Middle East
Building Infrastructure To Create Stability In Afghanistan
The US Agency for International Development is considering a broad infrastructure project to repair a crumbling dam in Afghanistan as part of an effort to create economic and political stability in a region of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban.
Reaching For The Sky In Dubai
Soon to be the tallest building in the world, the Burj Dubai is only a small piece of Dubai's unprecedented and spectacular $100-billion construction boom.
The Walls of Baghdad
Walls and checkpoints intended to bolster security in Baghdad have made cross-town journeys almost impossible and turned the city into a collection of ghettos that are reinforcing sectarian divisions.
Ancient Cities Were Clusters, Not Sprawl
New archaeological findings suggest that ancient Mesopotamian cities did not develop by spreading outward from a central point, but rather by clustering nearby villages into larger cities.
Socialism Evolves In The Kibbutz
Individual ownership, privately operated services, and professional management are part of the new face of the kibbutz -- Israel's cooperative intentional communities founded on Marxist and socialist principles.
Mike Davis Discusses Dubai
In this interview, urbanist Mike Davis talks about the rapidly growing emirate of Dubai.
Crisis Looms for Iraq's Grid, Water Systems
War damage, fuel shortages, insurgent attacks and a lack of regional cooperation is leading Iraq's power and water infrastructure towards a state of collapse.
Modernization Threatens Historic Arabian City
In Damascus, plans to build an eight-lane highway through the middle of what is one of the oldest Arabian cities in the world have upset locals and historians.
A U.S. Planner's Experience In Iraq
A planner and Army Reservist from Florida talks about his time spent working on planning issues in Iraq, and relates it to his experiences as a city planner in the U.S.
Dubailand: Disney World Of The Middle East?
Among its many other contributions to urban futurism, Dubai is soon to be the home of the world's largest theme park, Dubailand, which when completed will be larger than all of Orlando, Florida.
New US Embassy In Baghdad Looks Like Suburban Sprawl
LA Times architectural critic Christopher Hawthorne examines the depressing-looking new and massive 104-acre U.S. embassy compound being constructed in Iraq within the 'Green Zone'.
The World's Largest Embassy
Tom Engelhardt explores the architectural and political significance of the mammoth US embassy construction project in Baghdad.
Saving Kabul From The Planners?
Scottish adventurer Rory Stewart and the Turquoise Mountain Foundation are striving to preserve and restore the unique qualities of old Kabul as it recovers from decades of war.
Urban Planner Detained or Missing In Iran
Iran reports that it has "no exact report" about Kian Tajbakhsh, an Iranian-American urban planning professor and consultant who was detained around May 11 and is now missing.
Iraqi Refugees Find Few Welcoming Mats
For Iraqi refugees, finding a place to go is a major challenge. Strict policies in many European countries makes finding asylum difficult, but Sweden has proven to be the most welcoming country.
Egypt's Westernized Suburbs Leave Some Uncomfortable
Western-style suburban developments near Cairo, Egypt, have many concerned that about the loss of local culture.
Proposed Carbon-Free City In Abu Dhabi
The Masdar Initiative is billed as the first zero carbon and waste free city to be ever constructed.
Planning and Development In The United Arab Emirates
Dubai announces that it will be the site of a new $2.2-billion Universal theme park, while neighboring emirate Abu Dhabi announces a comprehensive planning effort called Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.
Segregation Sends Women To The Back Of The Bus
Certain bus lines in Israel have an informal but strict practice of gender segregation, forcing women to sit in the back of the bus. Many women have protested this separation system, which is mainly enforced by riders in orthodox neighborhoods.
The World's Best Enterprise Zone
Halliburton is moving its headquarters to Dubai. Could Dubai, with its world-class infrastructure and business-friendly environment, become the world's preferred destination for multinational corporations?
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland
