With the rising industrialization and globalization of Dubai has also eliminated available spaces of the region marked by the high rate of migration to the urban region. The city of Dubai is becoming a contrast between the commercial hubs and the suburbs that are most populated by transients and expatriates. New city spaces are opened to cater to middle- and low-income users who contribute to the crowd of the city. Commercial establishments are built throughout the region to cater to these users who can't find place in the high-end commercial establishments of the city. These new city spaces are becoming also centers of illegal activities such as consumption of alcohol and direct interaction between people.
The urban character of the city of Dubai is defined by the absence of locals in most of the city's public spaces. Laborers gather in larger spaces of the region, commonly in gardens and empty lots, which are not intended for the such purpose. These spaces are becoming popular to most expats of the region because one can live an authentic life in these areas. In these spaces that are away from the focus of the city, one can find several forms of crimes such as drug use, prostitution, robbery and murder. Like all other suburbs spaces, the walls of the region are becoming the living oracle of the freedom of expression of the place.
In essence, these characteristics of Dubai's suburbs and spaces show the resistance of the people to the change of the region. The phenomenon separates the people from the growth of the city, which they live. This shows the polarization of a city that is being transformed into a vast urban metropolis. There are spaces of the city that do not hold the idea of growth of the region as a direct example of unprecedented rise of ghettos and other suburb definitions.
Empty spaces of most urban cities are becoming the residential zones of transients who find it hard to adapt and assimilate with the growth of the main city zone. In terms of social commentary, Dubai stands a supreme example. Transients live in marginalized regions with proximity to the wealthy areas of Dubai. In this stark contrast, we can find the concept of the transnational trajectory, which is more defined by residents who live in the city but can't find a sense of home, or simply, as I have pointed earlier, they are separated from the city which they lived. They are left on their own without the necessary funnel of growth that should have been felt by almost all people. This contrast speaks volume of the uneven growth of the region, as there are people who don't feel or can't experience and take pride from the growth of the region.
These empty spaces are becoming transitory elements of the city. Just like bus lounge, these spaces give a place for people to sit down, wait for someone, or such, but these spaces are just for the moment. This is devoid of the connection of the people, as I have said earlier, so that the people do not have the sense of connection and belongingness. Most of these empty spaces just come to live every night or on weekends when those who are working in the big parts of the cities return to their places. As a result, without the idea of lingering, attachment is impossible to achieved.
As the city grows and as the population booms, it is necessary to provide for the needs of the people so they will feel connected to the city they lived. The absence of a planned urban space for transients to interact with each other is a problem that most urban cities face. These public spaces would have opened a livable and better life for transients and locals alike.
Another problem of highly-globalized cities with regards to transients is the lack of character among them, that could have fostered a strong community. Because there are no clear definition of buildings and places which they live, transients are not able to build connection with each other. Without clear boundaries, people just come and go easily, thus eliminating strong interaction between transients. In a highly-globalized city where people from across the globe migrate to, it is necessary to build communities that will help transients and migrants to live a better life and join other people of same descent and race, cultural spaces, and other elements of their former society.
Although, the article was able to point the reality of the problem of transients, in terms of the characteristics of the city's transnational trajectory, what it failed to mention is the reality of social exclusion clause of the phenomenon. The definition of making boundaries could have helped to formulate the strong connection between people of a community and could have addressed the expanse of soft boundaries. Most empty spaces used by migrants and transients are near public transit where people can easily come and go without the need of lingering. The article failed to mention the chaos and the mistake of having no clear social exclusion.
I understand that the article points the social setting of the problem that the objective of describing the economic flow of the urbanized city. However, the article failed to mention that economic flow is a factor in developing a transnational trajectory. There are people who are left on their own in the economic flow of the region. This is the reason why most of empty spaces used by transients are near commercial hubs and they are left to live, eat, and shop in establishments near these empty spaces, rather than in the center of the commercial hubs.
In this sense of transnational trajectory, we have seen how components of social environment interact with each other. Dominance, resistance, and assimilation are directly linked to this study. While people interact with global paradigms and components, they are also led to stay in the local processes of social resistance to maintain a strong sense of life interactions. This is why although they resist building strong interactions and connections, they are led to these empty spaces to relieve from their work and see migrants and expats who may have shared their stories.