Palm Jumeirah Island room with a view, for only $200 a day Last year, at the peak of Dubai’s economic crisis, there was a massive expatriate exodus. Fearing debtors jail, many foreigners with unpaid bank loans abandoned their cars at…
The carbon-neutral city, Masdar, has all-but-failed. Can this urban park in Hong Kong do better? Architectural firm Foster & Partners have their stamp all over the Middle East: they had a hand in Masdar City, that ambitious carbon-neutral city plan…
Green Prophet’s newest writer, Merhdad, explores some of the “urban” issues in giving the ancient 500 year old Bazaar of Tehran, sustainable by design, a modern facelift. Plans in a new $20 million budget call for bike paths, trams, and…
Who to believe? That Dubai properties hasn’t paid or that Hopkins Architects reneged on their agreement? There are different species of architectural firms operating in the feeding frenzy that is Dubai. Some, such as Foster&Partners, are contributing to the country’s…
Can a city relying on oil revenue and desalination really be labeled “eco”? (Image by dislona via flickr) At first, we felt a surge of pride to learn that Muscat, Oman, is the only Middle Eastern city on Mercer’s top…
Despite its claim to promote sustainable urban development practices, the world’s largest, disposable Expo invites irony and criticism. The first ever world fair took place in 1851 at Prince Albert’s behest. That fair was initiated to display participating nations’ industrial…
Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert denies the charges, but he is suspected of accepting $1million to push through the highly contested Holyland Project which uprooted pine forests. Israel’s former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, Jerusalem’s former mayor Uri Lupoliansky, and senior…
There are environmental triggers (hairspray! lipstick!) of common autoimmune diseases such as arthritis, a TAU researcher reports. Our immediate environment interacts with our genetic programming and can determine if we will succumb to an autoimmune disease, says rheumatologist Prof. Michael Ehrenfeld…
Karen ponders the possibilities of a new social idea to help the homeless and the environment. Walking down the street this morning, watching a homeless man rummage through the trash for recyclable bottles and cans, I had a dream. A…
Last week Karin asked what weeds in her garden are edible. Today she finds out. With winter in full bloom in the Middle East (this is when we get rain), urban gardens come alive, whether or not you want them…
