Developing the desert: The pace and process of urban growth in Dubai
Dubai grew rapidly from 1972 to 2011 with rates of urban growth and associated sprawl dependent on local and global drivers. Urbanization has resulted in an increase in vegetation cover and inland water bodies in this hyperarid environment. Offshore islands demonstrate that development has not been constrained by physical barriers or land ownership. Landscape metrics reveal rapidly oscillating phases of urban diffusion and coalescence. The sequence of these phases and the spatial patterns of development are unique to the Dubai landscape.
dubai landscape metrics spatial evolution urban expansion urban growth pattern remote sensing