May 13, 2014 6:30 AM

Gallery: A Disorienting Survey of Suburban Sprawl, From Dubai to L.A.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
01
Dubai, UAE.
Housing developments in Dubai look strikingly similar to what you'd find in Southern California.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
02
Mall of the Emirates | Dubai, UAE.
They may not be natural but suburban sprawl is rich in geometric angles that make for great photos. These parking blocks are from Mall of the Emirates in Dubai.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
03
Camposol urbanization | Murcia, Spain.
The Camposol Urbanization development in Murcia, Spain is built around a golf course. Developments like this were contentious in Spain amid the financial crisis of 2008.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
04
Future Leroy Merlin | Rivas-Madrid, Spain.
What will soon be a Leroy Merlin store -- think the European version of Home Depot -- in Rivas-Madrid, Spain.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
05
Interstate 5 | Los Angeles County, USA.
The vast Interstate 5, which runs the length of California, is also a tour of some of the best examples of American suburbs.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
06
Morata Farm Ð future AP-7 Freeway | Murcia, Spain.
This soil at Morata Farm in Murcia, Spain, is the future bedding for the AP-7 Freeway.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
07
Dubai Sports City | Dubai, UAE.
Construction of Dubai Sports City, a 50 million square foot development in United Arab Emirates.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
08
Real de Faula Golf Club | Benidorm, Spain.
Transplanted palms wait to let their fronds down in Real de Faula Golf Club in Benidorm, Spain.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
09
Santorini, Greece.
The superstructure of a home in Santorini, Greece.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
10
Ikea parking lot | Roissy, France.
A roundabout in the parking lot of an Ikea in Roissy, France.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
11
Camposol urbanization | Murcia, Spain.
Unfinished bungalows in Camposol Urbanization, Murcia, Spain.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
12
Pangyo New Town development | Seoul, South Korea.
Pangyo New Town, a suburban development in Seoul.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
13
Ikea, A-1 Autobahn | Kamen, Germany.
An Ikea off the A-1 Autobahn in Kamen, Germany.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
14
Mosa Trajectum Resort | Murcia, Spain.
A facade at the Mosa Trajectum Resort in Murcia, Spain. A common theme among these suburban developments is the reference to other cultures in the architecture.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
15
Southern Oaks Estate master-planned community | Los Angeles Coun
Southern Oaks Estate, a master-planned community, part of the suburb of Santa Clarita near Los Angeles.
Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
16
Pizza Hut (abandoned) Ð U.S. Route 70 | Alamogordo, New Mexico,
An abandoned Pizza Hut off U.S. Route 70 in Alamogordo, New Mexico.

Photos by Robert Harding Pittman
17
The Palm master-planned community | Dubai, UAE.
When left untended, the plant life reveals what is and what isn't native to the region. This is an extreme example, from The Palm in Dubai, a housing development constructed out into the water in the shape of a palm leaf.

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