This paper describes how Dubai's top-down redevelopment strategy affected residents of Sha'biyat Al Defaa' and Sha'biyat Al Shorta, or Army and Police Colony, a densely aging Dubai neighbourhood. The article draws on an original ethnographic case study, including field observation, interviews with residents and local press reports. Findings show that redevelopment demolished this old neighbourhood to appeal to economic elites without making any effort to preserve any of its social, economic or emotional value to residents or the larger community. In doing so, Dubai sacrificed the wellbeing of a vulnerable population. I draw on the concept of place attachment to interpret this case's significance for planning and preservation theory and practice. Place attachment conceptualises affective ties to both physical settings and the relationships and memories that such settings support. This study gives planners, policy makers and preservationists new evidence that attachment to land and community are important motivations for expanding historic preservation into concerns for community preservation. Conventionally, historic preservation concerns itself primarily with built landscapes; this paper argues that individuals' feelings and bonds to social settings can be used as engines for preservation. The paper concludes that Dubai's top-down planning model does not sensitively capture the needs of low-income communities. It argues that in advocating preservation and mitigating displacement impacts, city planners must pressure the state and developers for more affordable housing policies and projects, and must establish service programmes that provide technical and economic assistance to city residents who face eviction.

DedicationThis work is dedicated to my Mother who has been my biggest ally, my motivator, and my inspiration. Her major concern and goal was always to see me happy and successful in my personal, professional, and academic lives. I have learned a lot from her, more than any other human being. She taught me, inspired me, supported me, and challenged me.She had the insight and intelligence to give me guidance, assistance, care, and love.Regardless of her pain and chronic diseases, she made a huge sacrifice by sending me abroad to pursue my Master's and Doctorate in a time when she greatly needed me. After I completed my Master's in 2007, she refused to accept my decision to stay home and forget about the PhD. I still remember the night she came in my room and told me, -Just go and continue what you already started and invested in; I cannot accept you being around while you are missing a great opportunity. This is the best for you now and in the long term. As for me, your brothers and sisters will take care of me, and most importantly, Almighty God is with me; He will protect me, give me strength, and cure me.‖ My Mother was indeed the fuel that launched and propelled this work. Without her blessings, prayers, soothing words, love, and encouragement I would have never been able to pursue my studies. It is sad that she is not around to witness this effort and achievement.My dream was to go back home and show her my work and accomplishment. But, I am sure that she can feel it and sense it even though she is in the other world. Approaches to sustainable development must stress elements other than just design itself, such as grasping the nuances of the cultural traditions, politics, and implementation constraints. Therefore, this research also involved collecting survey responses from local and expatiate residents in Dubai and interviewing Dubai government officials in order to identify and to understand the relevant political and cultural aspects as well as obstacles associated with the experts' design recommendations. In particular, survey responses were used to: (1) identify the public opinion surrounding some of the Dubai neighborhood design ideas suggested by an international and local panel of experts; and (2) understand how the public value and prioritize the suitability of the proposed design strategies to Dubai's cultural environment.

Dubai has been in the midst of a profound physical transformation, radically affecting the lives of residents and newcomers. Within US and European models of planning, the rapid change Dubai is experiencing calls for public involvement in charting the city's future. However, Dubai's neo-patrimonial governance concentrates planning decisions into the hands of trusted elites, lacking public participation. How might a participatory approach to planning be successfully implemented in Dubai? First, this article applies Delphi to obtain experts' knowledge about the feasibility of implementing a participatory planning approach in Dubai. Second, the first author interviewed government officials to identify constraints for implementing strategies intended to widen public participation. Last, recommendations for the implementation of a more transparent approach to planning are provided. The article concludes with questions that explore the challenges associated with participation in planning decision-making specifically for neo-patrimonial systems.

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