Landscape Architecture is Booming in Dubai

Dubai is one of the seven emirates United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. This Manhattan of the UAE seeks to increase the per capita share of greenery.

Of note at that conference, Rashad Bukhash, director of general projects department for the Dubai Municipality, announced Dubai will undertake 109 landscape and beautification projects this year, including: development of the existing six public parks; installing 21 neighborhood parks, 23 community facilities and four ponds parks. The projects will add 279 acres of greenery to the urban landscape.

Dubai seeks to increase the per capita share of greenery to 23.4 square meters (about 252 sq. feet). That's an interesting measure, if you envision a Dubaian pacing off five large steps in the four cardinal directions to form a square?????????(R)?????EUR??,,??that's his per capita patch of green!

Dr. Diane Menzies, president of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA), which organized the event, and Dr. Ingrid Duchhart, senior lecturer at the Department of Landscape Architecture of Wageningen University, Amsterdam, were among the event's 35 speakers.

The conference brought together a broad international contingent of some 200 industry-related professionals. Dr. Menzies said GLADAC 2008 recognized the landscape architecture industry's immense growth and development in Dubai, the UAE and the GCC (aka the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf). She noted the UAE and GCC is undergoing a development boom and has unique environmental issues to address. Landscape architects, she said, should be and will be at the forefront of addressing these issues.

Mr. Bukhash said the conference was a great opportunity for Dubai to learn and exchange landscape architecture and design knowledge.