A Comparative Analysis of Anaheim, California
and Dubai City in the United Arab Emirates
This paper is an analysis and comparison of the methods and concepts by which the cities of Anaheim, located in Orange County California, and Dubai City, located in the United Arab Emirates developed and expanded. This paper will compare the two cities within several distinct parameters. Part One will consider and amplify the definitions that comprise the concepts of ecologically sustainable urban development. Part Two will compare the two cities statistically while Part Three will point to the ways in which the two cities differ. Part Four will consider the structure of the Planning Functions of Anaheim, and give some consideration to how those work. Part Five will focus on the areas of Anaheim urban development that might be helpful in strategizing the growth of Dubai City, while Part Six will talk about the impact of tourism while Part Seven focuses on those aspects of Anaheim development planning that the officials of Dubai City should avoid.
Part One: Ecologically Sustainable Urban Development
About half of the global human population lives in cities and towns, but the proportion is higher in industrialized countries, e.g. in California about 60%. For them, urban green areas and their diversity is of great importance. For instance, a large proportion of the 4,000,000 acres of urban forests in California are vital recreational areas. On the other hand, many urban habitats are sensitive to human-caused disturbances, and need to be managed cautiously or protected. Thus, consideration of biodiversity in land-use planning is important both for the well-being of urban residents and for the maintenance of biodiversity.
However, presently, ecological knowledge is not well integrated into land use planning due to lack of relevant ecological information, and difficulties in utilization of the information for planning purposes. With...