A small street in a much-loved Dubai neighbourhood could help ease summer heat and build community spirit.
Shaded by trees and plants, the informal space in Satwa funnels the wind and is noticeably cooler than surrounding areas, while also offering a place to rest and relax.
To some, these spaces are forgotten, but to others, they can become vibrant and sustainable places that improve people’s lives.
These ideas are now being examined by eight architecture students from Canadian University Dubai in a six-week course focusing on the design of “parklets” – small, low-cost and informal public areas typically about the size of one or two parking spaces.
The site in Satwa, a dense and lively neighbourhood home to mainly migrant communities chiefly from South Asia and the Philippines, was chosen as inspiration for the students who have now designed their own parklets to be shown at the university next week.
“I think it's an overlooked neighbourhood,” said Dr Simona Azzali, associate professor at the university’s school of architecture and interior design, who led the project and found the space during research.
“We know that it houses a lot of low-income families but it is also a place where people that really run the city live. They are also a bit overlooked. I think it is a way of choosing to dignify people and dignify spaces.”
Playing it cool
When The National visited with Dr Azzali and three students on a hot Tuesday evening, the potential was clear. It was a busy day in the low-rise neighbourhood of restaurants, cafes, tailors, key-cutters and cobblers. Buses and cars filled the streets and people took relief from the heat under awnings and umbrellas, but as we turned into the street with the informal space, things went quiet.
Several large trees such as a Bougainvillea and rows of potted plants provided shade, a breeze cooled the air, birds chirped in the trees and the sounds of the busy city felt far away. A resident quietly watered the plants.
“Even micro-scale urban interventions can have a real impact on the life of people,” said Dr Azzali.
The students are considering issues such as using light-coloured shading and planting trees to address rising temperatures. They also studied the site, the neighbourhood, the communities and and the demographics.
Matlyubakhon Sultonova’s design took inspiration from a construction site nearby. It aims to reuse materials being discarded from old villas such as distinctive breeze blocks. It also reuses scaffolding for shading, native plants and upcycled goods to make it a safe space, especially for children.
Community connection
“We have lots of families living here,” said Ms Sultonova, a second year student, who interviewed some residents. “That's why in my parklet it's very directed towards housewives and women and children.”
Keren Ronad, a fourth year student, said her parklet used curtains made from a special material meaning that when you spray mist on them it cools the space when the wind blows. She also sought to incorporate UAE culture such as fabrics inspired by Bedouin textile weaving.
“They used to shear off the wool of goats and calves and used that to create carpets and tents back in the day. I want to bring back that history into the site,” she said.
Saghar Kazemian, another fourth year, used a mashrabiya in her design. The mashrabiya is an architectural motif that provides the interior of a building with light and air but also shading and privacy. In some countries they close the streets to have a marketplace so residents could potentially have the parklet as a place to sell spices or clothes they make, she said.
“So it can help even with the income for the residents here,” she added.
Dr Azzali said the term “parklet” was popularised in San Francisco in the early 2000s when local designers started to reclaim public spaces, while the pandemic saw them grow further. She said in the UAE there have been some temporary examples during events such as Expo 2020 Dubai or Dubai Design Week. Small, sheltered areas have also popped up in Abu Dhabi.
But the term can refer to any small informal space. Parklets could be organic and driven by residents or involve municipalities. They are also modular, meaning they could be replicated easily.
In a city known for large-scale projects, these spaces offer a different perspective but they can improve quality of life, community spirit and tackle climate change. Inspiration also came from the “Forgotten Place” project in Alserkal Avenue that reuses air conditioning condensate to irrigate plants, and Bahrain’s “heatwave” pavilion at the recent Venice Biennale, which created shade using a modular canopy.
An exhibition of the designs – Between the lines: reclaiming Satwa’s streets – takes place at Canadian University Dubai on June 25 and is open to all.
For Dr Azzali, the aim is to encourage more focus on designing “with empathy” and she is hoping to talk to the wider architecture community and policy-makers about the potential of parklets.
“I hope to inspire the students,” she said. “And I hope to inspire others.”
