TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE URBAN CONSERVATION STRATEGY: THE CASE OF HISTORIC DISTRICTS IN DOHA, QATAR

Historic districts of Doha, the capital of Qatar, have been deteriorating due to the city’s recent uncontrolled rapid urban growth. Consequently, heritage value inherit in their urban fabric is under threat. Recent conservation attempts have helped revive several districts; nevertheless, many other still continue to deteriorate. This thesis develops a set of principles for sustainable urban conservation projects in Qatar’s historic districts. The principles are derived from the study of the relevant literature and critical analysis of a sample of urban conservation projects. They can be classified in six main aspects: conservation, project governance, environmental sustainability, social sustainability, type of use, and building and open spaces rehabilitation. The principles are then applied to propose an urban conservation project design for Fareej Al-Najada, a historic district of Doha. The proposal aims to revive Al-Najada as a commercial and cultural destination by conserving its heritage value. Finally, recommendations are made for Qatar to develop a national urban conservation strategy

On Wind Catcher Integration in Contemporary Buildings in Jeddah

Jeddah City is a hot, arid zone and is characterized by high air temperatures and humidity. New architecture shall be undertaken by attempting to achieve the paradigm of natural ventilation and initiatives should be aimed at minimizing the harmful effects of a harsh environment on city inhabitants (Mohamed, M. and Fekry, M. 2018). This paper focuses on finding reasons behind the negligence of wind catcher use, in contemporary residential buildings, in the city of Jeddah– it employs both semi-structured interviews and questionnaires with residents and professionals, to illustrate their opinions. Results show a relative lack of awareness among residents regarding passive strategies overall and wind catchers, in particular. Results also show, however, tangible potential among professionals to adapt passive strategies and tools. Most importantly, this paper attempts to illustrate how the survey’s results are contrary to conventional belief: that high levels of humidity, temperature, dust and safety issues are primary reasons for the negligence of natural ventilation strategies in Jeddah

Urban Modernity in the Contemporary Gulf

Urban Modernity in the Contemporary Gulf offers a timely and engaging discussion on architectural production in the modernization era in the Arabian Peninsula. Focusing on the 20th century as a starting point, the book explores the display of transnational architectural practices resulting in different notions of locality, cosmopolitanism, and modernity. Contextually, with an eye on the present, the book reflects on the initiatives that recently re-engaged with the once ville moderne which, meanwhile, lost its pivotal function and meaning. A city within a bigger city, the urban fabric produced during the modernization era has the potential to narrate the social growth, East–West dynamics, and citizens’ memories of the recent past. Reading obsolescence as an opportunity, the book looks into this topic from a cross-country perspective. It maps, reads and analyses the notion of modern heritage in relation to the contemporary city and looks beyond physical transformations to embrace cultural practices and strategies of urban re-appropriation. It interrogates the value of modern architecture in the non-West, examining how academic research is expanding the debate on Gulf urbanism, and describes how practices of reuse could foster rethinking neglected areas, also addressing land consumption in the GCC. Presenting a diverse and geographically inclusive authorship, which combines established and up-and-coming researchers in the field, this is an important reference for academics and upper-level students interested in heritage studies, post-colonial urbanism, and architecture in the non-West

Motivation and Attachment in the Use of Public Open Spaces in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

This research investigates how the residents of the city of Jeddah perceive, use and experience open spaces within an urban context, including unplanned and peri-urban natural areas. It highlights the patterns of use of open spaces and compares these with research findings from North America and European countries. The specific cultural and historical context of Arabic countries means that key factors in use of public space are the segregation of gender and importance of religious practice. However, Jeddah is also a multicultural city, with a high proportion of migrant residents, so also provides a research context for critiquing transnational practices and attachments. The research strategy was developed from two key methodological principles. The first develops investigation of place as an integration of form, fabric and cultural practice, allowing the research to link social patterns with the physical design of the public realm. The second foregrounds storytelling methods to elicit complexity of place attachment, enabling investigation of intangible influences, such as social norms, gender norms, religion and ethnicity. A qualitative case study approach was used to investigate users’ cultural practices and experiences of public spaces. The methods used in this research were a review of maps and documents, car surveys, observations and on-site interviews. It was important to develop an open space typology to meet the diversity of use in a case study selection specific to a Gulf region context. One key finding of this research indicates that Saudi and non-Saudi users visit designed open spaces and incidental spaces that meet their perceived needs, and positive experiences by women using public open spaces implies a broad desire to undertake more outdoor physical activity. The factor of gender is also shown to significantly influence how places are used in terms of temporal and spatial dimensions, as women and men made adaptions to their use of public open spaces to conform to cultural norms. Another key finding of this research suggests people seek out meaningful places that are primarily defined by social connections or by restorative experience. The final key finding of this research shows that public open spaces often fail to meet the identified needs of a diverse range of users, the findings indicate concerns about poor maintenance of public open spaces, and there are insufficient opportunities for users to share their needs with decision makers. Therefore, this research enhances knowledge of patterns of usage and place attachment for public open spaces in an Arab country that follows Islamic law, but also found similarities of patterns of place attachment when comparing Western studies, which suggests that this theory has cross-cultural relevance

Cities' Identity Through Architecture and Art

Intended to be a guide for academics, scholars, and interested leaders, this book was designed to critically assess issues related to architectural identity, the city as a scene, the city as an organism, the city as a subject, and the planning or rather approaching of one. A pressing issue for many researchers in the field, the book discusses the negative repercussions resulting from globalization. Studies have indicated that globalization, despite all the positive effects, has resulted in a loss of identity within a city. As a city develops over time, its identity is evolving as well and may even be lost due to rapid and constant changes it is subjected to. Discussed as well are examples and tendencies in dealing with urban identities as well as the transformation of cities and urban cultures mentioned in terms of form, identity, and art. This book is a combination of innovative research submitted to a conference on Cities’ Identity Through Architecture and Arts (CITAA) whereas scholars from all over the world gather in one venue to discuss cultural, historical, and economic issues of the city. Thus, the book offers a collective and global solution that is applicable on a universal level. The research presented in this book was conducted by authors, or rather participants of the conference from, three different continents of the world and organized by IEREK. It was a distinct opportunity for them to share their thoughts with leading scholars and professionals in the field of Architecture, Arts, and Planning. The research and materials in this book are directed at those who are actively engaged in the decision-making processes and to a heterogeneous audience who has an interest to critically examine all the new literature available in the field. A special word of thanks should be made to the editors of this book and to all the authors and co-authors of the chapters who collectively provided the academic community with unique and increasingly valuable literature

"To what extent does the offer of Rubat housing meet the needs of poor women in Jeddah?"

PhD ThesisThis study investigates the effectiveness of Rubat housing for women in Jeddah Saudi Arabia. Set within a discussion of the greater vulnerability of women to poverty, the study considers the responses to poverty set out in Islam which ensures obligations on family members and formalizes charitable giving that creates Rubat housing. Taking a multi method approach, the study investigates in detail six Rubat buildings and their residents in three distinct areas of the city. In general, the study has shown that there was a major lack of building investment in maintenance and no awareness of the specific needs of older frailer women, disabled women or the needs of children. Within the buildings there was little attention to the needs of the women beyond the basic need for the most meager shelter. It was also made clear throughout this study, that there exists a lack of communication and coordination between all parties responsible for the upkeep of these housing facilities, and with regard to the social condition of the occupants, their only concern was providing basic shelter for these women. The researcher thus recommends that there should be more of a consolidated effort between Rubat owners and the Department of Endowments which oversees these housing facilities, by creating a joint commission which will be responsible for the monitoring of conditions from all physical, social and economic aspects, as well as the medical welfare of the occupants. The study puts forward improved design for Rubats targeted at older women and for women with children and concludes that with proper investment and a broader set of objectives these could provide decent solutions not only to poor women’s housing needs but also be a real step in helping women escape poverty

Urban transformation through creativity : applying the creative city concept to Makkah

During the last decade, the rapidly growing prestige of so-called Creative Cities has inspired many other cities to enhance their attractiveness, creativity and success. However, the concept of a creative city is an elusive one because it reflects a set of distinct ideologies which apply ideas of creativity to the physical and economic urban development. The main aim of this study is to discover the extent to which the concept of the Creative City can be usefully and practically employed in the development of urban services and global identity, specifically in the case of Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The city of Makkah is famous as the focus of religious devotion for one and half billion Muslims globally because of its holy sites, with millions visiting annually on pilgrimage. This thesis builds understanding of the concept of a Creative City and its relation with the urban environment based on the main prior academic contributions on Creative City theory that have addressed key aspects of this concept. An analysis was also performed of the most influential theory and practice of Creative City models and of the development strategies of five case studies: Vancouver, Yokohama, Glasgow, Barcelona and Sydney. A new model, referred to by the acronym CREATIVE, was developed with the following key elements: Concept, Resources, Events, Attractiveness, Technology, Involvement, Vision and Enthusiasm. Expert opinion was sought on the model after presentations at five international conferences. This case study-based qualitative research uses semi-structured interviews with stakeholders, academics and experts responsible for developing the holy city of Makkah as the primary source for data collection. In addition, a substantial number of documents about Makkah were reviewed. The CREATIVE model guided the process of data collection via interviews, documentation and field notes, and analysis of the data. The findings indicate that Makkah has great potential to become a Creative City, with some unique resources. Hajj and Umrah are global religious events, and huge construction projects are seeking to improve its attractiveness along with a Smart City plan, and comprehensive 30-year plan. However, a low level of citizen involvement in decision-making was also identified.The value of this study is tripartite. It contributes as the first to explore the Creative City concept in a Middle Eastern context. Second, it proposes a revised model of the Creative City that could function as a check list guide for decision makers and experts charged with implementing urban development. Third, using the CREATIVE model will increase awareness of the economic benefits of Hajj and Umrah to Saudi Arabia

Improving the city image of Riyadh. Through storefront and street signage redesign

Màster Oficial en Disseny Urbà: Art, Ciutat, Societat. Facultat de Belles Arts de la UB, curs: 2016-2017, Tutor: Antoni de Padua Remesar Betlloch[spa] Las calles, barrios y ciudades de Arabia Saudita se encuentran en un estado de construcción permanente desde hace varias décadas, incentivando a la población de a adaptarse al cambio y la transformación, a estar abiertos a cambios constantes, a anticipar la magnitud de desarrollos futuros y a anhelar que el futuro se convierta en presente. El futuro, como se describe en la Visión 2030 del Príncipe Heredero Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, promete tres objetivos principales: una economía próspera, una sociedad vibrante y una nación ambiciosa. Afortunadamente, para la capital, Riad, varios proyectos se están acercando a su finalización, haciendo cambios significativos en las calles, imagen y perfil de la ciudad. Esto configura cómo los ciudadanos interactúan con toda la ciudad, cómo se integran y reconocen nuevas calles, edificios y distritos. La actualización de los sistemas de señalización de tráfico es esencial para mejorar la movilidad. Sin embargo, afecta a la imagen y al carácter de la ciudad, exponiéndola a tomar una de dos direcciones, una sugiere un efecto positivo, mayor claridad y comodidad, mejora seguridad para los conductores, pasajeros, peatones y civiles. La otra incita efectos negativos, ya que este tipo de adiciones contaminan la arquitectura y la ciudad visualmente, distraen a los conductores y, en consecuencia, disminuyen la singularidad y la individualidad de la imagen de la ciudad. La necesidad elevada por el desarrollo de infraestructura, con un énfasis en el sistema de transporte público, ha desafiado el nivel de tolerancia de la gente del Reino. Sin embargo, teniendo en cuenta estos factores, el gobierno está en una posición privilegiada para impulsar más cambios. Una iniciativa para cambiar la señalización, las políticas y normativas de publicidad puede ser comunicada de manera suave, progresiva y conveniente a los propietarios de tiendas, anunciantes y empresas. El resultado será una disminución en la cantidad de contaminación visual causada por la señalización y la publicidad afectando la imagen de la ciudad; mejorando y embelleciendo edificaciones y estructuras que queden limpias de todas las pantallas gráficas que se encuentran en el plano vertical de la ciudad.[eng] The streets, neighbourhoods, and cities of Saudi Arabia are under construction, and have been for the past several decades, pushing the Saudi population to adapt to change, be open to adjustments, anticipate the magnitude of future developments, and be eager for the future to become the present. The future, as described in Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud’s Vision 20301, promises three main goals: a thriving economy, a vibrant society and an ambitious nation. Fortunately for the capital, Riyadh, multiple projects are approaching completion, making significant alterations to the city’s streets, image and skyline. This shapes how citizens commute throughout the city and how new streets, buildings and districts are registered and recognized. Updated traffic signalling systems were essential to improved navigation. They do however affect the city’s image and character, pushing it in one of two directions, the first instigating a positive effect, greater clarity, and convenience, improved safety to drivers, passengers, pedestrians and civilians in general. The second prompting negative effects, as the additions taint architecture, contaminate the city visually, distract drivers, and consequently diminish the uniqueness and individuality of the city image. The process of making highly needed infrastructural developments – with an emphasis on the public transportation system – has challenged the level of tolerance for change of the people of the Kingdom. Nevertheless, with these factors taken into consideration, the government is in an advantageous position to push for more changes. An initiative to change signage and public advertising regulations can be communicated smoothly, progressively and conveniently - to shop owners, advertisers and companies. The result will be a decrease in the amount of visual contamination caused by signage and advertisement affecting city image and improvements resulting from a clear structure for all graphic displays found on the city’s vertical plane