AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR MIDDLE INCOME EXPATS IN QATAR: STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING LIVABILITY AND BUILT FORM

Qatar is making large investments for the development of the urban fabric and public transport systems of Doha (i.e. the Msheireb downtown Doha, the Doha metro, and the Lusail light rail transit). It has also already been publicly announced that the population has undergone markedly faster growth over the past few years. According to data from the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS), the population grew over 5% each year, between 2008 and 2013 and then 12.5% between December 2012 and November 2013 (2.05 m). This large increase in the population growth is the result of expatriate workers arriving to Qatar for the construction of new infrastructure and buildings underway in advance of the 2022 World Cup. A massive influx of foreign labor, namely another half-million blue-collar workers, technicians, and managers, is expected to be recruited. Also, due to the fast growth of the population, real estate agencies highlighted the need to build more affordable housing in Doha. This paper argues that, for the construction of residential complexes in the Islamic city of Doha, livability and integration of new developments within the existing urban fabric are criteria to be evaluated and considered. A method centered on the interpretation of the pre-existent context is proposed: the old urban fabric is a source of generative ideas and design principles, which are embedded into the historical layering of design concepts

Al-Bustān. Las fincas aristocráticas y la construcción de los paisajes periurbanos de al-Ándalus y Sicilia

Navarro Palazón, Julio, editorLa presente publicación se enmarca en el Proyecto I+D+i «Almunias medievales en el Mediterráneo: Historia y conservación de los paisajes culturales periurbanos» (PID2019-111508GB-I00, dirigido por Julio Navarro Palazón), del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. Agencia Estatal de Investigación. Proyectos de I+D+i, de los Programas Estatales de Generación de Conocimiento y fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico del Sistema de I+D+i y de I+D+i Orientada a los Retos de la Sociedad, del Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica y Técnica y de Innovación 2017-2020. Esta obra es también un fruto destacado del trabajo realizado en el marco de la Unidad Asociada de I+D+i Patrimonio Cultural Árabe e Islámico, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universidad de Granada, a través de la Escuela de Estudios Árabes de Granad

Keynote: Vernacular architecture and typology

[No abstract available]Scopu

Environmental Design: Water And Architecture

p.108;ill.;29 cm

After amnesia : learning from the Islamic mediterranean urban fabric

238hlm.;bib.;ill

Analisi del processo di parcellizzazione nello sviluppo urbano. Il caso di Boston

Il testo rilegge il processo di formazione del tessuto di Bach Bay (Boston). L'assunto è che la città è la sintesi formale di più attori sociali

Khalifa versus Prometheus: Green ethics and the struggle for contemporary sustainable urbanism

In the last decades, contemporary urbanism in the global South has meant large urban transformations, tall architecture landmarks, and fierce city competition. However, cities and their planners are now confronting an ethical dilemma: how to grow and compete while caring for the disastrous impacts on Earth and human health caused by the mass extraction, processing, and consumption of resources linked to urbanization. In our article, we problematize the modern interpretation of technology, and in particular architecture and planning technologies, in society where sustainability is considered a product. By restudying the Quranic notion of the khalifa and the accidental, ecological formation of the oasis, we will argue for a postpromethean philosophy of inhabiting the Earth. We will exemplify this new ethical–technological shift by comparing planned and unplanned developments in Arabian Gulf cities. Validerad;2023;Nivå 2;2023-04-17 (johcin);</p

AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR MIDDLE INCOME EXPATS IN QATAR: STRATEGIES FOR IMPLEMENTING LIVABILITY AND BUILT FORM

Qatar is making large investments for the development of the urban fabric and public transport systems of Doha (i.e. the Msheireb downtown Doha, the Doha metro, and the Lusail light rail transit). It has also already been publicly announced that the population has undergone markedly faster growth over the past few years. According to data from the Ministry of Development Planning and Statistics (MDPS), the population grew over 5% each year, between 2008 and 2013 and then 12.5% between December 2012 and November 2013 (2.05 m). This large increase in the population growth is the result of expatriate workers arriving to Qatar for the construction of new infrastructure and buildings underway in advance of the 2022 World Cup. A massive influx of foreign labor, namely another half-million blue-collar workers, technicians, and managers, is expected to be recruited. Also, due to the fast growth of the population, real estate agencies highlighted the need to build more affordable housing in Doha. This paper argues that, for the construction of residential complexes in the Islamic city of Doha, livability and integration of new developments within the existing urban fabric are criteria to be evaluated and considered. A method centered on the interpretation of the pre-existent context is proposed: the old urban fabric is a source of generative ideas and design principles, which are embedded into the historical layering of design concepts

Towards new directions for public spaces in the globalising Middle East

While cities are growing, public spaces are shrinking and declining world-wide. Nevertheless, public spaces have enormous potential, strategically supportingcities’ economic, environmental, and social agendas. Research on the impact ofurbanisation in the globalising Middle East is growing. Recent studies have beenbroadly discussing the speed and intensity of urban growth in this geographicalarea, specifically in the Arabian Gulf region where an unprecedented urbanisationprocess has taken place in the last few decades. Nevertheless, while hybrid typolo-gies of public spaces other than the traditional piazza, square, or street are material-ising, their form, use, and social value are still poorly understood. Investigating theseemerging urban directions raises the question of improving the quality of the builtenvironment to facilitate and promote liveable public spaces that, in turn, promotehigher living standards. Accordingly, this work’s fundamental objective is to explore,investigate, and demystify contemporary urban challenges faced by the globalisingMiddle Eastern cities and their urban spaces, discussing theories and design prin-ciples, supported by case studies, that influence and affect the urban growth andtransformations of these cities, and it discusses the social value of their public spaces

The authenticity of place-making: space and character of the regenerated historic district in Msheireb, Downtown Doha (State of Qatar)

Purpose – Urban theorists argue that in the post-Second World War period cities faced the increasing development of homogeneous and soullessness urban spaces. This led to the formulation of urban design’s theories for addressing issues of space and place, as a means of correction to the built environment of modern cities. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the significance and authenticity of placemaking for Msheireb, which is the regenerated historic district of Doha in Qatar. Design/methodology/approach – Oral and visual data are collected via: interviews with urban planners and consultants from Msheireb Properties and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment; walk-through studies; site visits and observations about the spatial form of buildings, streets and open spaces; on-site interviews; and a survey conducted during the walk-through studies. Findings – The findings reveal that the urban regeneration of the historic district – envisioned through a socio-spatial process (public realm) based on conservation (built heritage) and modernization (contemporary architectural language) – contribute to defining the authenticity of placemaking (space and character) of the renewed historic district of Msheireb. Practical implications – The insights provided through this research study contribute to the development of a framework for conceiving urban conservation projects in Qatar, which aim to preserve heritage value and revitalize deteriorating districts, to encourage the current trend for decentralization toward the creation of lively and vibrant urban district quarters by promoting a rediscovery of community life and cultural values. Originality/value – The identified key factors have made the research original and unique