😮

[@fettywap1738]

Oman is pretty similar

[@ChupeTTe]

Its not a proper city when you cant enter or pass it on the back of a donkey. This is how i judge an arabian or african city. 1. The donkey test shows how loyal the magistrates of the city are to their own culture and people 2. It shows how willing the magistrates are to topple more comfortable way of living for a more hectic car civilization. People from car civs. are usually more irritable more brash and bold, than the non car counter parts, the car allows them to hastily travers big distances, without having to interact with other people, leading to a more self focused perspective on humanity and nature in general. This is a broad template and you have to look deeper than just that, but it helps you to quickly and easily determine how the Zeitgeist is.

[@richardadams6988]

The only thing they have to offer is a new and modern skyline, and thats all !!

[@jonxsnowtoramonlineboomkat5915]

That tunnel concept should be scraped of this video. It's impractical and doesn't take weather changes in the equation. Look up Dubai storm and you'll get what I mean, it's a city without any drainage in case of rain.

[@uss_04]

I'm glad your conclusion: That Dubai just feels like a collection of destinations connected via the metro matches mine. As well as your impression that the connections to the metro to the key destinations feel uncomfortably exposed or absolutely boring to get to. In theory Dubai is great, especially the Marina district (Which is where I stayed) The buildings and the skyline fill the eye. But in practice, its hardly human scale at all. All the major sites other the the old town are basically islands of accessibility. If you want to get somewhere and want to avoid major traffic, you need a car or driver. On a map Blue Waters looks walkable from the marina but its at least half an hour walk if even. Walking in the Marina is deceptive, as a building that looks nearby along the waterfront path (which has nice spacing and attempts to segment pedestrians from wheeled traffic) can be an hour away because of the scaling. Its a similar effect to the Las Vegas strip, and its easy to get lost in the skyscrapers a quarter of which are all labeled DAMAC. Walking from the Marina to the Metro via the Dubai Marina Mall in theory looks close, but the scaling hits again and its a 10-20 minute walk across a bridge to reach it. and the stoplights are quick. One feels very exposed trying to get to the metro. The Palm Jumeirah is the flagship of the area. I took the surface trains from the Marina to get there, with the intention to vist the malls and Atlantis at Night. However I got to experience the worst of its designs. What was a comfortable ride in the early morning was a snarl in the evening. The fronds leading to the residences were car dependent and as such if you didnt have a private watercraft you got stuck in traffic. Looked to be an hour from the mainland to Atlantis at least, as there was a mater main break that completely shut off the southward section. There were no intermediatry stops from the mall in the center with the observation tower to the tip of the trunk which also had a mall. It was meant for tourists, shoppers, and sightseers from the mainland, and not at all useful for the residents on the Palm proper. Ran into a guy on the monorail who admitted to getting stuck on the palm, parked at Atlantis, and would pick up his car the next morning. The Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road Is a hell of a looker. Tall buildings, clock towers, a sight to behold. But you were either on one side of the road or the other, and the road was so wide and well lit it felt like a no mans land. Shops lined either side , but they felt like they were all at grade, so horizontal movement at any kind meant competing with traffic. You either went along with a car, walked half an hour to a pedestrian bridge, or resigned to only the places the metro served. Overall, it was very impressive in still images, but it was not built to human scale, except for the places that pushed human scale such as the numerous malls. Infrastructure interested people would find things interesting, urbanists would despair, but megastructure fans would be in awe. The only real place I enjoyed walking and exploring was the Dubai Old Town. Human scale, and I enjoyed the ferries. I was also in town for the Dubai Expo which was a very nice place. Global Village was also a neat attraction. But once again they were very car dependent to get to unless connected directly via metro, and even then the access to the metro felt very exposed. Dubai feels like it can get 50% of the way there, but its focus on mega projects and single points of access to its biggest attractions via transit makes it feel like a disjointed set of things to see, and places to shop, vs a continuous city where one feels open to explore.

[@abdlhmdx]

I’ve come across many discussions about Dubai’s urban planning, but this is by far the most genuine study, critique, and advice I’ve seen. Most other content tends to fall into one of two extremes: either ‘Dubai is the greatest city on the planet’ or ‘The Middle East is bad, I’ve never been there and never will. Here’s me talking over a Google Street View image.’ While Dubai is certainly impressive, I wouldn’t say it’s the greatest in terms of urban planning. However, it’s definitely ahead of its neighboring countries, managing a large car-dependent population while keeping things running smoothly, it really is an achievement in itself.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

Thank you! 🙏🏼 Yeah I tried to be fair but to also get my criticism and ideas across. And I’m also a bit disappointed by the “black & white” view in most videos about Dubai. Indeed, it is impressive to handle such a city but the problems they are handling skillfully now are problems they could have avoided - so although it is still impressive, it would have been even more impressive if they could have solved those problems ahead of time. In any case, I think expanding the metro would be the lowest hanging fruit for now, hope they will!

[@darksavage596]

@@the_aesthetic_cityThey are already planning a new Blue Line for the Dubai and construction is starting soon.

[@doujinflip]

​@@darksavage596From what I've seen, the Blue Line still won't include double-length trainsets that the Dubai Metro network desperately needs, nor will it reach demand centers like Global Village and Motor City.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@doujinflip you start with one project and then expand further.

[@darksavage596]

@@doujinflip I think the trainsets should expand and I agree many places like Motor City still won’t be covered but I guess some major residential, academic and business areas like Creek Harbor, Mirdif, Al Warqaa, International City, Silicon Oasis and Academic City getting coverage is a good start. And I don’t think it’s the final line they’re planning on building more metro lines as well as they plan to more than double the amount of current metro stations by 2040 which is just above 15 years from the time I commented this.

[@Larr.y]

Looks interesting but this video is unwatchable because no image stays onscreen for more than 1.5 seconds, meaning the viewer has no time to assimilate what they're looking at.

[@misteroz]

I’ve never been, so I must reserve judgement, but I spent some time in Bahrain and had the same complaints. Once it ceases to be fashionable, I fear Dubai’s metaphorical collapse will come quickly.

[@bart_u]

Dubai looks like a fantastic sci-fi movie set... until people try to live in it. Few walkable streets, extreme heat, and endless traffic - it's a city built for cars, not people. When will they realize urban sprawl isn't the future? 🚗🌆 They seem to slowly get that they need to change something.

[@sarahrobertson4629]

My sister lived there for a while. Apparently they don't even have places to sit in the malls.

[@AL-lh2ht]

So that is why millions of people live there?

[@magisteryura]

I live in Dubai First of all my whole neighbourhood is walkable, for 2 years i've been in a traffic jam 3 times - and every time it was stupid marina. I did not even purchase a car despite we are family of three with a toddler - we use taxi if need go somewhere distant (hospital, airport etc), everything else (food, restaurant, kid's playground, beach, park) we reach by foot (5-15 minutes walk). Just stay away from Marina and Downtown, pick some nice community (Greens, Views, Creek Harbour, Blu waters) and you will be more than okay. For the heat and humidity - well, you can't change weather

[@magisteryura]

@@sarahrobertson4629 > they don't even have places to sit in the malls Lol, there are literally public lounges with AC, couches, toilets and even showers (in some areas). In Dubai mall there are benches and chairs available almost at every 30-50m. So i don't know what kind of malls your sister visited

[@sarahrobertson4629]

@@magisteryura I will ask my brother the next time I see him. That is just what I was told.

[@lysan1445]

Seeing modern Dubai feels like the future, uplifting, and my heart beats faster. But would I want to live there? Uhm, no. Seeing the architecture built on the region's traditional architecture feels so enchanting and much more conducive to living there. Still, I wonder how the actual people living there would see it. Would it be perceived as clichéd Oriental, a Westerner's romanticized view of the Orient? I wonder.

[@the_aesthetic_city]

I think many people just don't really care, as long as they are comfortable. They will probably like the spectacle and the views from the towers. But the moment something doesn't work anymore, it's done - and those people will leave.

[@lysan1445]

@@the_aesthetic_city Well, there have been accusations that Westerners want to keep people from these countries in the past. Modern Dubai is a statement against that, and that is probably part of its attraction. But you are right, of course. If it's not comfortable and sustainable for people anymore, the city is done. What I liked most about the traditional style cities you showed was that they are actually car-free. A city to walk in - I truly love that. I also loved the quote about development being rich people using public transport.

[@doujinflip]

I was done with Dubai having twice visited even before my office assigned me to there. I mainly went because of all the places I can go _from_ Dubai, although ironically I ended up flying competitors of Emirates because of how overpriced and tacky the EK experience has become.

[@AL-lh2ht]

this "region's traditional architecture" only exist in your head.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@lysan1445 You have no idea you get heat stroke if you walk outside for ten minutes. There is a reason no one walks around during the day.

[@josephpiskac2781]

I visited Dubai in 2015 and traveled into the back countryside. The UAE has extremely deep infrastructure much more solid than strip development in the United States for example. The UAE is built to last.

[@Game_Hero]

The UAE, sure, but Dubai? Less so.

[@josephpiskac2781]

@@Game_Hero Dubai is in the UAE.

[@Game_Hero]

@@josephpiskac2781 The city of Dubai will not survive, the rest of the UAE surely.

[@doujinflip]

Lack of rain and cheap imported labor keeps down maintenance costs, freeing up funds for more solid and aesthetic designs.

[@AL-lh2ht]

@@Game_Hero You said when dubai success has only grown...

[@wa7ed12345]

Old cities in Europe were designed for horse tracks and outdoor activities because the weather allows for that. European cities provide a unique flavor and will always be loved, similarly Dubai also has its own appeal which you cannot find elsewhere. Dubai is a modern expanding city that is keeping with the times. In Dubai you can have dinner for 1 dollar or 10,000 dollars, depending on your budget. The same with housing, you can stay in a hostel for 10 dollars or 10’s of thousands of dollars. Yes there are some flaws, but they are being continuously fixed and the city is continuously improving. That’s why the city has surpassed Paris in terms of tourists per year (check Wikipedia).As for renewable energy, Dubai houses the world’s largest single-site solar power plant.

[@Boredblacksheep]

Presenter: "it could use traditional Arabian architecture..." The leaders:"let's build Neom & The Line"

[@makeadifference4all]

You're thinking of Saudi Arabia, not the UAE.

[@BhimChawhan]

This is what I started thinking within 2 hours of landing and seeing the places

[@cleo6205]

I googled the depth of the earth's crust. It's an engineering marvel balancing this. Respect 🎉

[@sdasgin]

Brother, I live in Dubai and you are SOOOO RIGHT with this video. Thank you!

[@samimaaroufi4841]

This is one of the most amazing video I saw on the subject! As a Muslim and Arab, I would dream of an Arab world where people like you would replaced colonize Architecture teachers in Arab Universities. Do you ever heard of if Hassan Fathy or Abdel Wahid El Wakil? It feels like you are their student. I was dreaming of finding someone imbodying the concern I had toward modern architecture and I feel you really embodying my whole concern. Please, if you're not already acquainted with it, have a look at Islamic Metaphysics (ex:Hassan Spiker) and Islamic Law (ex:Wael Hallaq) as it might really inspire you in what you're doing. Wishing you the best!