Desert Paradises: Surveying the Landscapes of Dubais Urban Model [Hardcover]

Desert Paradises: Surveying the Landscapes of Dubais Urban Model explores how designed landscapes can play a vital role in constructing a citys global image and legitimizing its socio-political hierarchy. Using the case study of Dubai, Bolleter explores how Dubais rulers employ a paradisiacal image of greening the desert, in part, as a tool for political legitimization.

Bolleter also evaluates the designed landscapes of Dubai against the principles of the United Nations and the International Federation of Landscape Architects and argues that what is happening in Dubai represents a significant discrepancy between theory and practice.

This book offers a new perspective on landscape design that has until now been unexplored. It would be beneficial to academics and students of geography, landscape architecture, urban design and urban planning  particularly those with an interest in Dubai or the many cities in the region that are experiencing Dubaiification.

1. Introduction  2. Dubai briefing  3. Paradisiacal landscapes  4. Urban and desert landscapes  5. Challenges in practice  6. The potential of Landscape Urbanism in Dubai  7: Conclusion

Dubai and the Landscape introduces a revolutionary characterization of landscape architecture. By combining the words paradise and landscape, Bolleter introduces 'parascape', a concept that is becoming more prevalent in the landscape profession throughout the Middle East.

Julian Bolleter is Deputy-Director at the Australian Urban Design Research Centre (AUDRC) at the University of Western Australia. His role includes teaching a masters programme in urban design and conducting research and design projects. Julian is a landscape architect and urban designer and halC2