Connect with us

Cities

Video: A Timelapse of Dubai’s Astonishing Growth

Published

on

Dubai’s transformation from a fishing village to a global real estate hub has been nothing short of remarkable. From having the world’s tallest building to man-made islands in the shape of a world map, the U.A.E.’s most populous city has never shied away from ambitious construction projects.

Today’s motion graphic video, from Knight Frank, is a unique overview of Dubai’s half-century long growth spurt.

Ambition into Action

Dubai’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, summed up the ambition of his people in a quote:

Dubai will never settle for anything less than first place.

Indeed, the city’s economic growth has been nearly unparalleled over the past two decades. Unlike neighboring emirates, Dubai had a modest supply of oil and knew that diversifying their economy would be vital for future success.

As oil production leveled off in the early 1990s, the tourism industry ramped up. In 2002, reforms allowed foreigners to own real estate and that industry boomed overnight. Today, oil accounts for a minuscule 1% of Dubai’s GDP.

As the Middle East begins looking toward a post-oil economy, Dubai’s success provides an obvious example for other cities in the region to mimic.

Sky High Ambition

In addition to quirky attractions like the 250,000 sqft indoor ski hill, the desert city boasts a number of record-setting projects:

  • World’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa
  • World’s tallest hotel – JW Marriott Marquis Hotel
  • World’s largest shopping center – Dubai Mall
  • World’s largest indoor theme park – IMG Worlds of Adventure
  • World’s Busiest Airport (International Travelers) – Dubai International Airport
  • World’s longest fully automated metro network – Dubai Metro

Though Dubai is full of blockbuster development projects, the city’s urban form is perhaps best known for one specific attribute: height. For a city of only 3.0 million people, Dubai has a remarkable number of skyscrapers. In fact, the city trails only New York and Shanghai for the number of buildings taller than 150m (492ft).

dubai tower chart

For context, during the period of 2007–2014 Dubai essentially kept pace with high-rise development in the United States as a whole. (Dubai’s population is 0.9% the size of the United States.)

The B Word

Just as Dubai was hitting its stride, the global financial crisis blew in and choked the pipeline of money flowing into the growing city. In 2009, headlines around the world proclaimed that Dubai’s real estate bubble had finally burst.

Though the financial crisis was a setback, the city’s development industry has recovered admirably. Going into 2017, there were 11,600 active projects worth over $800 billion. As well, Expo 2020 is expected to add fuel to the twin engines of Dubai’s economy: real estate development and tourism.

With the U.A.E. set to further relax foreign ownership roles, the city’s economic prospects remain as sunny as its weather forecast.

Click for Comments

Crime

Mapped: The Safest Cities in the U.S.

How safe is small town America? This map reveals the safest cities in the U.S. in terms of the total crime rate per every 1,000 residents.

Published

on

safest cities in the u.s.

Mapped: The Safest Cities in America

The phrase “small town America” often conjures up images of white picket fences, well-trimmed lawns, and big houses. But how safe is modern-day suburbia in America?

Some of the smallest places in the country can actually be among the most dangerous. Take for example Bessemer, Alabama, with a population of around 26,000 and a violent crime rate of 33.1 per every 1,000 residents.

That said, there are many small cities that are true havens for families across the United States. This map showcases the safest cities in the U.S., using FBI data and Census Bureau populations compiled by NeighborhoodScout in 2023.

Note: The source only considered cities with a population of 25,000 or higher. This report is based on total index crimes reported in each city, which includes arson, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, murder, rape, armed robbery, and aggravated assault.

Top 100 Safest Cities in the U.S.

40% of the cities in the ranking are located in Northeastern states, which are typically rated the “safest” based on FBI data.

Here’s a closer look at the full list:

RankCityStateTotal Crime Rate
(per 1,000 residents)
Chance of Being
a Victim
1RidgefieldConnecticut1.91 in 510
2FranklinMassachusetts2.91 in 344
3Lake in the HillsIllinois3.11 in 321
4MarshfieldMassachusetts3.31 in 300
5ArlingtonMassachusetts3.41 in 292
6FulshearTexas3.61 in 276
7ZionsvilleIndiana3.61 in 275
8LexingtonMassachusetts3.71 in 270
9MuskegoWisconsin3.81 in 265
10RexburgIdaho3.91 in 253
11IndependenceKentucky3.91 in 253
12OswegoIllinois4.11 in 238
13MiltonMassachusetts4.21 in 233
14NeedhamMassachusetts4.21 in 233
15White LakeMichigan4.21 in 233
16Avon LakeOhio4.31 in 232
17MadisonMississippi4.51 in 221
18WakefieldMassachusetts4.51 in 218
19WindsorColorado4.51 in 218
20South KingstownRhode Island4.71 in 212
21ColleyvilleTexas4.81 in 206
22West BloomfieldMichigan4.91 in 204
23Johns CreekGeorgia4.91 in 202
24BillericaMassachusetts5.11 in 195
25MasonOhio5.11 in 192
26ReadingMassachusetts5.11 in 192
27North AndoverMassachusetts5.21 in 190
28WellesleyMassachusetts5.21 in 189
29MundeleinIllinois5.31 in 187
30BrandonMississippi5.31 in 186
31CumberlandRhode Island5.41 in 184
32AndoverMassachusetts5.41 in 182
33EdwardsvilleIllinois5.51 in 178
34Little ElmTexas5.61 in 176
35MerrimackNew Hampshire5.71 in 172
36WalthamMassachusetts5.81 in 169
37WylieTexas5.91 in 169
38Commerce TownshipMichigan5.91 in 169
39MiltonGeorgia5.91 in 167
40MelroseMassachusetts6.01 in 164
41BallwinMissouri6.11 in 162
42North KingstownRhode Island6.11 in 162
43BeverlyMassachusetts6.21 in 161
44Rochester HillsMichigan6.21 in 160
45KellerTexas6.31 in 158
46ShrewsburyMassachusetts6.41 in 156
47DracutMassachusetts6.41 in 155
48ProsperTexas6.41 in 155
49NewtonMassachusetts6.51 in 152
50FriendswoodTexas6.51 in 152
51McHenryIllinois6.51 in 152
52Fort MillSouth Carolina6.61 in 151
53WallingfordConnecticut6.81 in 146
54CaledoniaWisconsin6.91 in 144
55BelmontMassachusetts6.91 in 144
56De PereWisconsin6.91 in 143
57Flower MoundTexas7.01 in 142
58EastonMassachusetts7.01 in 141
59Highland ParkIllinois7.01 in 141
60CarmelIndiana7.21 in 138
61SachseTexas7.21 in 138
62AlgonquinIllinois7.21 in 137
63HendersonvilleTennessee7.21 in 137
64San LuisArizona7.31 in 136
65FishersIndiana7.31 in 135
66PerrysburgOhio7.41 in 135
67Lake StevensWashington7.41 in 134
68CheshireConnecticut7.41 in 134
69MilfordMassachusetts7.51 in 132
70Saratoga SpringsUtah7.51 in 132
71Bella VistaArkansas7.51 in 132
72PrincetonNew Jersey7.51 in 131
73BlufftonSouth Carolina7.61 in 130
74NoviMichigan7.61 in 130
75ChelmsfordMassachusetts7.61 in 130
76AmherstMassachusetts7.71 in 129
77RosemountMinnesota7.71 in 129
78GloucesterMassachusetts7.71 in 129
79SyracuseUtah7.81 in 127
80WaukeeIowa7.81 in 126
81MequonWisconsin7.91 in 126
82WestfieldIndiana7.91 in 126
83Spring HillTennessee7.91 in 126
84Upper ArlingtonOhio7.91 in 126
85RahwayNew Jersey7.91 in 125
86MontclairNew Jersey7.91 in 125
87GreenwichConnecticut8.01 in 125
88HuttoTexas8.01 in 124
89Vestavia HillsAlabama8.01 in 123
90BrownsburgIndiana8.11 in 123
91WilmetteIllinois8.11 in 123
92New MilfordConnecticut8.11 in 122
93HilliardOhio8.21 in 120
94Royal OakMichigan8.21 in 120
95DerryNew Hampshire8.31 in 121
96DublinOhio8.31 in 120
97West WarwickRhode Island8.51 in 116
98WatertownMassachusetts8.51 in 116
99WalpoleMassachusetts8.61 in 115
100KaysvilleUtah8.61 in 115

One quarter of the safest cities are located in Massachusetts, with the vast majority clustered around Boston.

The median population of the cities and towns in the top 100 is just 32,000, and few widely-recognized cities make the list. Carmel, Indiana (#60) is the only city with a population above 100,000 to make the rankings. This would seem to follow the logic that bigger cities are more dangerous, but our map covering the most dangerous cities in America shows that many small cities were just as dangerous, and some even more.

Regardless, small towns can truly be idyllic. For example, a person’s chance of falling victim to crime in Ridgefield, Connecticut, the safest ranked city in the U.S., is just 1-in-510. That’s an overall rate of fewer than two incidents of crime per every 1,000 residents.

One surprising observation from the data is that many of the safest U.S. cities are in very close proximity to some of the most dangerous.

safest cities in the US location

One example that illustrates this is Detroit, which ranks as the sixth most dangerous city in America. Despite this, as shown on the map above, there are four communities nearby that have some of the lowest crime rates in America.

In other words, America’s metro areas contain much contrast, and these insights provide valuable information for individuals and families seeking secure places to live across the country.

Continue Reading

Subscribe

Popular