Comments on: Dubai Gets A Metro

By: The D Train Murder: Why Crimes on Mass Transit Scare Us So Much » INFRASTRUCTURIST

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:37:29 +0000

[...] The story hits the root of a key deterrent for potential mass-transit riders: The other people riding it. Cramming the population of a city like New York into underground steel cars creates a forced melting pot that’s a perfect breeding ground for class and race divisions. It calls to mind the famous image of Sherman McCoy in Bonfire of the Vanities describing the lengths he takes to avoid contact with the undesirable masses…by taking cabs. (One can just imagine what the class relations are like on Dubai’s new rail system.) [...]

By: J

Sat, 12 Sep 2009 17:19:34 +0000

I recently attended some courses with a planner form Dubai. He very blatantly states that it’s strictly a vanity project. Oh well. I would argue it’s a better vanity project than recreating the Earth with islands or building miniature Manhattans etc.
Living in a city that can barely get a 4km busway constructed I am slightly envious.

By: Rangachari Anand

Rangachari Anand — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 19:45:08 +0000

The problem with all of the Gulf countries is that they are trying to import an entire first world economy in one swoop. The fact of the matter is that it simply has not taken root. This subway will not solve any problem.

By: Infra Editor

Infra Editor — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 09:25:24 +0000

It seems that the city is running before it can walk. The fact that it doesn’t have a fully functioning sidewalk network, but now it has a $7 billion metro and the plethora of other astounding projects its undertaking when it doesn’t have any money! It doesn’t really seem to make sense, yet Dubai is obviously striving for the grandeur in a bid to benefit from tourism. I just hope it works out, it would be fantastic to see everything finished and working!

By: Wednesday – September 9, 2009 « Axis Mundi

Wednesday – September 9, 2009 « Axis Mundi — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 01:55:14 +0000

[...] Over at the Infrastructurist, Dubai’s new metro line gets a celebrated welcome though with much less fanfare than the city e… [...]

By: Spokker

Spokker — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:59:20 +0000

The least they could do is let the exploited labor who is building Dubai ride for free.