After decades of rapid urbanization, the emirate is now contending with a wide range of challenges to its environment and infrastructure.
Dubai's infrastructure failures should serve as a cautionary tale to other Middle Eastern countries looking to mirror its successes, says Liz Alderman. The essential process of desalinating water for drinking is raising the gulf's salinity rate to levels that threaten marine life. Sewage treatment systems can't keep up with development. Furthermore, construction and industrial projects use so much energy that oil-rich Dubai is turning to nuclear power.
Alderman writes:
"Authorities acknowledge that the breakneck pace has stressed natural resources throughout the region. Efforts to achieve developed status within the next 20 years have ‘magnified' the challenges to environmental protection."
FULL STORY: Dubai Faces Environmental Problems After Growth
COP28: Will Developed Nations Reduce Emissions?
Tensions between developed and developing nations surfaced over emissions and energy, with the former focused on reducing fossil fuels and the latter pointing to unrealized emissions reductions from the nations most responsible for global warming.
Dubai to Offer Free Parking and Charging to Electric Car Drivers
A city famous for its oil money is implementing generous incentives for electric cars.
World's First Passenger Drone Readies for Takeoff in Dubai
This summer, commuters may have another option for moving around Dubai as a pilotless drone is prepared to shuttle passengers around the city.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
LA’s Tree Emergency Goes Beyond Vandalism
After a vandal destroyed dozens of downtown LA trees, Mayor Karen Bass vowed to replace them. Days later, she slashed the city’s tree budget.
Sacramento Leads Nation With Bus-Mounted Bike Lane Enforcement Cameras
The city is the first to use its bus-mounted traffic enforcement system to cite drivers who park or drive in bike lanes.
Seattle Voters Approve Social Housing Referendum
Voters approved a corporate tax to fund the city’s housing authority despite an opposition campaign funded by Amazon and Microsoft.
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