The View from Below

City planners have a fascination with the view from above – looking at cities and human settlements from afar. From this lofty perspective they determine the layout of streets, buildings and spaces as well as the distribution of land uses within the city.

They act on a firm belief that their interventions and policies will enhance the lives of city inhabitants. But, this is the planned city which is distinctive from the city as experienced on a daily basis. As Michel de Certeau, a French philosopher, puts it “The ordinary practitioners of the city live down below, below the threshold at which visibility begins.”

I was reminded of this while walking through the halls of Abu Dhabi’s magnificent Exhibition Center, which hosted the recently concluded Cityscape Exhibition. While having an overall subdued atmosphere, unlike the festive atmosphere which used to characterise the Dubai based version, it nevertheless showed a more mature and serious side to real estate development in the region – particularly Abu Dhabi.

The centerpiece was a huge model of the capital Abu Dhabi as it will appear in 2030 – according to the city’s Urban Structural Framework prepared by the Urban Planning Council. The model, occupying a large room, stretched from the city’s waterfront to its outskirts in Shahama and Wathba, illustrating the ambitious expansion planned. Every single house, villa and tower in existence or envisioned was included in this model. Surrounded by curious onlookers who were thronging this exhibit, an accompanying light show – highlighting landmarks and significant projects – as well as a screen projecting images and animations of the future city, added to this amazing spectacle.

Such models are useful tools for city planners, architects and decision makers. They enable them to visualise projections, and assess any planned interventions. One of the most impressive models that I have seen is the Shanghai model displayed in the city’s Urban Planning Exhibition Hall located in People Park – which is a busy hub in its central business district, housing numerous museums and concert halls. The model was much larger – to the extent that parts of it had to be accessed via bridges and walkways. Visited by many residents, school students and tourists, it is an integral part of the experience of visiting Shanghai.

Such spectacles are no doubt impressive – but they do neglect the ‘view from below’ that I mentioned earlier – the degree to which the city is experienced by its users. Spaces may be used for purposes not initially planned – they are transformed according to the desires and wishes of people who live there. All that planners can do is to provide a framework, a structure, within which any desired form of behavior can take place. Within urban studies this is also called “everyday urbanism” which is the essence of a vibrant urban setting and examples abound all over the world. But perhaps the case of Abu Dhabi is of more interest.

Abu Dhabi is a planned city – it does not have a historic core from which it grew organically. It has a carefully laid out systems of streets, open spaces and parks. Overall it projects an image of order and careful maintenance. Settings are created for various forms of interaction such as shopping malls, parks and gardens and so on. While these are important, any vibrant city needs spaces for people to gather without necessarily being within the confines of a shopping center.

For example ‘Mullah’ building – an unassuming throwback to 1970's Abu Dhabi – located at the corner of Muroor Road and Zayed the First Street (also known as Electra) in the city’s Central area, is a major gathering node for the city’s South Asian community. Immediately noticeable on any given Friday evening are a large number of people standing in groups with some sitting on the lawn as well. There are also large gatherings at the back of the building, particularly around an entrance towards aninternal shopping area traversing the building’s ground floor.What makes these places so attractive is the presence of “supportive settings”: restaurants, cafes, tailor shops, and money exchange operators – both formal and informal. These ‘leftover’ spaces serve an important communication function – people come from far away as Musaffah, Shahamah and sometimes from other emirates to meet their friends and relatives. Or consider the Mina neighborhood, which in the evening turns into a hive of activity, which includes children playing soccer or cricket on the open spaces between buildings were they are observed by passersby and residents.

Another fascinating sight is the proliferation of ‘informal’ praying areas on street corners such as can be found in the district of Zaafarana (Water Tank area), which is filled up with shopkeepers and neighborhood residents. These spaces show the degree to which the “view from above” can sometimes obfuscate the ability to observe real life interactions.

The question here is whether Abu Dhabi Vision 2030 acknowledges these informal interactions. While no effort is spared in preparing glossy brochures, such as a Street Design Manual, which is no doubt a commendable effort, or the construction of elaborate models, they are not complete without a real understanding of the daily lives of Abu Dhabi’s residents. These must be acknowledged and incorporated in order to transform Abu Dhabi into a ‘modern expression of an Arab city’. This will complement, enhance and enrich this inspiring vision.

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