December 2nd, 2009
World Wide Wednesday: Las Vegas, Dubai and Mecca
By Matthew Blackett // No Comments
Each week we will be focusing on blogs from around the world dealing specifically with urban environments. We’ll be on the lookout for websites outside the country that approach themes related to urban experiences and issues.
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• CityCenter, Las Vegas' newest mega-project, debuts to the public next week. Designed by 8 notable architects to function as a city in-itself, the $8.5 billion, 67-acre, glass-and-steel structure is home to several luxury hotels, a major retail complex and, (of course) a casino.
• Dubai's spending spree on massive infrastrucutre and architectural projects is likely over as the city now risks defaulting on its payments. The global economic downturn has left Dubai with a crushing debt. The city's state-owned development company, Dubai World, asked creditors last week for a 6-month standstill on approximately $26 billion of debt.
• A new pedestrian bridge in Mina, Saudi Arabia (about two miles from Mecca), safely accommodated the more than 2 million pilgrims who crossed over it last Saturday. The pilgrims were re-enacting the Prophet Abraham's rejection of the devils temptation as part of the Muslim ritual Jamarat. The $1.2 billion, five-story bridge has dramatically decreased congestion on a site which has previously witnessed multiple deaths resulting from stampeding crowds.
• After reviewing a flood of entries from around the world, Project for Public Spaces, features an in-depth profile on 9 of the world's greatest streets and the reasons they work.
Photo of Dubai by Jake Brewer
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