Abstract

Contemporary cities are the centers of urban change, mirroring rapid global societal changes. Whether by armed conflict, economic deprivation, or perceived economic opportunities, people migrate to cities in search of better lives. As a result of upcoming challenges and pressures, urban planners are faced with hard tasks for accommodating the high influx of people while making cities sustainable. The starting point of urban social sustainability is inclusion, followed by equity and urban governance. Dubai is a unique model; it has a large transient expatriate population, and it is in the process of transforming into a global city. In this paper we aimed to understand the relationships between “common spaces” as elements of housing design, social interactions, and social inclusion in two selected community neighborhoods of Dubai. The study has a convergent parallel design, that is, it uses a case study method (observational analysis), quantitative research, and thematic analysis to develop a new paradigm in community neighborhoods designed for the transient population of Dubai.