Abu Dhabi public spaces; Urban encounters, social diversity and (in)formality

Abstract

Abu Dhabi public spaces is the result of a two-year research project on urbanity and the behavioral mapping of the inhabitants' daily practices. Focusing on fourteen well-known public spaces - both formal and informal - throughout Abu Dhabi, the authors highlight their hidden qualities and describe how its inhabitants create an original city life for themselves. The book expertly combines sociology, urban studies and architecture to understand the city's cultural diversity, social encounters and the interaction between formality and informality in public spaces.