Published in Al Manakh 2: The Gulf Revisited.
In a tent in Shahama on a sunny day in June of 2008, local residents from the surrounding communities gathered to engage with local and international planners to determine the future vision for Shahama and Bahia – an existing community of 25,000 people between Abu Dhabi city and Dubai.
To the government planners at the event, this was believed to be the first public participatory planning event for a government masterplan in the Gulf Region. To residents, this was a modern extension of the Diwan, where leadership sits with residents in direct conversation about their needs, and of a Majlis, where community members engage with each other and discuss local issues.
Noteworthy 