Hang a right at the third frond, second house on the left.

July 24, 2003 10:32 AM

The massive engineering feat of Stonehenge meets the conspicuous nature of fiercely gated communities. The resulting bastard child: The Palm, a man made island community shaped like a palm tree off of the coast of Dubai, UAE. (warning: site entirely flash-based) (via willnot)
posted by Ufez Jones (10 comments total)

Double post!

Better FPP than the original though.

pike!
posted by DragonBoy at 10:39 AM on July 24, 2003

**runs into corner crying**

Why hast though forsaken me, Google?
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:48 AM on July 24, 2003

Well, I hadn't seen it and I thought it was quite interesting. Just thought I'd get that in there before Matt delets, Ufez.
posted by widdershins at 10:56 AM on July 24, 2003

deletes...

man, I'm slipping.
posted by widdershins at 10:56 AM on July 24, 2003

I don't think I can afford to live there.
posted by Cyrano at 11:15 AM on July 24, 2003

Its amazing that the Pike meme has already gotten old.
posted by bshort at 11:18 AM on July 24, 2003

At least by buying houses there, the truly crazy remove themselves from common society.
posted by Phlops at 11:34 AM on July 24, 2003

I find it interesting that the most recent satellite photo is from January, 2003. Have they run out of money already? And, I don't see how the narrow waterdays between the "fronds" will get flushed out, with that barrier reef around the whole thing. Look for dead stagnation almost immediately, especially since they are bragging about increasing the organic content of the water, apparently under the illusion that it will promote reef fishes. In other words, they're planning less than optimal sewage treatment.

It sounds like a nightmare in many, many dimensions.
posted by SealWyf at 12:56 PM on July 24, 2003

What the fuck. Another meme I don't get. But isn't that the point of MetaFilter after all?
posted by insomnyuk at 1:34 PM on July 24, 2003

As long as this thread still lingers...the site fascninates on many levels. The first has to with how interesting it always is to see a project into which a lot of money, thought, and time has been poured, and which will so clearly never be realized. Things must have looked a lot sunnier when this idea first made the rounds for initial investment.

Second, it fascinates because of its tremendous bad-idea quotient, its insistence (watch that video) on presenting a relentlessly dystopic vision of life in a tone which makes it sound like a utopia. Flat fake islands in a burning hot part of the world every inch covered in condos and a mall on it, marketed as luxury real estate? It looks like Gattaca as reimagined for South Florida, and without the natty duds.

And finally, it truly fascinates because it imparts the creeping sense that in the not-too-far future this is exactly how many idiots with money are going to choose to live. In horrible little mall-colonies on artificial islands, trying and failing to tailor the environment around them to their needs, and probably making it worse in the process. Exercising on treadmills and passing time in "exclusive shops" all within the confines of a large gated community.

Except for the island part, this sounds pretty much exactly like the worst parts of well-off America, now.

Oh, and wouldn't one big storm do this whole mess in for good, anyway?
posted by BT at 6:55 PM on July 24, 2003