Building Migrant Cities in the Gulf: Urban Transformation in the Middle East

Description

Human history has seen many settlements transformed or built entirely by expatriate work forces and foreigners arriving from various places. Recent migration patterns in the Gulf have led to emerging 'airport societies' on unprecedented scales. Most guest workers, both labourers and mid to high-income groups, perceive their stay as a temporary opportunity to earn suitable income or gain experience. This timely book analyses the essential characteristics of this unique urban phenomenon substantiated by concrete examples and empirical research. Both authors have lived and worked in the Gulf including Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates during various periods between 2006 and 2014. They explore Gulf cities from macro and interconnected perspectives rather than focusing solely on singular aspects within the built environment. As academic architects specialised in urbanism and the complex dynamics between people and places the authors build new bridges for understanding demographic and social changes impacting urban transformations in the Gulf. Title Page Copyright Page Contents Illustrations Figures Tables Acknowledgements Preface Chapter 1: Introduction: Migration and urban transformation Migration and housing Migration as historic heritage in the Gulf Welfare states, migration and urban transformation The structure of the book Notes Chapter 2: Visions of migration-based urbanism The social and economic realities along the Gulf coast Key characteristics of recent development visions Conclusion Notes Chapter 3: Enabling housing supply through new forms of governance Historic governance and housing supply in the Gulf Urban entrepreneurialism as a new form of governance New restructuring tendencies within governance Conclusion Notes Chapter 4: Mega projects: A catalyst for migrant urbanism Dubai as pioneer of event urbanism The case of New Dubai Liberalized real estate markets in Bahrain A comparative discourse on two pioneers Conclusion Notes Chapter 5: New housing typologies and urban consolidation Manama’s three urban expansions The spatial transformation of Manama New development dynamics in Doha The resulting urban fragmentation in Doha Conclusion Notes Chapter 6: Lifestyle trends and multicultural perceptions Lifestyle trends in Gulf cities Lifestyle groups and their neighbourhoods Multiculturalism in the Gulf Multicultural perceptions in Qatar Conclusion Notes Chapter 7: The everyday urban environment of migrant communities Traditional migrant neighbourhoods Contemporary everyday urbanism Mega projects and future everyday urbanism Conclusion Notes Chapter 8: Building sustainable migrant cities A discourse on space production theories The role of housing in producing urban qualities Towards sustainable urbanism in the Gulf Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index