Rebuilding Dubai: the case of Karama
by Vale Seliverstova
portfolio special mention call 'Urbanautica Institute Awards 2024', 2024
Category: Anthropology and Territories
We used to think of Dubai as a city of skyscrapers rising out of the sand. The Dubai skyline is a recognisable brand and a symbol of success in a relatively young country that is home to one in three of the world's cranes. But even here, buildings from the 1980s are being renovated. According to the Dubai 2040 plan, the city's old neighbourhoods are being renovated, including Karama, one of the most densely populated. So far, this is not a mass renovation. Houses are being replaced one by one. This has led to a more than doubling of prices and the displacement of residents. People stay in their homes until the last minute. In my project, I am documenting the process of replacing the old with the new in a neighbourhood that is as far from the picture postcard Dubai as possible.
also from Urbanautica Institute Awards 2024