43 3.2 Urban change: Background on Dubai’s urbanism Gulf cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha have experienced excessive development pressure over the last 3 decades. Among these, Dubai was a small, self-sufficient, integrated fishing village that reflected the surrounding traditional society but in the 1990’s it set out to become a global city and pioneered the race towards massive developments. It has undergone instant urbanism with a spillover effect on the gulf and world cities. John Harris from Halcrow was a British firm hired by Sheikh Rashid to manifest Dubai’s first master plan in 1959. The firm envisioned Dubai to blossom around the historic centre along the Dubai creek with a strategic road network, city centre and public spaces all of which were imagined to become reality with the limited financial resources at the time. The city has undergone four phases of development and expansion: 1900-1955: A period of slow growth and limited physical expansion due to constrained economic growth and a marginal increase in the population. By 1955, the urban area was about 3.2 sq. km. The population was majorly concentrated in three residential quarters 1. Deira, consists of 1600 houses and 350 souq shops, with Arabs, Persians and Baluchis making up most of the inhabitants. 2. Al Shindagha, a former residence of the ruling family, with about 250 residences comprising of Arab residents only. 3. Dubai, with 200 houses and 50 souq shops, is mostly inhabited by Persian and Indian merchants. Dubai’s first master plan was commissioned in 1959 by Architect John Harris under the leadership of Sheikh Rashid. 1956-1970: A phase of compact growth focusing on road systems, zoning of land into different uses and the creation of a new town centre. In 1957, a formal institutional structure was set up to guide and administer the urban developments, called the Dubai Municipality.
Mariette Llewellyn Vanessa Robin
