Sonapur: city of gold or city of the dead? A study of spatial injustice in the migrant labor colony of Dubai
Migrant labor settlements have been suspected to be a consequence of economic expansion. Originating with the intention of being temporary solutions to workforce demands, they often translate into permanent spaces of marginalization and exclusion. Muhaisnah 2, unofficially known as Sonapur, is the l...
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| Tipo de recurso: | tesis de maestría |
| Fecha de publicación: | 2026 |
| País: | España |
| Institución: | Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) |
| Repositorio: | UPCommons. Portal del coneixement obert de la UPC |
| Idioma: | inglés |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:dnet:upcommonspor::2ef0871d23544ef93aa3c3caad65a1b7 |
| Acceso en línea: | https://hdl.handle.net/2117/462258 |
| Access Level: | acceso abierto |
| Palabra clave: | Labor camps -- United Arab Emirates -- Dubai Temporary structures (Building) -- United Arab Emirates -- Dubai Sonapur Labor camps Urban segregation Migrant worker housing Temporary settlements Spatial injustice Urban inclusion Worker rights Urban policy Ethical city Urban equity Dubai Camps de treball -- Emirats Àrabs Units -- Dubayy Construccions provisionals -- Emirats Àrabs Units -- Dubayy Àrees temàtiques de la UPC::Urbanisme::Aspectes socials |
| Sumario: | Migrant labor settlements have been suspected to be a consequence of economic expansion. Originating with the intention of being temporary solutions to workforce demands, they often translate into permanent spaces of marginalization and exclusion. Muhaisnah 2, unofficially known as Sonapur, is the largest labor colony on the outskirts of Dubai that epitomizes a paradox in its name. The name Sonapur (translating in the native tongue to both ‘City of Gold’ and ‘City of the Dead’) summarizes the contrast between the promise of prosperity that draws the workers to uncharted territories of hopes and dreams, versus the grim reality of the overcrowded, substandard living conditions, filled with struggles and despair. Sonapur stands as a symbol of spatial injustice, where the workers who construct the city’s wealth reside segregated from the urban fabric they sustain. This research links the origins of labor camps to temporal settlements, and draws on those theories, focusing on a detailed case study of Sonapur. Through morphological analysis, spatial mapping, fieldwork, and surveys, this research dissects the anatomy of a permanent ‘temporary city,’ that is Sonapur. The research suggests that labor settlements could transition from isolated, temporary dormitories to integrated urban neighborhoods, offering dignity, agency, and quality of life to their inhabitants. The work aims to contribute to debates on urban equity, labor rights, and ethical city-making, ultimately offering strategies to reduce injustice and envision Sonapur not as a ‘City of the Dead,’ but as a true ‘City of Gold.’ |
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