While working on a planning project on the coast of Dubai, I’ve been taking pictures of the landscape around the city. With less than one inch of rain annually, most landscapes here rely heavily on irrigation and non-native plants, and like many of the buildings are based on western traditions. One exception is a mangrove at the end of Dubai creek, which attracts flamingos as well as other animals. We are currently working to re-integrate such native salt-water based habitats into our mixed-use areas and also learning to use salt water for irrigation. – Barbara Wilks