The Incorrigible City: Detroit

by Grant Martin on

I’ve spent the better part of ten years around the city of Detroit, but except for brief forays into the city for DEMF or to visit St. Andrew’s Hall, have been too shy to spend much time downtown. To many of us metropolitan folk, Detroit is trouble. Dirt, crime, poverty, empty buildings and dilapidation, while not really that prevalent downtown, is what many people come to view the city as, and perhaps as a result, much of the core has suffered.

Detroit has a much more to offer, however, the old city full of culture, rich architecture and history. You just have to look in the right places. The Incorrigible City, a new blog about Detroit, does just that.

The blog looks past much of the grime that Detroit has now collected and is an interesting look at the culture, architecture and development of Michigan’s largest city. It’s stories hit a particular chord right now, too, as the automotive industry begins to crumble and jobs and people flee from the state. It’s a sobering, beautiful look at the city, but well worth the visit.

Thai government dissolved as protesters finally leave Bangkok’s airport

by Josh Lew on

The Constitutional Court of Thailand decided that the ruling People Power Party had to dissolve. Its leader, now former PM Somchai Wongsawat, was forced to leave office. That was exactly the result that the anti-government mob occupying Suvarnabhumi International Airport was hoping for. Their goal was to shut down the airport until the government was taken from power or stepped down voluntarily. Their goals achieved, the mob at the airport dispersed earlier today.

Supporters of the government criticized the court’s ruling by calling it a judicial coup. However, the court claimed it had evidence proving that the PPP, as well as several other parties, cheated and bribed their way to victory in last year’s elections. The party’s leaders will be banned from politics, but other members are already at work forming a new party called Puea Thai.

Suvarnabhumi is now empty, but it was damaged during the protests. The head of Thailand’s airports, Serirat Prasutanont, said that the airport would remain closed until 6 pm on December 15th. Equipment and systems must be checked prior to the reopening. The closure cost the airport more than $10 million.

[Related coverage @ The Nation]

Is there hope for Dubai’s traffic problem?

by Abha Malpani on

Other than my occasional rant here at Gadling, we almost always talk about Dubai’s mind-blowing developments. As much as I think that Dubai’s growth, development, and all-round vision is extraordinary, I can’t help but wonder: how, in this extended planning phase, authorities forgot to include the development of public transport.

Other than a poor bus system, the 2.2 million residents of Dubai depend on their cars and taxis to get from one point to another. The result? Dreadful and excruciating traffic jams at peak hours.

Dubai has already begun constructing a fully-automated under-and-above ground metro system (which at the moment has worsened the traffic situation because of the dug-up roads), but until then, their solution to the horrendous traffic problem is the addition of automatic toll gates (called Salik) on main roads across the city, that charge $1.10 (Dhs.4) every time you drive through them. This system started last year, and this month, phase two of the Salik system has begun. The hope is that this will reduce the traffic on certain roads at certain times, but this picture shows what is happening instead.*New addition: Seems like this is actually Moscow, not Dubai, as pointed out by nzm in the comments. Oops. However, this could totally be Dubai, as also pointed out by nzm.)

Yes, yikes.

Along with the increased cost of living in Dubai, Salik will certainly be pinching many pockets, however, the long term plan makes sense. The way the system works, you can be charged up to $6.5 (Dhs.24) a day passing through these gates. This way, the Dubai RTA plans to generate about $11 billion over a 3 year period, with which 500km of roads will be constructed, and traffic will flow freely again. I really, really hope so, especially because I might be moving back there soon.

[Thanks to BuJassem at UAE Community blog for the picture]

Photo of the Day (05.27.2008)

by Martha Edwards on


I’m an urban girl at heart. I grew up in the city and that’s where I feel most comfortable: surrounded by blaring horns, blazing lights, people as far as the eye can see. Neon signs and the noises of strangers are seared into my psyche in a way that is inescapable.

So it goes without saying that I love night photography, particularly when it captures the lights of a busy urban nightscape. This photo of Nanjing, China by Matt Hintsa captures that perfectly. It’s a little grainy, a little blown out, but so is the city. So is any city.

Got a cityscape to share with us? Submit it to the Gadling Flickr pool.

Dubai shuts down for Bush visit

by Abha Malpani on

It has been declared a public holiday in Dubai tomorrow because of Bush’s visit. The notice people get? Not even 24-hours. All private and public sectors will be closed, and so will all the main roads. In other words, doing anything tomorrow will either be painful, or impossible.

Dubai abruptly declared dysfunctional like this for a day, is an example of how your life can be thrown into unpredictable pandemonium if you live in the city.

I can imagine the situation in my office had I still been working there: some people rejoicing as others curse their way out of frustration. All major events or even personal plans for tomorrow need to be canceled immediately and rearranged: conferences, meetings, press-events, lunch at Gran’s, a visit to the zoo. You really learn to “go with the flow” in Dubai where you have no other option.

Can you imagine this in any other country? I think not. Sure, it’s Dubai’s way of maximizing security for a presidential visit, but Bush’s visit has been in the schedule for a while and I don’t understand why the city couldn’t have pre-planned this. French President Sarkozy is supposed to visit Dubai on Tuesday; will that mean another public holiday? I think Dubai should have just declared the entire week off. Easier for everyone, don’t you think?