Author Description

The man-made peninsular Palm Jumeirah on the coast of Dubai is a superlative project and an exemplary model for the Gated Communities and Resorts that have developed worldwide in property bubbles. The development may be spectacular, but cannot conceal the fact that the former marketing success story is faced with serious problems. How can an isolated anti-urban exclave be opened up and integrated? Can issues concerning networking, the public sphere and affordable housing, as well as climate change adaptation, biodiversity and the supply of energy be resolved through targeted tactical interventions? The 'Charter of Dubai' is a manifesto of critical urban transformation. It subversively encourages the conversion of isolated quarters into a socially and ecologically open urban space. The detailed catalog of the individual measures, richly illustrated with clear sketches and references, make the Charter a handbook for urban transformation that takes social and ecological aspects into account.