It's another hot and dusty day on the streets of Al Quoz, Dubai's sprawling industrial zone. Tanker-laden trucks rattle by, groups of men stroll around outside the Grand City Mall sipping chai masala and the beaches on the other side of town couldn't feel any further away.
Now throw into this workaday world the most unlikely bunch of beaming folk, all armed with cameras and clad in T-shirts emblazoned with "Discovering Al Quoz".
"Make sure you get lots of photographs, guys, as we'll have somewhere to upload them when you get back to the gallery," shouts one of the people about to lead this jovial, wide-eyed band through the area. "Please try to hashtag 'Al Quoz' as well," shouts another.
Naturally, those who call the industrial district both home and work observe this scene with some bewilderment. The group is there with tasmena, a Dubai-based design initiative that is in the throes of its second major event. MENAlab 2011 invites the curious to trek around Al Quoz and explore a part of Dubai that's both a hub for industry and art, yet is rarely experienced in-depth or by foot. Last Saturday's outing boasted an encouraging turnout.
To "activate cities" is tasmena's main aim, says Yun Sun Chung-Shin, a lecturer in graphic design at Zayed University who co-founded the initiative with the architect Nasreen Altamimi and urban designer Adina Hempel.
Four loose walking routes have been plotted through the area, with The Jam Jar as a meeting point, and participants are encouraged to document their journey and speak to residents along the way. They then share their findings via words, photographs or tweets.
Chung-Shin explains that the findings from the MENAlab will be used to create prototypes of design solutions to be presented at a public festival in December 2012.
Two routes explore day-to-day life in the area; moving through residences, obscure industries and smatterings of open land. Labour camps dot the streets here, and the suggestion is that participants should look closely at the architectural choices made in and around these looming mass-housing projects.
The other two routes available connect numerous art galleries that have found a home in the industrial quarter. Navigating its warren of streets is famously a nightmare, and so these walks address the needs of those hungry to see more art but daunted by the idea of driving around for an evening looking for Street 18a.
We hedged on one of the longer routes, taking in residential projects as well as a sculptural stack of temporary office containers that elicited many oohs and aahs from the snap-happy group we tagged along with. Admittedly, it was quite impressive.
While you accept by going on a walk like this that scenes of staggering beauty are going to be scarce, there is still some fascinating idiosyncrasies to Al Quoz, and its even better explored on the hoof.
You come across surreal pink housing developments built by Chinese construction companies and festooned in Mandarin banners down its walls. There are boat builders tinkering with a yacht, or a boxing gym tucked away down an alley. As the place where things are made, sold and scrapped in Dubai, the industrial quarter harbours an atmosphere of constant movement.
A common moan in this city is that opportunities to get walking are few. MENAlab counters that, encouraging both engagement with the city and a healthy stroll with like-minded sorts at the same time.
Back at the gallery, the walkers converge to discuss their findings. Two Emirati photographers have come back with a list of easily enactable changes to the area that would make it simpler for those wanting to visit art galleries. Everybody agrees that signposts would be a good place to start.
Others comment on a lack of recreational space around the area for those who live there; a bit more open land for cricket pitches wouldn't go amiss. Nor would a clearer bus network into the area. "Al Quoz is an isolated area," Chung-Shin notes. "It's not connected to other areas and so this is about demystifying and learning what the area is about. There are some amazing shops in there and all kinds of services that Al Quoz could provide to a wider community."
But drawing up quick-fixes isn't the aim here: "We're looking for systematic solutions that people can benefit from and will have a lasting impact on the city."
MENAlab 2011 culminates on Saturday at The Jam Jar, Dubai, with the session beginning at the brisk time of 8am. Most walks are lengthy, but by no means punishing. For info see twitter.com/tasmena, www.tasmena.org or www.thejamjardubai.com
