Reimagining Dubai’s Underused Public Spaces for Climate and Social Responsiveness

Abstract

This research explores how underused transport infrastructure in Dubai can be reimagined through climate-responsive and human-centered design to foster walkability and social inclusion, particularly for migrant and expatriate populations. As a city defined by rapid urbanization, vertical growth, and a car-centric planning model, Dubai’s development strategies often prioritize global capital flows and profit-driven infrastructure, while marginalizing local needs and environmental considerations (Easterling, 2014; Menoret, 2014). These approaches have led to the proliferation of “lost spaces” (Trancik, 1986), underutilized and fragmented areas that disconnect communities and diminish urban livability. Focusing on the area surrounding Sobha Realty Metro Station, this study proposes an inverted green deck which is an adaptive reuse strategy that transforms a space underneath a metro linkeay into shaded, green public spaces that encourage community interaction and reduce urban heat. While existing literature critiques Dubai’s car-centric urbanism, few studies offer spatially and climatically adaptive design solutions that respond to its unique socio-environmental complexity. This research addresses that gap by developing design interventions that integrate environmental sustainability with social equity. Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines spatial analysis, ethnographic fieldwork, precedent studies, and 3D modeling, the research investigates how repurposed infrastructure can mitigate extreme climatic conditions, enhance pedestrian experience, and accommodate diverse cultural practices. The study draws on global urban theories, including Henri Lefebvre’s Right to the City and Keller Easterling’s infrastructure politics to critically examine how design can mediate between economic imperatives and everyday urban life. The research contributes to broader discussions on sustainable urban development by offering a context-specific, design-led response to the challenges of car dependency, social fragmentation, and environmental stress in rapidly urbanizing cities. The inverted green deck emerges as a scalable (modular) model for transforming neglected infrastructure into inclusive, climate-resilient public spaces.