What’s Happening: As Dubai seeks to reduce its carbon footprint and wean locals away from car culture, it’s floating the idea of converting a 40-mile stretch of highway into a lush public park that’s drawing comparisons to Madrid Rio and New York City’s High Line.

The Download: Getting fresh air in Dubai is tough—temperatures in the gilded Persian Gulf city rarely dip below 88 degrees Fahrenheit, and are exacerbated by a heat-absorbing cityscape consisting of mostly asphalt and cement that cooks in the sizzling sand. But locals may be more inclined to enjoy the outdoors if the city completes the ambitious Dubai Green Spine, which aims to transform a 40-mile-long stretch of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road into elevated and ground-level parkways equipped with a solar-powered tram, one million trees, energy-efficient buildings, and vertical farms. It also makes room for bioswales, or channels to help capture and manage rainwater—an important feature after Dubai’s devastating floods—and implements techniques like xeriscaping to reduce water use.

Described as the “world’s greenest highway” and the “High Line on steroids,” the megaproject forms a crucial part of Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan to drastically reduce its carbon footprint. Thanks to the city’s reliance on energy-guzzling desalination plants, an intervention is sorely needed. In that regard, the city is in good hands. The Dubai Green Spine is being spearheaded by Urb, an Emirati firm that bills itself as an “experienced developer of Net Zero Sustainable Cities” whose lush proposals for floating communities and mangrove plantations mark a welcome change from glassy supertalls. There’s also precedent for the park’s success—Madrid transformed one of its busiest arteries into a network of public parks and
sports facilities to much fanfare.

In Their Own Words: “The Dubai Green Spine isn’t just about transit; it’s about transforming how cities function, making them more livable and human-centric,” says Baharash Bagherian, CEO of Urb. “This initiative exemplifies how integrated, thoughtful urban planning can drastically improve city life, turning everyday environments into vibrant ecosystems that nurture both people and the planet.”

Surface Says: The Green Spine seems like a practical solution to solving a pressing urban design issue—unlike the larger-than-life proposals getting heat in Saudi Arabia.

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Taking notes from the Memphis Group, the newly opened Xanadu Roller Arts adds a dash of neon nostalgia to Bushwick’s techno-fueled nightlife scene. The 16,000-square-foot roller disco founded by Varun Kataria, the owner of the maximalist supper club Turk’s Inn, blurs the lines between childhood memory and adult antics, with skate-clad pole dancing and a not-so-secret club hidden in one of the bathrooms.

Beverage director Keri Smith’s technicolor cocktails follow suit, like the blue spirulina and aloe-based “Skaterade.” The suped-up concession stand dishes out international hot dog flights (topped with whole pierogis or mushroom chile crisp), garam masala spiced popcorn, and Oreo ambrosia salad. Wash it all down with a grape soda cocktail and—carefully—hit the rink.

Bill Viola, who died last week at 73 years old, helped cement the newfangled medium of video art in the contemporary canon in the early ‘70s. Influenced by mystical traditions and Western devotional art, his works often wielded moving images to delve into human consciousness and spirituality. Viola’s videos, installations, and performances pushed the medium’s boundaries with technical wizardry and fearless exploration of weighty themes, earning him a place at the 1998 Venice Biennale and retrospectives at the Whitney Museum and Guggenheim Bilbao.

The Royal Academy of Art even juxtaposed his work with Michelangelo’s, sparking controversy. But with one critic describing him as the “Rembrandt of video art,” perhaps their common ground is more solid now. “One thing that’s very exciting about video that has turned me on since I first saw this glowing image way back in 1970 is that it can be so much,” Viola said in 1995. “I don’t think it’s been since the Renaissance where artists have been able to use a medium that one could say is the dominant communication form in society.”

In an anguished diptych that mimics an open book, the German painter summons a smudgy, Balthus-like study of sorrow and solitude that glows with a vulnerable psychosomatic lucidity.

Here, we ask an artist about the essential details behind one of their latest works.

Bio: Pauline Rintsch, 29, Düsseldorf.

Title of work: Navel Series I / Mary’s Heartbreak (2024).

Where to see it: YveYANG Gallery, New York, until August 17.

Three words to describe it: Sensual, vulnerability, oxidized.

What was on your mind at the time: The work consists of two paintings, touching and looking at each other through the corner, where they are installed with red frames. On my mind was creating an ambivalent atmosphere of either connection or disconnection through the paintings.

The buzzy Bali destination for those who work, play, and wind down with gusto has dropped its latest fashion collection. While previous capsules have seen the property team up with Peggy Gou and DJ Harvey, this time, Lisa Yamai, design lead of cult-favorite outdoor outfitter Snow Peak, is leading the charge. Her edit of tees, beachwear—think sarongs and viscose shirts—and easy breezy slip dresses channels high resort season with a Japanese streetwear slant. From $62.

Cultus Artem features three collections: fragrance, skincare, and one-of-a-kind fine jewelry, all of which are made by hand in the company’s San Antonio atelier. Across its divisions, Cultus Artem explores traditional, labor-intensive techniques using precious materials rarely used in the beauty and jewelry spheres.

Surface Says: From premium packaging to the bespoke formulations within, a deep appreciation for beautifying rituals underscores Cultus Artem’s approach to skincare and fragrance. Their fine jewelry makes a fitting last step in any routine.

A “satanic panic” has the job market for American exorcists flourishing.

NASA launched a Missy Elliott song 158 million miles into outer space.

Will the anonymous sender of these bronze age axes please stand up?

After five decades lost, hero props from Star Trek are headed to auction.