Innovative designs for new urban neighbourhoods in Al Ain

Abstract

Paper presented at the XXXIII IAHS World Congress on Housing, 27-30 September 2005,"Transforming Housing Environments through Design", University of Pretoria.

ABSTRACT: Al Ain is a city in the United Arab Emirates, south east of the capital, Abu Dhabi. It has a population of about 348,000 [1] from diverse backgrounds in culture, race, religious beliefs, socio-cultural and economic aspirations. This hybrid mix as a melting pot creates inherent tensions within the environment calling for new ways to redevelop the city to capture the spirit of democracy accepting western ideals that come with the increasing number of expatriates and the much valued traditional ideals eschewed by the local population. This paper attempts to examine the phenomenology of unveiled-veil, the rooted-uprooted, identity, ethnicity and the uncultured culture in the realm of architecture as expressed in the new neighbourhood developments of Al Mada, and Town Square in Al Ain. It examines how the development tackles the conflicts arising from the hybrid population make up of the city of Al Ain through the redrawing of boundaries aimed at making Al Ain a global city. It also examines the role of the private sector in the development and execution of “sustainable” projects with civic dimension enshrined within them.