Selected Conference Contributions by Florian Wiedmann
Proceedings of Planning Research Conference PRC 2017: Transcending Boundaries: Global Flows and Spatial Justice, Sep 11, 2017
Restructuring historic centres in Gulf cities has been a trend in recent years. Yet, a large shar... more Restructuring historic centres in Gulf cities has been a trend in recent years. Yet, a large share of these centres is still populated by lower income migrant communities, particularly male labourers from South Asia. Qatar’s capital Doha and Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates are important examples, where the local identity of their city centres including the particular urban life and spatial settings have been highly affected by the everyday practices of migrant groups over several decades. The continuous exchange of migrants led to a continuous import of new ways how public spaces are perceived and used. Multicultural realities are therefore increasingly prevailing and have led to local decision makers experiencing a conflicted local identity. Due to the fact that national citizens have moved to suburbs and have usually been avoiding these central public spaces, urban life is to a large extent defined by migrants. This contribution presents findings on lived public spaces of central city districts and on the characteristics of urban spaces and the way in which migrant communities appropriate them. The methodological approach of this study includes structured field surveys, systematic observations as well as behavioural mapping techniques.
Due to current tendencies to replace deteriorating areas within central districts, many Gulf cities are facing the potential loss of very distinctive neighbourhoods, which have however not been recognised as important factors for a local urban identity. Instead, migrant networks and practices are often seen as less important in developing place-making strategies due to their limited economic impact. Thus, historic parts of Gulf cities are mainly explored for their potential role as touristic and commercial centres instead of integrating various measures to connect public spaces and to enable an overall local economic development. Subsequently, major developments have been launched to entirely replace old building stock and to reconfigure urban fabrics. The Souq Waqif or the Msheireb projects in Doha are only two examples of a tendency to commercialise spaces rather than to preserve spatial and economic ties between existing communities. This paper focuses on two specific districts, known as Al Asmakh in Doha and Al Muraba’a in Al Ain, in order to illustrate both the general characteristics of dynamics between traditional public spaces and low income migrant communities, which have to be acknowledged for any attempt to integrate spatial and social diversity.
The outcomes reveal stimulating dynamics between migrant communities and their environments. It also postulates that city residents have the capacity to recover swiftly from difficulties and resilience in spite of an impeding spatial context. The paper concludes with projections of how contemporary transformation processes in Gulf cities will benefit from social inclusion. Such a transformation should stem from the recognition that migrant communities need to have access to develop their own settings that relate to their routine spatial practices while securing the economic basis of those communities.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of Planning Research Conference PRC 2017: Transcending Boundaries: Global Flows and Spatial Justice, 2017
During the last fifteen years a rapid phase of urban development and extensive migration have tra... more During the last fifteen years a rapid phase of urban development and extensive migration have transformed local urbanism in Gulf cities. Planning has thus faced an increasing challenge to establish an effective housing supply accommodating various social groups with highly differentiating income levels. Since 2004 the local real-estate markets in Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have been liberalized and opened for international investment. Subsequently, land prices rapidly grew during the first years of the ignited construction boom, which led to a rather significant economic diversification. While in the past higher income migrant groups were the absolute minority, the new service sectors have led to an expanding international migration in all areas. The large numbers of arriving medium to high income migrants and their families have to a large extent justified the ignited property-led development strategy to meet the accelerating housing demand and the needed services and facilities. Due to short-term contracts properties have however mainly remained traded commodities rather than potential investments of end-users. Thus, the core challenge of urban governance in the Gulf can be identified as the building of bridges between the perception of cities as more or less secure investment markets resulting from continuous growth perspectives and the actual function of cities as market places connected with dynamic local economic developments and thus the need for affordable housing for all social groups. Therefore, the key question would be: How can affordable housing be integrated in the development process without resulting in a major economic decline?
This paper attempts to answer to this most urgent question through investigating recent efforts in restructuring local urban governance by reintroducing central planning via new holistic frameworks, by initiating new public-private partnerships and by implementing new policies, such as a minimum share of affordable housing. These tendencies are explored and documented in three capital cities, namely Doha, Manama and Abu Dhabi, by introducing major planning and project initiatives. Due to the increasing shortage of affordable housing in Gulf cities, a large number of both national citizens and medium income migrants and their families settling long-term will rely on government support for housing supply. Consequently, the two most crucial social groups for future economic development are currently not sufficiently served by the private sector leading to doubts about the entire vision of property-led diversification strategies in the Gulf. Future governance needs to find new answers on how to enable the integration of sufficient affordable housing. The Gulf region is currently a unique example of initiated property-led development strategies without any critical mass of potential buyers as actual end-users of properties. Properties thus became a major new trading commodity leaving behind urban landscapes built on images rather than any linkage to an emerging society settling and getting rooted in the actual place. This basic dilemma will lead to governance as a continuously contested form of managing urban developments from a purely entrepreneurial perspective balancing between economic growth and decline.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings BRISMES Annual Conference 2016-- Networks: Connecting the Middle East through Time, Space and Cyberspace
Salama, A. M. and Wiedmann, F. (2016). Plurality of Hubs and Emerging Place Typologies in Gulf Ci... more Salama, A. M. and Wiedmann, F. (2016). Plurality of Hubs and Emerging Place Typologies in Gulf Cities. Proceedings of BRISMES Annual Conference 2016. the University of Wales Trinity St David, Lampeter Campus, on 13 –15 July.
________________________________________________________________
Abstract:
Rulers of Gulf countries have developed a strong interest in establishing and promoting new visions of their capital and major cities over the past few decades. In particular, the new vision to establish hubs in various economic sectors including trade, transit and tourism as well as culture and education have instigated a variety of mega projects and subsequently a diversity of place typologies. This paper explores newly emerging places and their networks rooted in distinctive hub visions, which have resulted in globalised urban spaces as nodal points within international networks.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum, Q Science
Wiedmann, F.; Salama, A. M.; Thierstein, A. (2012). Urban Qualities for Sustainable Urbanism in t... more Wiedmann, F.; Salama, A. M.; Thierstein, A. (2012). Urban Qualities for Sustainable Urbanism in the Emerging Knowledge Economy of Doha: An Exploratory Assessment. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference-2013, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals, Doha, Qatar. DOI: 10.5339/qfarf.2012.AHO10
______________________________________
Background and Objectives: This NPRP project focuses on the assessment of urban qualities needed to enhance the sustainability of urban developments with a focus on Qatar's capital Doha. Since the end of the 20th century various urban development strategies have been introduced to reduce the economic dependence on fossil fuels by attracting knowledge economies and thus to transform Doha into an international hub. Particularly, Advanced Producer Services (APS) were attracted by public investments into urban developments and the liberalization of local markets. The immediate result was a construction boom, which has caused vast immigration reshaping socio-economic realities and producing a new urban environment. The decentralization of urban governance and speculative interests have led to fragmented and inefficient urban morphologies as well as to missing diversity and identity endangering future sustainability. The long-term establishment of knowledge economies heavily relies on the proactive integration of distinct urban qualities to enhance consolidation processes and thus to foster sustainable urban growth. In order to assess the inter-weaved factors producing urban qualities an integrative framework was elaborated as basis of this research project. Methods: Since urban sustainability can only be achieved if social, economic and environmental aspects are equally developed, the framework was at first elaborated on a theoretical level to establish links to the general scientific discourse. The empirical research itself is based on GIS-analyses of recent urban developments as well as a series of interviews with planning authorities in order to assess the efficiency of morphologies. Furthermore, space syntax studies on spatial integration in combination with interlocking network analyses were used to investigate the diversification process of urban structures. Thirdly, environmental observation studies and a survey questionnaire were applied to analyze the various images of urban spaces within the city. Results and Conclusions: Based on these methodologies the three dimensions of sustainability - ecological balance, economic growth and social peace - are analyzed in relation to the urban qualities needed for producing them. These investigations are further utilized to clarify the challenges and limitations of sustainable urbanism in the context of the rapid urbanization process in the emerging city of Doha.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
The Proceedings of The Malaysia Architectural Education Conference held at Lecture Hall, Faculty Of Design and Architecture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 4 -5 October 2012, PP.2-11
Wiedmann, F. & Salama, A. M. (2012). The Role of Architecture in Producing Urban Qualities for Su... more Wiedmann, F. & Salama, A. M. (2012). The Role of Architecture in Producing Urban Qualities for Sustainability: Implications for the Future of Architectural Education. MAEC-2012: Malaysian Conference on the Future of Architectural Education, University Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Malaysia, PP. 20-26, e-ISBN No: 978-967-5545-05-4.
_____________________________________
Architecture has historically evolved into an interdisciplinary subject dealing with design, engineering and psychology. The contemporary tendency in both professional practice and education to view architecture mainly as a form of art has led to the neglect of its holistic dimension in producing the built environment. Thus, the different approaches to how architecture can affect the development of sustainability need to be taught by introducing a comprehensive framework, which is built on all fundamental factors within the production of urban qualities. This paper therefore explores a comprehensive and multi-layered teaching framework by relating the space theory of the French sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre to the contemporary discussion about sustainability. Henri Lefebvre distinguished three main dimensions producing space, known as conceived, perceived and lived space. All three dimensions play a significant role in producing the three main urban qualities, which can be categorized in terms of urban efficiency, urban diversity and urban identity. An attempt is made to identify the distinct role of architecture in developing these urban qualities that are essential for sustainable urban growth. It is the position of the authors that the teaching of architecture for sustainability cannot be reduced to a series of lectures about ecological design and the integration of sustainable technologies. In fact, a more holistic view of architecture and its role within urbanism has to be delivered by instructors and practiced by the students through structured experiences that range from macro contexts to micro scales and those in between, where the ultimate objective is to graduate professionals capable of positioning architecture in its contextual realities. Thus, the teaching of architecture for sustainability needs to be based on an open philosophical framework asking the essential questions of space and time.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum, QScience
Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F., Thierstein, A. (2012). People and the City: Unveiling the Lived Urba... more Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F., Thierstein, A. (2012). People and the City: Unveiling the Lived Urban Environment of Doha, AHP36, Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum-2012, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals, Doha, Qatar. DOI: 10.5339/qfarf.2012.AHP36
_________________________________
Background and Objectives: This study examines the production of urbanism by focusing on the collective spatial practice and inhabitants' perceptions of the urban environment in emerging cities, with Doha as a case study. While the built environment is necessarily an important and obvious aspect of cities, this study attempts to apply a holistic approach to the understanding of what the reality of the space of a city is - beyond the face value of its concrete, urban reality. Therefore, the notion of the lived space is introduced to illustrate how it can be utilized to identify factors necessary for understanding the process of space production. In this respect, it is vital to understand the role of inhabitants and how they comprehend, appreciate, and appropriate urban environments with a focus on two main factors: urban identity and urban diversity. Methods: A set of various methodologies is applied to investigate the complex interrelationship between urban environments and human behavior. The two main categories of selected methodologies are observation studies focusing on mapping urban spaces and movements and, secondly, a survey questionnaire that aims integrating the individual views of inhabitants. After conducting a typo-morphological analysis of key urban spaces in Doha, behavioral mapping was applied to survey the use of these spaces by inhabitants according to days of the week and various times of day. The questionnaire was distributed to 350 employees working in high-service sectors in order to assess their perception of certain urban environments and their general experience of living in Doha. Results and Conclusions: The analysis and combination of these two types of empirical studies led to various recognitions relevant to the complex relationships between physical urban developments and Doha's inhabitants. Since the urban environment of the city has been undergoing major transformations finding answers to the question of how inhabitants are part of this kind of urbanism and how they may contribute to the diversification process and the establishment of a vibrant hub is essential.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum, Q Science
Salama, A.M.; Khalfani, F; Al-Maimani, A.; Wiedmann, F. (2013). Integrated Methodological Framewo... more Salama, A.M.; Khalfani, F; Al-Maimani, A.; Wiedmann, F. (2013). Integrated Methodological Framework for Assessing Urban Open Spaces in Doha: From Inhabitants’ Reactions to Structured Evaluations. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference-2013, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals, Doha, Qatar. DOI: DOI: 10.5339/qfarf.2013.SSHO-010
________________________________
The current fast track urban growth is an important characteristic of the emerging city of Doha. However, very few studies have addressed several important growth aspects, including the examination of the way in which the inhabitants comprehend and react to their built environment and the resulting spatial experience. The availability of attractive open spaces is an essential feature of a liveable urban environment, for the inhabitants of cities and urban areas. Such importance is sometimes oversimplified when making decisions about land-use or discussing the qualities of the built form. As a city characterized by rapid development, urban open spaces in Doha are scattered around from its peripheries to its centre. Varying in form, function, and scale, some spaces are often located within enclave developments, or within larger urban interventions, while others represent portions of spaces with dense urban districts or open waterfronts. The objective of this paper is to investigate different parameters relevant to the qualities of the most important urban open spaces in the city. It adopts a multi-layered research methodology. First, a photo interview mechanism was implemented where 100 inhabitants reacted to imagery and the spatial qualities of twelve urban open spaces. Second, a walking tour assessment procedure was applied to assess the functional, perceptual and social aspects of these spaces. Results indicate correlations between inhabitants' reactions and assessment outcomes pertaining to positive and demerit qualities. Conclusions are developed to offer recommendations for improving existing spaces while envisioning responsive parameters for the design of future urban open spaces.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum, Q Science
Salama, A. M.; Wiedmann, F; and Thierstein, A. (2013). The Impact of Economic Diversification on ... more Salama, A. M.; Wiedmann, F; and Thierstein, A. (2013). The Impact of Economic Diversification on Urban Morphologies: An Interdisciplinary Assessment. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference-2013, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals, Doha, Qatar. DOI: 10.5339/qfarf.2013.SSHP-017
_______________________________
As many Gulf cities Qatar's capital city Doha has undergone rapid transformation processes socio-economically as well as spatially since the end of the 20th century. Large-scale public investments in local developments that were intended to establish Doha as a regional and international service hub ushered in a new evolutionary phase in the city's urbanism. An increasing number of international "Advanced Producer Service" (APS) firms set up offices in Doha, particularly attracted by emerging local real-estate markets. This research attempts to clarify the distinct roles of Knowledge Economies and their employees in the development of urban complexity and diversity in Doha. It therefore explores currently existing APS networks in Doha as well as the morphological consequences for urban fabrics due to the recent economic diversification process. The applied methodologies include a network analysis of 98 APS firms in order to investigate the current characteristics of advanced producer services sectors in Doha. The dynamics in recent urban developments are investigated using a comparative assessment of GIS data of the city in 2003 and 2013 as well as a Space Syntax analysis, which is used to investigate the spatial integration of office locations in Doha. Furthermore, 350 questionnaires of employees engaged in APS firms were evaluated in order to examine the locations of their weekly activities. These empirical investigations of various parameters within contemporary urbanism provide insights into how the transition into a service hub based on emerging knowledge economies and their networks is currently interdependent with increasing urban qualities.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Proceedings of the Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum, Q Science
Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F., Thierstein, A., Alaily-Matar, N., Conventz, S. (2011). Urban Qualiti... more Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F., Thierstein, A., Alaily-Matar, N., Conventz, S. (2011). Urban Qualities in an Emerging Regional Metropolis, AHO5, Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum-2011, Bloomsbury Qatar Foundation Journals, Doha, Qatar. DOI: 10.5339/qfarf.2011.aho5
_____________________________________
Since the late 1990s, Qatar and its capital city Doha have been undergoing a new period of urbanization. Doha is viewed as an important emerging city in the Gulf region with a growing potential to constitute knowledge economies as a foundation for its future prosperity. Driven by economic diversification strategies that aim to establish the city as a global service hub, sport and media events and cultural facilities are being developed in order to brand the city as an international service center. This contribution aims at introducing a responsive framework for analyzing the complex inter-dependencies between knowledge economies and physical urban developments in Doha. In this respect, this is an ongoing research process, as part of a QNRF-NPRP funded project, which seeks to deliver insights into the complexity of the various factors that produce urban space and their individual effects on urban qualities. Based on Henri Lefebvre's triad of space production (conceived-perceived-lived), a framework has been developed and particularly devised to explore the inter-dependencies of Doha's recent economic transformation and the changing structure of its urban environment. The framework involves comprehensive analysis of urban planning decision making processes as well as in-depth investigation that applies interlocking network models to examine how urban space is currently used by companies of new economic sectors. Taking into account the importance of the role played by the employees working in these companies and their perception of contemporary urban space in the city, the framework utilizes empirical research techniques that involve survey studies, focused interviews, and behavioral mapping. In addition to investigating the various factors driving spatial transformation, the evolutionary aspects of the city's urban structure are traced and analyzed using GIS data and space syntax studies. The results of implementing this framework are amenable to establish a comprehensive understanding of the potential and deficits of Doha's urban environment, which in turn, foster the city's aspirations in establishing a thriving knowledge economy.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Books-Authored by Florian Wiedmann
Building Migrant Cities in the Gulf: Urban Transformation in the Middle East, 2019
Human history has seen many settlements transformed or built entirely by expatriate work forces a... more Human history has seen many settlements transformed or built entirely by expatriate work forces and foreigners arriving from various places. Recent migration patterns in the Gulf have led to emerging 'airport societies' on unprecedented scales. Most guest workers, both labourers and mid to high-income groups, perceive their stay as a temporary opportunity to earn suitable income or gain experience. This timely book analyses the essential characteristics of this unique urban phenomenon substantiated by concrete examples and empirical research. Both authors have lived and worked in the Gulf including Qatar, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates during various periods between 2006 and 2014. They explore Gulf cities from macro and interconnected perspectives rather than focusing solely on singular aspects within the built environment. As academic architects specialised in urbanism and the complex dynamics between people and places the authors build new bridges for understanding demographic and social changes impacting urban transformations in the Gulf.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Salama, A. M. and Wiedmann, F. (2013), Demystifying Doha: On Architecture and Urbanism of an Emer... more Salama, A. M. and Wiedmann, F. (2013), Demystifying Doha: On Architecture and Urbanism of an Emerging City, Ashgate Publishing Ltd, Surrey/London, United Kingdom, ISBN # 978-1-4094-6634-5 (Routledge New Edition).
Over the past decade or so, the wealth produced by Qatar's oil and gas exports has generated a construction development boom in its capital city of Doha and the surrounding vicinity. Since the late 1990s, the number of inhabitants has grown from less than 400,000 to more than 1.7 million today. In many respects, Doha is portrayed as an important emerging global capital in the Gulf region, which has been positioning and re-inventing itself on the map of international architecture and urbanism, with a global image of building clusters of glass office towers, as well as cultural and educational facilities.
While focusing on the architectural and planning aspects of Doha's intensive urbanization, this first comprehensive examination of the city sets this within the socio-political and economic context of the wider Arabian Peninsula. 'Demystifying Doha - On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City' features a comprehensive discussion on contemporary architecture and urbanism of Doha as an emerging regional metropolis. It provides a critical analysis of the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of the contemporary global condition. Issues that pertain to emerging service hubs, decentralised urban governance, integrated urban development strategies, image-making practices, urban identity, the dialectic relations between the city and its society and sustainable urbanism are all examined to elucidate the urban evolution and the contemporary condition of Doha. 'Demystifying Doha - On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City' concludes by suggesting a framework for future studies of the city as well as for investigating the future of similar cities, setting out an agenda for sustainable urban growth, while invigorating the multiple roles urban planners and architects can play in shaping this future.
____________________
Review by Henry Sanoff, North Carolina State University, USA
The authors provide an authoritative account of the development of Doha in the context of the rapid growth of Arabian Gulf cities. The book identifies the social and cultural changes associated with this growth and its positive and negative impact on the city of Doha. Such unbridled growth as seen in Doha can have deleterious consequences as the authors clearly identify. They propose the need for an urban development vision that integrates social, cultural and economic factors. Consequently, this book is a necessary guide for Doha's decision makers in the public and private sector as well as design and planning educators and professionals. Although Salama and Wiedmann focus on the Arabian Peninsula they develop a unique investigative approach relevant for the study of other regions as well.
_____
Review by Albert Speer, Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, Germany
The book gives a comprehensive overview of the urban and architectural development of the Arabian Peninsula but in particular about the rapid growth of Doha. It offers a profound documentation of the urban structure and environment as well as the architectural forms of the city, while introducing significant knowledge on an area, which is often not well considered by international professionals planning in the metropolis. Salama and Wiedmann concentrate not only on Doha, Qatar and the Arabian Peninsula but also analyze the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of contemporary global trends in governance, development strategies, image-making and the human encounters with the city. Demystifying Doha is a valuable source for every planner and architect working in Doha as well as those working in neighboring countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
_____
Review by Attilio Petruccioli, Qatar University, Qatar and Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy
Salama and Wiedmann offer a far-reaching examination of the city of Doha within the larger context of the Arabian Peninsula. While their main focus is on the evolution of the city and its morphological transformations, they successfully map such evolution to socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects that characterized the growth of the city. Addressing the institutional environment in which decisions are made, the book highlights important aspects of urban governance. Discussing the multifaceted aspects of sustainable urbanism, the authors propose a framework for future investigations in similar contexts. The inclusive nature of the book makes it a necessary reading for policy makers, academics and professionals in architecture and urban planning. This is a great addition to the library of architecture and urbanism in the Middle East.
_____
Review by Samer Bagaeen
http://usj.sagepub.com/content/51/16/3497.extract
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal Papers by Florian Wiedmann
URBAN, PLANNING AND TRANSPORT RESEARCH, 2019
Expatriates constitute 89% of Qatar’s total population, and are becom- ing important factors in t... more Expatriates constitute 89% of Qatar’s total population, and are becom- ing important factors in the economic dynamism by satisfying employ- ment sectors. The theoretical framework of this paper is based on Gordon’s theory which distinguishes between migrants: housing streams and employment streams. The objectives are to: 1) Investigate housing distribution for the expatriate population based on governmental regulations for the blue-collar, and housing prefer- ences for the white-collar workers and 2) Develop a recommendation for expatriates’ housing distribution in Doha. The research tools are: 1) Content analysis of recent census data, 2) Questionnaire survey for white-collar workers in different sectors, and 3) Interview with real estate experts to present insights about the expatriates housing dis- tribution in Doha. The paper concludes that housing streams in Doha are dynamic, whereas employment streams are static. The govern- mental approach shows that a qualitative change in the demographic composition for Doha’s population will take place; namely, white-collar workers would gradually replace blue-collar workers in future.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 2019
Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., Ibrahim, H. G., & Mirincheva, V. (2019). New housing patterns and sp... more Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., Ibrahim, H. G., & Mirincheva, V. (2019). New housing patterns and spatial fragmentation in Gulf cities. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2019.1626263
__________________________________________________________________________
In recent years, the rapid growth of Gulf cities has led to a transformation of local settlement structures. The key objective of this paper is to deliver an overview of new residential developments and how they impact urban structure. This paper explores newly formed residential developments in Qatar’s capital, Doha. Identifying the spatial distribution of new housing typologies GIS analyses together with an overlay of Space Syntax models were undertaken to explore the recent transformation of three districts. This is coupled with an analysis of the travel routes of 130 residents which were assessed to investigate key aspects related to fragmentation. The outcomes include both new insights into the understanding of urban development tendencies in Gulf cities and the introduction of a methodological approach to establish responsive strategies in fast-growing and car-dependent cities.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of Urban Design, 2019
The study of land use dynamics in emerging cities will inform sustainable development in the futu... more The study of land use dynamics in emerging cities will inform sustainable development in the future. Doha has witnessed urban transition phases. The study objectives are: (1) conduct a review of neighbourhood planning theories and (2) develop a prototype for downtown land use dynamics in emerging cities. The developed prototype considers physical and socioeconomics aspects. The research tools are: content analysis of real-estate reports, observation study, and preferences survey. Fereej Abdulaziz has been selected as an example. The study emphasizes the importance of policymakers in analysing the changes of neigh- bourhood, with an overarching aim of guiding future growth.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Journal of International Migration and Integration, Feb 19, 2018
The various efforts in diversifying local economies in most Gulf States led to the emergence of n... more The various efforts in diversifying local economies in most Gulf States led to the emergence of new medium to high-income groups of migrant knowledge workers whose efforts are required to develop various new economic sectors. This paper aims to investigate the current housing conditions and perceptions of these migrant communities to identify key similarities and differences with respect to housing made available to them and depending on their cultural background. To this end, the methodology involves field surveys to explore the three main housing typologies for higher-income groups and a questionnaire with a total of 258 knowledge workers in the city of Doha as a representative case to investigate the associated perceptions of four dominant groups from different cultural backgrounds. The findings reveal that there is a distinct social segregation between cultural groups, which is mainly rooted in varying income levels. Furthermore, the supply-driven market has hardly integrated cultural needs of migrants and thus diversified and inclusive housing has been identified as major planning and design challenge.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
City, Territory and Architecture, Volume 4, Article 5, pages 1-15, Feb 8, 2017
Preventing the complete social restructuring and the relocation of migrant communities from tradi... more Preventing the complete social restructuring and the relocation of migrant communities from traditional cores in Gulf cities to newly urbanized areas is a rising urban and social challenge. The Al Asmakh district in the old centre of Doha is an important example that manifests the current encounter between rising investment pressures and preserving the local identity including the particular urban life and spatial settings that have evolved over several decades. This paper presents key research findings with respect to the lived urban spaces of the Al Asmakh in order to exemplify the potential loss of very distinctive neighbourhoods and to introduce particular characteristics of urban spaces and the way migrant communities appropriate them. As part of a learning experiment undertaken at Qatar University in 2014, structured field surveys, systematic observations as well as behavioural mapping techniques were adopted as important approaches to investigation. The outcomes reveal stimulating dynamics between migrant communities and their environments. It also postulates that city residents have the capacity to recover swiftly from difficulties and resilience in spite of an impeding and hampering context. The paper concludes with projections of how contemporary transformation processes in Gulf cities will have to be based on diversity and social inclusion. Such a transformation should stem from the recognition that migrant communities need to have access to develop their own settings that relate to their routine spatial practices while securing the economic basis of many migrant labourers.
_________________________________
See full paper here:
https://cityterritoryarchitecture.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40410-017-0061-5
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, Nov 30, 2016
Ibrahim, H. G., Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F. and Awwaad, R. (2016). A Comparative Assessment of Ho... more Ibrahim, H. G., Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F. and Awwaad, R. (2016). A Comparative Assessment of Housing Dynamics in Abu Dhabi and Doha. Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research. 10(3), 152-169. ISSN 1938-7806.
__________________________________________________________
Abu Dhabi and Doha have evolved rapidly in the twentieth century due to the investment of oil and gas revenues. The fast economic growth resulted in an extensive period of urbanization. The various urban dynamics had a great impact with regards to new housing typologies during the last few decades. Doha's housing market is studied in comparison with Abu Dhabi's market considering their population growth rates, real estate market conditions, socio-cultural characteristics, and political approaches. The study is focused on the period from 2004 to 2013 where rapid urban development took place in both cities. The comparative assessment is based on three key aspects: housing typologies, housing distribution, in addition to housing supply and demand. The paper highlights that the urban growth in both cities is initiated via government investments, especially in the real estate market. This is reflected in the case of very similar housing dynamics in both cities. A gradual replacement of low-rise residential villas by high-rise residential towers (apartments/ penthouses) is currently observed in both cities.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Open House International, Volume 41, Issue 4, PP. 31-38. ISSN # 0160-2601. Special Issue on Forging Advances in Sustainable Architecture and Urbanism., Dec 1, 2016
Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., & Ibrahim, H. G. (2016). The impact of affordable housing developmen... more Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., & Ibrahim, H. G. (2016). The impact of affordable housing developments on sustainability in Gulf cities. Open House International, 41(4), 31-38. ISBN # 0168-2601.
______________________________________________________________
The recent construction boom has led to new urban development dynamics in Gulf cities driven by real-estate speculations and large infrastructure investments. While in the past affordable housing for medium income migrants and their families was integrated within the fringes of old downtown areas and compound developments in the suburbs, recent investment patterns have led to an increasing challenge of these economically highly engaged social groups to find residences. In recent years, a newly emerging trend in the Gulf region has been the establishment of large scale mass housing projects as new dormitory settlements to address the growing demand for affordable housing. This paper presents an overview of current development patterns by exploring two major affordable housing projects and their impact on sustainability in Doha and Dubai This is undertaken by establishing a preliminary assessment framework that involves relevant sustainability parameters. The assessment reveals the major differences between both projects and their impact on environment, economy and society.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
City, Territory and Architecture, Volume 3, Article 14, pages 1-15, Sep 22, 2016
Remali, A. M., Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F. and Ibrahim, H. G. (2016). A Chronological Exploration... more Remali, A. M., Salama, A. M., Wiedmann, F. and Ibrahim, H. G. (2016). A Chronological Exploration of the Evolution of Housing Typologies in Gulf Cities. City, Territory and Architecture, 3(1):14, 1-15. ISSN # 2195-2701 10.1186/s40410-016-0043-z
_____________________________________________________________
This paper traces the evolution of housing typologies in four major cities in the Gulf region, namely Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Manama. The study reviews the formation and historical events in the region, which had a significant impact on new social as well as economic realities and consequently evolving housing types during the last two centuries. The methodological approach is based on reviewing a number of case studies representing local housing typologies throughout distinctive historic periods which were categorized in four periods: the post-nomadic, traditional, modern, and contemporary. The main objective is to identify the process of transformation by applying a comparative assessment of the different periods in order to examine continuities or ruptures between them. Thus, particular layout elements were analysed and compared. Conclusions are drawn to underline contemporary challenges while offering projections for future housing typologies in the selected cities and other similar ones.
__________________
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Open House International, Volume 41, Issue 2, PP. 56-63. ISSN # 0160-2601. Special Issue on Architecture and Urbanism in the Global South, Jun 30, 2016
Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., Ibrahim, H. I (2016). The Role of Mega Projects in Redefining Housi... more Wiedmann, F., Salama, A. M., Ibrahim, H. I (2016). The Role of Mega Projects in Redefining Housing Development in Gulf Cities. Open House International, Volume 41, Issue 2, PP. 56-63. ISSN # 0160-2601.
_________________________________________
Since the end of the 1990s, large-scale mega projects have been initiated in Gulf cities to enable an unprecedented urban growth and the expansion of new economic sectors. In this respect, mega projects have played a key role in redefining housing developments in Gulf cities. This paper explores the newly emerging housing typologies and their distinctive roles in defining new urban environments. The selected case studies are located in the Jumeirah District in Dubai, which can be seen as the first prototype of a large cohesive development area that has been built of nine rather differing mega projects including the iconic Palm project and one of the largest residential high-rise agglomerations in the Middle East. The paper is based on the evaluation of official planning data from each project as well as field observations. Conclusions are drawn to highlight key implications while identifying housing development tendencies.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Selected Conference Contributions by Florian Wiedmann
Due to current tendencies to replace deteriorating areas within central districts, many Gulf cities are facing the potential loss of very distinctive neighbourhoods, which have however not been recognised as important factors for a local urban identity. Instead, migrant networks and practices are often seen as less important in developing place-making strategies due to their limited economic impact. Thus, historic parts of Gulf cities are mainly explored for their potential role as touristic and commercial centres instead of integrating various measures to connect public spaces and to enable an overall local economic development. Subsequently, major developments have been launched to entirely replace old building stock and to reconfigure urban fabrics. The Souq Waqif or the Msheireb projects in Doha are only two examples of a tendency to commercialise spaces rather than to preserve spatial and economic ties between existing communities. This paper focuses on two specific districts, known as Al Asmakh in Doha and Al Muraba’a in Al Ain, in order to illustrate both the general characteristics of dynamics between traditional public spaces and low income migrant communities, which have to be acknowledged for any attempt to integrate spatial and social diversity.
The outcomes reveal stimulating dynamics between migrant communities and their environments. It also postulates that city residents have the capacity to recover swiftly from difficulties and resilience in spite of an impeding spatial context. The paper concludes with projections of how contemporary transformation processes in Gulf cities will benefit from social inclusion. Such a transformation should stem from the recognition that migrant communities need to have access to develop their own settings that relate to their routine spatial practices while securing the economic basis of those communities.
This paper attempts to answer to this most urgent question through investigating recent efforts in restructuring local urban governance by reintroducing central planning via new holistic frameworks, by initiating new public-private partnerships and by implementing new policies, such as a minimum share of affordable housing. These tendencies are explored and documented in three capital cities, namely Doha, Manama and Abu Dhabi, by introducing major planning and project initiatives. Due to the increasing shortage of affordable housing in Gulf cities, a large number of both national citizens and medium income migrants and their families settling long-term will rely on government support for housing supply. Consequently, the two most crucial social groups for future economic development are currently not sufficiently served by the private sector leading to doubts about the entire vision of property-led diversification strategies in the Gulf. Future governance needs to find new answers on how to enable the integration of sufficient affordable housing. The Gulf region is currently a unique example of initiated property-led development strategies without any critical mass of potential buyers as actual end-users of properties. Properties thus became a major new trading commodity leaving behind urban landscapes built on images rather than any linkage to an emerging society settling and getting rooted in the actual place. This basic dilemma will lead to governance as a continuously contested form of managing urban developments from a purely entrepreneurial perspective balancing between economic growth and decline.
________________________________________________________________
Abstract:
Rulers of Gulf countries have developed a strong interest in establishing and promoting new visions of their capital and major cities over the past few decades. In particular, the new vision to establish hubs in various economic sectors including trade, transit and tourism as well as culture and education have instigated a variety of mega projects and subsequently a diversity of place typologies. This paper explores newly emerging places and their networks rooted in distinctive hub visions, which have resulted in globalised urban spaces as nodal points within international networks.
______________________________________
Background and Objectives: This NPRP project focuses on the assessment of urban qualities needed to enhance the sustainability of urban developments with a focus on Qatar's capital Doha. Since the end of the 20th century various urban development strategies have been introduced to reduce the economic dependence on fossil fuels by attracting knowledge economies and thus to transform Doha into an international hub. Particularly, Advanced Producer Services (APS) were attracted by public investments into urban developments and the liberalization of local markets. The immediate result was a construction boom, which has caused vast immigration reshaping socio-economic realities and producing a new urban environment. The decentralization of urban governance and speculative interests have led to fragmented and inefficient urban morphologies as well as to missing diversity and identity endangering future sustainability. The long-term establishment of knowledge economies heavily relies on the proactive integration of distinct urban qualities to enhance consolidation processes and thus to foster sustainable urban growth. In order to assess the inter-weaved factors producing urban qualities an integrative framework was elaborated as basis of this research project. Methods: Since urban sustainability can only be achieved if social, economic and environmental aspects are equally developed, the framework was at first elaborated on a theoretical level to establish links to the general scientific discourse. The empirical research itself is based on GIS-analyses of recent urban developments as well as a series of interviews with planning authorities in order to assess the efficiency of morphologies. Furthermore, space syntax studies on spatial integration in combination with interlocking network analyses were used to investigate the diversification process of urban structures. Thirdly, environmental observation studies and a survey questionnaire were applied to analyze the various images of urban spaces within the city. Results and Conclusions: Based on these methodologies the three dimensions of sustainability - ecological balance, economic growth and social peace - are analyzed in relation to the urban qualities needed for producing them. These investigations are further utilized to clarify the challenges and limitations of sustainable urbanism in the context of the rapid urbanization process in the emerging city of Doha.
_____________________________________
Architecture has historically evolved into an interdisciplinary subject dealing with design, engineering and psychology. The contemporary tendency in both professional practice and education to view architecture mainly as a form of art has led to the neglect of its holistic dimension in producing the built environment. Thus, the different approaches to how architecture can affect the development of sustainability need to be taught by introducing a comprehensive framework, which is built on all fundamental factors within the production of urban qualities. This paper therefore explores a comprehensive and multi-layered teaching framework by relating the space theory of the French sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre to the contemporary discussion about sustainability. Henri Lefebvre distinguished three main dimensions producing space, known as conceived, perceived and lived space. All three dimensions play a significant role in producing the three main urban qualities, which can be categorized in terms of urban efficiency, urban diversity and urban identity. An attempt is made to identify the distinct role of architecture in developing these urban qualities that are essential for sustainable urban growth. It is the position of the authors that the teaching of architecture for sustainability cannot be reduced to a series of lectures about ecological design and the integration of sustainable technologies. In fact, a more holistic view of architecture and its role within urbanism has to be delivered by instructors and practiced by the students through structured experiences that range from macro contexts to micro scales and those in between, where the ultimate objective is to graduate professionals capable of positioning architecture in its contextual realities. Thus, the teaching of architecture for sustainability needs to be based on an open philosophical framework asking the essential questions of space and time.
_________________________________
Background and Objectives: This study examines the production of urbanism by focusing on the collective spatial practice and inhabitants' perceptions of the urban environment in emerging cities, with Doha as a case study. While the built environment is necessarily an important and obvious aspect of cities, this study attempts to apply a holistic approach to the understanding of what the reality of the space of a city is - beyond the face value of its concrete, urban reality. Therefore, the notion of the lived space is introduced to illustrate how it can be utilized to identify factors necessary for understanding the process of space production. In this respect, it is vital to understand the role of inhabitants and how they comprehend, appreciate, and appropriate urban environments with a focus on two main factors: urban identity and urban diversity. Methods: A set of various methodologies is applied to investigate the complex interrelationship between urban environments and human behavior. The two main categories of selected methodologies are observation studies focusing on mapping urban spaces and movements and, secondly, a survey questionnaire that aims integrating the individual views of inhabitants. After conducting a typo-morphological analysis of key urban spaces in Doha, behavioral mapping was applied to survey the use of these spaces by inhabitants according to days of the week and various times of day. The questionnaire was distributed to 350 employees working in high-service sectors in order to assess their perception of certain urban environments and their general experience of living in Doha. Results and Conclusions: The analysis and combination of these two types of empirical studies led to various recognitions relevant to the complex relationships between physical urban developments and Doha's inhabitants. Since the urban environment of the city has been undergoing major transformations finding answers to the question of how inhabitants are part of this kind of urbanism and how they may contribute to the diversification process and the establishment of a vibrant hub is essential.
________________________________
The current fast track urban growth is an important characteristic of the emerging city of Doha. However, very few studies have addressed several important growth aspects, including the examination of the way in which the inhabitants comprehend and react to their built environment and the resulting spatial experience. The availability of attractive open spaces is an essential feature of a liveable urban environment, for the inhabitants of cities and urban areas. Such importance is sometimes oversimplified when making decisions about land-use or discussing the qualities of the built form. As a city characterized by rapid development, urban open spaces in Doha are scattered around from its peripheries to its centre. Varying in form, function, and scale, some spaces are often located within enclave developments, or within larger urban interventions, while others represent portions of spaces with dense urban districts or open waterfronts. The objective of this paper is to investigate different parameters relevant to the qualities of the most important urban open spaces in the city. It adopts a multi-layered research methodology. First, a photo interview mechanism was implemented where 100 inhabitants reacted to imagery and the spatial qualities of twelve urban open spaces. Second, a walking tour assessment procedure was applied to assess the functional, perceptual and social aspects of these spaces. Results indicate correlations between inhabitants' reactions and assessment outcomes pertaining to positive and demerit qualities. Conclusions are developed to offer recommendations for improving existing spaces while envisioning responsive parameters for the design of future urban open spaces.
_______________________________
As many Gulf cities Qatar's capital city Doha has undergone rapid transformation processes socio-economically as well as spatially since the end of the 20th century. Large-scale public investments in local developments that were intended to establish Doha as a regional and international service hub ushered in a new evolutionary phase in the city's urbanism. An increasing number of international "Advanced Producer Service" (APS) firms set up offices in Doha, particularly attracted by emerging local real-estate markets. This research attempts to clarify the distinct roles of Knowledge Economies and their employees in the development of urban complexity and diversity in Doha. It therefore explores currently existing APS networks in Doha as well as the morphological consequences for urban fabrics due to the recent economic diversification process. The applied methodologies include a network analysis of 98 APS firms in order to investigate the current characteristics of advanced producer services sectors in Doha. The dynamics in recent urban developments are investigated using a comparative assessment of GIS data of the city in 2003 and 2013 as well as a Space Syntax analysis, which is used to investigate the spatial integration of office locations in Doha. Furthermore, 350 questionnaires of employees engaged in APS firms were evaluated in order to examine the locations of their weekly activities. These empirical investigations of various parameters within contemporary urbanism provide insights into how the transition into a service hub based on emerging knowledge economies and their networks is currently interdependent with increasing urban qualities.
_____________________________________
Since the late 1990s, Qatar and its capital city Doha have been undergoing a new period of urbanization. Doha is viewed as an important emerging city in the Gulf region with a growing potential to constitute knowledge economies as a foundation for its future prosperity. Driven by economic diversification strategies that aim to establish the city as a global service hub, sport and media events and cultural facilities are being developed in order to brand the city as an international service center. This contribution aims at introducing a responsive framework for analyzing the complex inter-dependencies between knowledge economies and physical urban developments in Doha. In this respect, this is an ongoing research process, as part of a QNRF-NPRP funded project, which seeks to deliver insights into the complexity of the various factors that produce urban space and their individual effects on urban qualities. Based on Henri Lefebvre's triad of space production (conceived-perceived-lived), a framework has been developed and particularly devised to explore the inter-dependencies of Doha's recent economic transformation and the changing structure of its urban environment. The framework involves comprehensive analysis of urban planning decision making processes as well as in-depth investigation that applies interlocking network models to examine how urban space is currently used by companies of new economic sectors. Taking into account the importance of the role played by the employees working in these companies and their perception of contemporary urban space in the city, the framework utilizes empirical research techniques that involve survey studies, focused interviews, and behavioral mapping. In addition to investigating the various factors driving spatial transformation, the evolutionary aspects of the city's urban structure are traced and analyzed using GIS data and space syntax studies. The results of implementing this framework are amenable to establish a comprehensive understanding of the potential and deficits of Doha's urban environment, which in turn, foster the city's aspirations in establishing a thriving knowledge economy.
Books-Authored by Florian Wiedmann
Over the past decade or so, the wealth produced by Qatar's oil and gas exports has generated a construction development boom in its capital city of Doha and the surrounding vicinity. Since the late 1990s, the number of inhabitants has grown from less than 400,000 to more than 1.7 million today. In many respects, Doha is portrayed as an important emerging global capital in the Gulf region, which has been positioning and re-inventing itself on the map of international architecture and urbanism, with a global image of building clusters of glass office towers, as well as cultural and educational facilities.
While focusing on the architectural and planning aspects of Doha's intensive urbanization, this first comprehensive examination of the city sets this within the socio-political and economic context of the wider Arabian Peninsula. 'Demystifying Doha - On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City' features a comprehensive discussion on contemporary architecture and urbanism of Doha as an emerging regional metropolis. It provides a critical analysis of the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of the contemporary global condition. Issues that pertain to emerging service hubs, decentralised urban governance, integrated urban development strategies, image-making practices, urban identity, the dialectic relations between the city and its society and sustainable urbanism are all examined to elucidate the urban evolution and the contemporary condition of Doha. 'Demystifying Doha - On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City' concludes by suggesting a framework for future studies of the city as well as for investigating the future of similar cities, setting out an agenda for sustainable urban growth, while invigorating the multiple roles urban planners and architects can play in shaping this future.
____________________
Review by Henry Sanoff, North Carolina State University, USA
The authors provide an authoritative account of the development of Doha in the context of the rapid growth of Arabian Gulf cities. The book identifies the social and cultural changes associated with this growth and its positive and negative impact on the city of Doha. Such unbridled growth as seen in Doha can have deleterious consequences as the authors clearly identify. They propose the need for an urban development vision that integrates social, cultural and economic factors. Consequently, this book is a necessary guide for Doha's decision makers in the public and private sector as well as design and planning educators and professionals. Although Salama and Wiedmann focus on the Arabian Peninsula they develop a unique investigative approach relevant for the study of other regions as well.
_____
Review by Albert Speer, Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, Germany
The book gives a comprehensive overview of the urban and architectural development of the Arabian Peninsula but in particular about the rapid growth of Doha. It offers a profound documentation of the urban structure and environment as well as the architectural forms of the city, while introducing significant knowledge on an area, which is often not well considered by international professionals planning in the metropolis. Salama and Wiedmann concentrate not only on Doha, Qatar and the Arabian Peninsula but also analyze the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of contemporary global trends in governance, development strategies, image-making and the human encounters with the city. Demystifying Doha is a valuable source for every planner and architect working in Doha as well as those working in neighboring countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
_____
Review by Attilio Petruccioli, Qatar University, Qatar and Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy
Salama and Wiedmann offer a far-reaching examination of the city of Doha within the larger context of the Arabian Peninsula. While their main focus is on the evolution of the city and its morphological transformations, they successfully map such evolution to socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects that characterized the growth of the city. Addressing the institutional environment in which decisions are made, the book highlights important aspects of urban governance. Discussing the multifaceted aspects of sustainable urbanism, the authors propose a framework for future investigations in similar contexts. The inclusive nature of the book makes it a necessary reading for policy makers, academics and professionals in architecture and urban planning. This is a great addition to the library of architecture and urbanism in the Middle East.
_____
Review by Samer Bagaeen
http://usj.sagepub.com/content/51/16/3497.extract
Journal Papers by Florian Wiedmann
__________________________________________________________________________
In recent years, the rapid growth of Gulf cities has led to a transformation of local settlement structures. The key objective of this paper is to deliver an overview of new residential developments and how they impact urban structure. This paper explores newly formed residential developments in Qatar’s capital, Doha. Identifying the spatial distribution of new housing typologies GIS analyses together with an overlay of Space Syntax models were undertaken to explore the recent transformation of three districts. This is coupled with an analysis of the travel routes of 130 residents which were assessed to investigate key aspects related to fragmentation. The outcomes include both new insights into the understanding of urban development tendencies in Gulf cities and the introduction of a methodological approach to establish responsive strategies in fast-growing and car-dependent cities.
_________________________________
See full paper here:
https://cityterritoryarchitecture.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40410-017-0061-5
__________________________________________________________
Abu Dhabi and Doha have evolved rapidly in the twentieth century due to the investment of oil and gas revenues. The fast economic growth resulted in an extensive period of urbanization. The various urban dynamics had a great impact with regards to new housing typologies during the last few decades. Doha's housing market is studied in comparison with Abu Dhabi's market considering their population growth rates, real estate market conditions, socio-cultural characteristics, and political approaches. The study is focused on the period from 2004 to 2013 where rapid urban development took place in both cities. The comparative assessment is based on three key aspects: housing typologies, housing distribution, in addition to housing supply and demand. The paper highlights that the urban growth in both cities is initiated via government investments, especially in the real estate market. This is reflected in the case of very similar housing dynamics in both cities. A gradual replacement of low-rise residential villas by high-rise residential towers (apartments/ penthouses) is currently observed in both cities.
______________________________________________________________
The recent construction boom has led to new urban development dynamics in Gulf cities driven by real-estate speculations and large infrastructure investments. While in the past affordable housing for medium income migrants and their families was integrated within the fringes of old downtown areas and compound developments in the suburbs, recent investment patterns have led to an increasing challenge of these economically highly engaged social groups to find residences. In recent years, a newly emerging trend in the Gulf region has been the establishment of large scale mass housing projects as new dormitory settlements to address the growing demand for affordable housing. This paper presents an overview of current development patterns by exploring two major affordable housing projects and their impact on sustainability in Doha and Dubai This is undertaken by establishing a preliminary assessment framework that involves relevant sustainability parameters. The assessment reveals the major differences between both projects and their impact on environment, economy and society.
_____________________________________________________________
This paper traces the evolution of housing typologies in four major cities in the Gulf region, namely Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Manama. The study reviews the formation and historical events in the region, which had a significant impact on new social as well as economic realities and consequently evolving housing types during the last two centuries. The methodological approach is based on reviewing a number of case studies representing local housing typologies throughout distinctive historic periods which were categorized in four periods: the post-nomadic, traditional, modern, and contemporary. The main objective is to identify the process of transformation by applying a comparative assessment of the different periods in order to examine continuities or ruptures between them. Thus, particular layout elements were analysed and compared. Conclusions are drawn to underline contemporary challenges while offering projections for future housing typologies in the selected cities and other similar ones.
__________________
_________________________________________
Since the end of the 1990s, large-scale mega projects have been initiated in Gulf cities to enable an unprecedented urban growth and the expansion of new economic sectors. In this respect, mega projects have played a key role in redefining housing developments in Gulf cities. This paper explores the newly emerging housing typologies and their distinctive roles in defining new urban environments. The selected case studies are located in the Jumeirah District in Dubai, which can be seen as the first prototype of a large cohesive development area that has been built of nine rather differing mega projects including the iconic Palm project and one of the largest residential high-rise agglomerations in the Middle East. The paper is based on the evaluation of official planning data from each project as well as field observations. Conclusions are drawn to highlight key implications while identifying housing development tendencies.
Due to current tendencies to replace deteriorating areas within central districts, many Gulf cities are facing the potential loss of very distinctive neighbourhoods, which have however not been recognised as important factors for a local urban identity. Instead, migrant networks and practices are often seen as less important in developing place-making strategies due to their limited economic impact. Thus, historic parts of Gulf cities are mainly explored for their potential role as touristic and commercial centres instead of integrating various measures to connect public spaces and to enable an overall local economic development. Subsequently, major developments have been launched to entirely replace old building stock and to reconfigure urban fabrics. The Souq Waqif or the Msheireb projects in Doha are only two examples of a tendency to commercialise spaces rather than to preserve spatial and economic ties between existing communities. This paper focuses on two specific districts, known as Al Asmakh in Doha and Al Muraba’a in Al Ain, in order to illustrate both the general characteristics of dynamics between traditional public spaces and low income migrant communities, which have to be acknowledged for any attempt to integrate spatial and social diversity.
The outcomes reveal stimulating dynamics between migrant communities and their environments. It also postulates that city residents have the capacity to recover swiftly from difficulties and resilience in spite of an impeding spatial context. The paper concludes with projections of how contemporary transformation processes in Gulf cities will benefit from social inclusion. Such a transformation should stem from the recognition that migrant communities need to have access to develop their own settings that relate to their routine spatial practices while securing the economic basis of those communities.
This paper attempts to answer to this most urgent question through investigating recent efforts in restructuring local urban governance by reintroducing central planning via new holistic frameworks, by initiating new public-private partnerships and by implementing new policies, such as a minimum share of affordable housing. These tendencies are explored and documented in three capital cities, namely Doha, Manama and Abu Dhabi, by introducing major planning and project initiatives. Due to the increasing shortage of affordable housing in Gulf cities, a large number of both national citizens and medium income migrants and their families settling long-term will rely on government support for housing supply. Consequently, the two most crucial social groups for future economic development are currently not sufficiently served by the private sector leading to doubts about the entire vision of property-led diversification strategies in the Gulf. Future governance needs to find new answers on how to enable the integration of sufficient affordable housing. The Gulf region is currently a unique example of initiated property-led development strategies without any critical mass of potential buyers as actual end-users of properties. Properties thus became a major new trading commodity leaving behind urban landscapes built on images rather than any linkage to an emerging society settling and getting rooted in the actual place. This basic dilemma will lead to governance as a continuously contested form of managing urban developments from a purely entrepreneurial perspective balancing between economic growth and decline.
________________________________________________________________
Abstract:
Rulers of Gulf countries have developed a strong interest in establishing and promoting new visions of their capital and major cities over the past few decades. In particular, the new vision to establish hubs in various economic sectors including trade, transit and tourism as well as culture and education have instigated a variety of mega projects and subsequently a diversity of place typologies. This paper explores newly emerging places and their networks rooted in distinctive hub visions, which have resulted in globalised urban spaces as nodal points within international networks.
______________________________________
Background and Objectives: This NPRP project focuses on the assessment of urban qualities needed to enhance the sustainability of urban developments with a focus on Qatar's capital Doha. Since the end of the 20th century various urban development strategies have been introduced to reduce the economic dependence on fossil fuels by attracting knowledge economies and thus to transform Doha into an international hub. Particularly, Advanced Producer Services (APS) were attracted by public investments into urban developments and the liberalization of local markets. The immediate result was a construction boom, which has caused vast immigration reshaping socio-economic realities and producing a new urban environment. The decentralization of urban governance and speculative interests have led to fragmented and inefficient urban morphologies as well as to missing diversity and identity endangering future sustainability. The long-term establishment of knowledge economies heavily relies on the proactive integration of distinct urban qualities to enhance consolidation processes and thus to foster sustainable urban growth. In order to assess the inter-weaved factors producing urban qualities an integrative framework was elaborated as basis of this research project. Methods: Since urban sustainability can only be achieved if social, economic and environmental aspects are equally developed, the framework was at first elaborated on a theoretical level to establish links to the general scientific discourse. The empirical research itself is based on GIS-analyses of recent urban developments as well as a series of interviews with planning authorities in order to assess the efficiency of morphologies. Furthermore, space syntax studies on spatial integration in combination with interlocking network analyses were used to investigate the diversification process of urban structures. Thirdly, environmental observation studies and a survey questionnaire were applied to analyze the various images of urban spaces within the city. Results and Conclusions: Based on these methodologies the three dimensions of sustainability - ecological balance, economic growth and social peace - are analyzed in relation to the urban qualities needed for producing them. These investigations are further utilized to clarify the challenges and limitations of sustainable urbanism in the context of the rapid urbanization process in the emerging city of Doha.
_____________________________________
Architecture has historically evolved into an interdisciplinary subject dealing with design, engineering and psychology. The contemporary tendency in both professional practice and education to view architecture mainly as a form of art has led to the neglect of its holistic dimension in producing the built environment. Thus, the different approaches to how architecture can affect the development of sustainability need to be taught by introducing a comprehensive framework, which is built on all fundamental factors within the production of urban qualities. This paper therefore explores a comprehensive and multi-layered teaching framework by relating the space theory of the French sociologist and philosopher Henri Lefebvre to the contemporary discussion about sustainability. Henri Lefebvre distinguished three main dimensions producing space, known as conceived, perceived and lived space. All three dimensions play a significant role in producing the three main urban qualities, which can be categorized in terms of urban efficiency, urban diversity and urban identity. An attempt is made to identify the distinct role of architecture in developing these urban qualities that are essential for sustainable urban growth. It is the position of the authors that the teaching of architecture for sustainability cannot be reduced to a series of lectures about ecological design and the integration of sustainable technologies. In fact, a more holistic view of architecture and its role within urbanism has to be delivered by instructors and practiced by the students through structured experiences that range from macro contexts to micro scales and those in between, where the ultimate objective is to graduate professionals capable of positioning architecture in its contextual realities. Thus, the teaching of architecture for sustainability needs to be based on an open philosophical framework asking the essential questions of space and time.
_________________________________
Background and Objectives: This study examines the production of urbanism by focusing on the collective spatial practice and inhabitants' perceptions of the urban environment in emerging cities, with Doha as a case study. While the built environment is necessarily an important and obvious aspect of cities, this study attempts to apply a holistic approach to the understanding of what the reality of the space of a city is - beyond the face value of its concrete, urban reality. Therefore, the notion of the lived space is introduced to illustrate how it can be utilized to identify factors necessary for understanding the process of space production. In this respect, it is vital to understand the role of inhabitants and how they comprehend, appreciate, and appropriate urban environments with a focus on two main factors: urban identity and urban diversity. Methods: A set of various methodologies is applied to investigate the complex interrelationship between urban environments and human behavior. The two main categories of selected methodologies are observation studies focusing on mapping urban spaces and movements and, secondly, a survey questionnaire that aims integrating the individual views of inhabitants. After conducting a typo-morphological analysis of key urban spaces in Doha, behavioral mapping was applied to survey the use of these spaces by inhabitants according to days of the week and various times of day. The questionnaire was distributed to 350 employees working in high-service sectors in order to assess their perception of certain urban environments and their general experience of living in Doha. Results and Conclusions: The analysis and combination of these two types of empirical studies led to various recognitions relevant to the complex relationships between physical urban developments and Doha's inhabitants. Since the urban environment of the city has been undergoing major transformations finding answers to the question of how inhabitants are part of this kind of urbanism and how they may contribute to the diversification process and the establishment of a vibrant hub is essential.
________________________________
The current fast track urban growth is an important characteristic of the emerging city of Doha. However, very few studies have addressed several important growth aspects, including the examination of the way in which the inhabitants comprehend and react to their built environment and the resulting spatial experience. The availability of attractive open spaces is an essential feature of a liveable urban environment, for the inhabitants of cities and urban areas. Such importance is sometimes oversimplified when making decisions about land-use or discussing the qualities of the built form. As a city characterized by rapid development, urban open spaces in Doha are scattered around from its peripheries to its centre. Varying in form, function, and scale, some spaces are often located within enclave developments, or within larger urban interventions, while others represent portions of spaces with dense urban districts or open waterfronts. The objective of this paper is to investigate different parameters relevant to the qualities of the most important urban open spaces in the city. It adopts a multi-layered research methodology. First, a photo interview mechanism was implemented where 100 inhabitants reacted to imagery and the spatial qualities of twelve urban open spaces. Second, a walking tour assessment procedure was applied to assess the functional, perceptual and social aspects of these spaces. Results indicate correlations between inhabitants' reactions and assessment outcomes pertaining to positive and demerit qualities. Conclusions are developed to offer recommendations for improving existing spaces while envisioning responsive parameters for the design of future urban open spaces.
_______________________________
As many Gulf cities Qatar's capital city Doha has undergone rapid transformation processes socio-economically as well as spatially since the end of the 20th century. Large-scale public investments in local developments that were intended to establish Doha as a regional and international service hub ushered in a new evolutionary phase in the city's urbanism. An increasing number of international "Advanced Producer Service" (APS) firms set up offices in Doha, particularly attracted by emerging local real-estate markets. This research attempts to clarify the distinct roles of Knowledge Economies and their employees in the development of urban complexity and diversity in Doha. It therefore explores currently existing APS networks in Doha as well as the morphological consequences for urban fabrics due to the recent economic diversification process. The applied methodologies include a network analysis of 98 APS firms in order to investigate the current characteristics of advanced producer services sectors in Doha. The dynamics in recent urban developments are investigated using a comparative assessment of GIS data of the city in 2003 and 2013 as well as a Space Syntax analysis, which is used to investigate the spatial integration of office locations in Doha. Furthermore, 350 questionnaires of employees engaged in APS firms were evaluated in order to examine the locations of their weekly activities. These empirical investigations of various parameters within contemporary urbanism provide insights into how the transition into a service hub based on emerging knowledge economies and their networks is currently interdependent with increasing urban qualities.
_____________________________________
Since the late 1990s, Qatar and its capital city Doha have been undergoing a new period of urbanization. Doha is viewed as an important emerging city in the Gulf region with a growing potential to constitute knowledge economies as a foundation for its future prosperity. Driven by economic diversification strategies that aim to establish the city as a global service hub, sport and media events and cultural facilities are being developed in order to brand the city as an international service center. This contribution aims at introducing a responsive framework for analyzing the complex inter-dependencies between knowledge economies and physical urban developments in Doha. In this respect, this is an ongoing research process, as part of a QNRF-NPRP funded project, which seeks to deliver insights into the complexity of the various factors that produce urban space and their individual effects on urban qualities. Based on Henri Lefebvre's triad of space production (conceived-perceived-lived), a framework has been developed and particularly devised to explore the inter-dependencies of Doha's recent economic transformation and the changing structure of its urban environment. The framework involves comprehensive analysis of urban planning decision making processes as well as in-depth investigation that applies interlocking network models to examine how urban space is currently used by companies of new economic sectors. Taking into account the importance of the role played by the employees working in these companies and their perception of contemporary urban space in the city, the framework utilizes empirical research techniques that involve survey studies, focused interviews, and behavioral mapping. In addition to investigating the various factors driving spatial transformation, the evolutionary aspects of the city's urban structure are traced and analyzed using GIS data and space syntax studies. The results of implementing this framework are amenable to establish a comprehensive understanding of the potential and deficits of Doha's urban environment, which in turn, foster the city's aspirations in establishing a thriving knowledge economy.
Over the past decade or so, the wealth produced by Qatar's oil and gas exports has generated a construction development boom in its capital city of Doha and the surrounding vicinity. Since the late 1990s, the number of inhabitants has grown from less than 400,000 to more than 1.7 million today. In many respects, Doha is portrayed as an important emerging global capital in the Gulf region, which has been positioning and re-inventing itself on the map of international architecture and urbanism, with a global image of building clusters of glass office towers, as well as cultural and educational facilities.
While focusing on the architectural and planning aspects of Doha's intensive urbanization, this first comprehensive examination of the city sets this within the socio-political and economic context of the wider Arabian Peninsula. 'Demystifying Doha - On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City' features a comprehensive discussion on contemporary architecture and urbanism of Doha as an emerging regional metropolis. It provides a critical analysis of the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of the contemporary global condition. Issues that pertain to emerging service hubs, decentralised urban governance, integrated urban development strategies, image-making practices, urban identity, the dialectic relations between the city and its society and sustainable urbanism are all examined to elucidate the urban evolution and the contemporary condition of Doha. 'Demystifying Doha - On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City' concludes by suggesting a framework for future studies of the city as well as for investigating the future of similar cities, setting out an agenda for sustainable urban growth, while invigorating the multiple roles urban planners and architects can play in shaping this future.
____________________
Review by Henry Sanoff, North Carolina State University, USA
The authors provide an authoritative account of the development of Doha in the context of the rapid growth of Arabian Gulf cities. The book identifies the social and cultural changes associated with this growth and its positive and negative impact on the city of Doha. Such unbridled growth as seen in Doha can have deleterious consequences as the authors clearly identify. They propose the need for an urban development vision that integrates social, cultural and economic factors. Consequently, this book is a necessary guide for Doha's decision makers in the public and private sector as well as design and planning educators and professionals. Although Salama and Wiedmann focus on the Arabian Peninsula they develop a unique investigative approach relevant for the study of other regions as well.
_____
Review by Albert Speer, Albert Speer & Partner GmbH, Germany
The book gives a comprehensive overview of the urban and architectural development of the Arabian Peninsula but in particular about the rapid growth of Doha. It offers a profound documentation of the urban structure and environment as well as the architectural forms of the city, while introducing significant knowledge on an area, which is often not well considered by international professionals planning in the metropolis. Salama and Wiedmann concentrate not only on Doha, Qatar and the Arabian Peninsula but also analyze the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of contemporary global trends in governance, development strategies, image-making and the human encounters with the city. Demystifying Doha is a valuable source for every planner and architect working in Doha as well as those working in neighboring countries of the Arabian Peninsula.
_____
Review by Attilio Petruccioli, Qatar University, Qatar and Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy
Salama and Wiedmann offer a far-reaching examination of the city of Doha within the larger context of the Arabian Peninsula. While their main focus is on the evolution of the city and its morphological transformations, they successfully map such evolution to socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects that characterized the growth of the city. Addressing the institutional environment in which decisions are made, the book highlights important aspects of urban governance. Discussing the multifaceted aspects of sustainable urbanism, the authors propose a framework for future investigations in similar contexts. The inclusive nature of the book makes it a necessary reading for policy makers, academics and professionals in architecture and urban planning. This is a great addition to the library of architecture and urbanism in the Middle East.
_____
Review by Samer Bagaeen
http://usj.sagepub.com/content/51/16/3497.extract
__________________________________________________________________________
In recent years, the rapid growth of Gulf cities has led to a transformation of local settlement structures. The key objective of this paper is to deliver an overview of new residential developments and how they impact urban structure. This paper explores newly formed residential developments in Qatar’s capital, Doha. Identifying the spatial distribution of new housing typologies GIS analyses together with an overlay of Space Syntax models were undertaken to explore the recent transformation of three districts. This is coupled with an analysis of the travel routes of 130 residents which were assessed to investigate key aspects related to fragmentation. The outcomes include both new insights into the understanding of urban development tendencies in Gulf cities and the introduction of a methodological approach to establish responsive strategies in fast-growing and car-dependent cities.
_________________________________
See full paper here:
https://cityterritoryarchitecture.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/s40410-017-0061-5
__________________________________________________________
Abu Dhabi and Doha have evolved rapidly in the twentieth century due to the investment of oil and gas revenues. The fast economic growth resulted in an extensive period of urbanization. The various urban dynamics had a great impact with regards to new housing typologies during the last few decades. Doha's housing market is studied in comparison with Abu Dhabi's market considering their population growth rates, real estate market conditions, socio-cultural characteristics, and political approaches. The study is focused on the period from 2004 to 2013 where rapid urban development took place in both cities. The comparative assessment is based on three key aspects: housing typologies, housing distribution, in addition to housing supply and demand. The paper highlights that the urban growth in both cities is initiated via government investments, especially in the real estate market. This is reflected in the case of very similar housing dynamics in both cities. A gradual replacement of low-rise residential villas by high-rise residential towers (apartments/ penthouses) is currently observed in both cities.
______________________________________________________________
The recent construction boom has led to new urban development dynamics in Gulf cities driven by real-estate speculations and large infrastructure investments. While in the past affordable housing for medium income migrants and their families was integrated within the fringes of old downtown areas and compound developments in the suburbs, recent investment patterns have led to an increasing challenge of these economically highly engaged social groups to find residences. In recent years, a newly emerging trend in the Gulf region has been the establishment of large scale mass housing projects as new dormitory settlements to address the growing demand for affordable housing. This paper presents an overview of current development patterns by exploring two major affordable housing projects and their impact on sustainability in Doha and Dubai This is undertaken by establishing a preliminary assessment framework that involves relevant sustainability parameters. The assessment reveals the major differences between both projects and their impact on environment, economy and society.
_____________________________________________________________
This paper traces the evolution of housing typologies in four major cities in the Gulf region, namely Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Manama. The study reviews the formation and historical events in the region, which had a significant impact on new social as well as economic realities and consequently evolving housing types during the last two centuries. The methodological approach is based on reviewing a number of case studies representing local housing typologies throughout distinctive historic periods which were categorized in four periods: the post-nomadic, traditional, modern, and contemporary. The main objective is to identify the process of transformation by applying a comparative assessment of the different periods in order to examine continuities or ruptures between them. Thus, particular layout elements were analysed and compared. Conclusions are drawn to underline contemporary challenges while offering projections for future housing typologies in the selected cities and other similar ones.
__________________
_________________________________________
Since the end of the 1990s, large-scale mega projects have been initiated in Gulf cities to enable an unprecedented urban growth and the expansion of new economic sectors. In this respect, mega projects have played a key role in redefining housing developments in Gulf cities. This paper explores the newly emerging housing typologies and their distinctive roles in defining new urban environments. The selected case studies are located in the Jumeirah District in Dubai, which can be seen as the first prototype of a large cohesive development area that has been built of nine rather differing mega projects including the iconic Palm project and one of the largest residential high-rise agglomerations in the Middle East. The paper is based on the evaluation of official planning data from each project as well as field observations. Conclusions are drawn to highlight key implications while identifying housing development tendencies.
--_________________________________
http://www.icevirtuallibrary.com/doi/10.1680/jurdp.15.00034
--________________________________
Gulf cities have witnessed rapid urban growth where new migrant communities from various cultural backgrounds have been evolving over the last two decades. This paper explores perceptions of liveable urban environments in Qatar's capital city, Doha. An attitude survey of 280 migrant professionals from different cultural backgrounds engaged in the high service sector was conducted. A profile for each cultural group including westerners, middle easterners, Indians and Southeast Asians was developed to analyse the way in which the key liveability factors are perceived. Factors were classified into two overarching categories: urban life and urban spaces. Urban life category included aspects that pertain to traffic and movement experience, residential satisfaction, shopping experience, and satisfaction regarding leisure and service spaces. Urban space category included attractiveness, iconicity and familiarity, which were attitudinally explored in four public open spaces. The inquiry has uncovered a number of concerns related to traffic experience, housing quality, parking spaces, school facilities and shopping opportunities. This may stymie the city's global attractiveness success on the global stage while warranting the need for addressing liveability as a part of future development plans.
________________________________________________________
This paper is a comprehensive coverage of a research project of the National Priority Research Program of the Qatar National Research Fund, entitled 'Investigating the Qualities of the Urban Environment in Emerging Regional Metropolises', and carried out between 2011 and 2014 through the joint collaboration of Qatar University and Technische Universität München. Through the shift of global economic forces Gulf cities, such as Qatar's capital Doha, are developed as central hubs between developed economies in the West and the rising economies of Asia. In the context of international competition between cities new challenges are emerging where cities need to find ways to sustain and extend their position in a globalizing world. Therefore the research process placed emphasis on the complex interrelationship of knowledge economies and spatial developments in the Gulf region. The work is premised on the assumption that non-physical economic aspects and the qualities of the urban environment are interdependent. It analyses the qualities of the urban environment of Doha as an important regional metropolis through a comprehensive investigation utilizing a set of interdisciplinary research methods that include analysis of historic documents, Delphi interview series, company network analysis, GIS analysis, cognitive mapping, behavioural studies, media surveys, attitude surveys, and space syntax analysis. The outcomes promise important results regarding urban qualities in the city of Doha culminating into various recommendations aimed at potential beneficiaries including public sector organizations, private sector and real estate development companies, and academia.
With accelerating pace in the past years, Qatar has strategically pushed forward its economic diversification. According to Qatar's long-term development vision, the knowledge-economy is taking a key role within this economic diversification process and the transformation of its capital into a regional as well as global service hub. This paper aims at identifying emerging knowledge-based patterns that drive the Qatari space economy. We apply a research concept that brings together two different scientific angles: relational economic geography and physical urban development aspects. The results indicate first a subsidiary role for the Qatari knowledge intensive firms within the Gulf region; second their predominant connectivity patterns to Europe and South-East Asia; third as a distinct lack of urban amenities and qualities for knowledge workers.
Various urban qualities are required for sustainable urban development, which is a particular challenge in the case of emerging cities such as Qatar's capital, Doha. Therefore, this paper seeks to introduce a framework concerning how to investigate urban qualities and their production in space in order to clarify the challenges and limitations of planning for sustainability. The paper is based on analyses and evaluations of GIS data as well as a series of interviews with 10 planning experts at the Ministry of Municipalities and Urban Planning and a series of questionnaires received from 350 inhabitants. After introducing the basic framework as a model, the three dimensions of sustainability - ecological efficiency, economic growth and social equity - are analysed in relation to the urban qualities needed for producing them. In conclusion the general challenges in establishing sustainable urban development mechanisms in Doha are discussed.
Recent efforts to formulate strategies that will turn Qatar's capital city into a global hub have given rise to a debate about the morphological and functional composition of one of Doha's most prominent areas - West Bay. At the end of the 20th century West Bay, also known as Diplomatic Quarter, was chosen by public initiatives to become the new Central Business District of Doha. Today, the appeal of West Bay as a business hub is contested by other emerging urban centres - such as the highly integrated Al Sadd area, which has attracted a wide range of advanced producer service sectors. It is therefore the objective of this paper to investigate the spatial configuration of Doha's West Bay, which arguably lays the foundations for the socio-economic interdependences necessary for its vitality and sustenance. In order to quantify its intrinsic urban complexities, Bill Hillier's space syntax methodology is applied, which elucidates, in various scales, global and local grid conditions, and thus can be used for assessments regarding the distribution of land use patterns and infrastructural networks.
This paper aims to offers an assessment of the current transformation process of Doha's historic centre, which has become a major focus of public development strategies. While the historic centre was neglected during most of the second half of the 20th century, recent public initiatives have been leading to new urban morphologies and typologies. In addition to the redevelopment of the historic market and the investments in museums, a large scale mixed use development, known as Msheireb project, has been launched, which will replace an entire district. The objective of this paper is therefore to clarify how these public initiatives are modifying existing urban structures and to which extent this spatial reconfiguration contributes to major revitalisation objectives, such as diversity, consolidation and identity. The methodologies include a GIS survey to analyse the shift in urban densities, land uses and typologies as well as a Space Syntax study assessing the various levels of spatial integration in the case of the Msheireb project.
Centred on investigating urban space diversity this paper introduces a framework that enables the examination of urban qualities in emerging cities in the Gulf. The rapidly growing city of Doha is selected as a case study due to its rising importance in the region. Lefebvre's perceived-conceived-lived triad is outlined to illustrate how it can be utilized to identify factors that impact the production of urban environments. Notably, little attention has been paid to several growth aspects including the understanding of urban space diversity and the resulting inhabitants' spatial experience, their attitudes toward evolving urbanized spaces. Utilizing an attitude survey, the paper explores urban spaces in the city of Doha as experienced by different groups. An investigation of a number of key urban spaces is undertaken through the identification of key urban nodes. Spaces are examined from the perspective of the city's inhabitants using 490 responses to the survey. The results delineate that urban spaces lack key conditions amenable to creating urban diversity. Nevertheless, they corroborate the notion that urban spaces are perceived and experienced differently by different groups based on their gender, age, and cultural background. The paper concludes with suggestions toward a more inclusive approach to the understanding the production of urban qualities and the design of the city's urban spaces.
Since oil production commenced in the middle of the 20th century Qatar's capital Doha witnessed a rapid urbanisation period. Today, new development strategies, which have been implemented to diversify Qatar's economy, have led to a new urban transformation process with the vision to establish Doha as hub within global networks. Economic transformation processes in Qatar have always caused new structures within its society, which in turn affected urban developments. After decades of urbanisation based on the export of oil, the introduction of a hub vision at the end of the 1990s marked a new process that has been rethinking urbanism in Qatar. Although current developments have attracted worldwide attention, there has been rather little scientific reflection as to how current urbanism in the Gulf should be understood in relation to its past and projected future. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate the various factors impacting Doha's urban environment during economic transformation processes. Each economic transformation has had a large impact on the structure of the city's society as well as its built environment. The current transformation process can still be considered at its beginning. In order to understand the impact of contemporary economic diversification strategies, the city's past urbanisation stages and their spatial development factors had to be analysed. All in all four distinct phases of urbanism can be distinguished in the case of Doha: The pre-oil settlement, the modernisation period, the oil city and the globalised hub.
During the second half of the 20th century Qatar has witnessed its first urbanisation period, which was linked to the rapidly increasing oil production. Today, new development strategies, which have been implemented to diversify its economy, have led to a second urban transformation process. Concomitantly, Doha has witnessed its rise from being a small fishing village community in the middle of the 20th century to an emerging regional urban centre with more than 1.5 million inhabitants. This paper offers an exploratory analysis of the urban evolution of Qatar's capital city Doha based on Henri Lefèbvre's theory of space production. The paper explores different stages of economic transformation that have had a large impact on the structure of the city's society as well as its built environment. It also analyses, the most recent transformation process that began at the end of 20th century as a result of a rapidly growing real estate development generated by liberalisation policies and public investments. In order to understand the future impact of current economic development strategies, the city's past urbanisation stages and their spatial development factors are outlined through different periods - from the pre-oil settlement, to oil production, to liberalization and economic diversification strategies. The analysis of different stages manifests that each urbanization period was driven by a specific economic activity and was based on key governance and planning strategy with a particular impact on the urban structure and architecture. The paper concludes by relating the evolutionary process of the city to the challenges facing its future urban environment so that responsive strategies for liveability and quality of urban life can be envisioned and implemented.
Over the last decade Qatar's capital city Doha has been undergoing a new period of urbanisation that has created a new perception of the city as an emerging urban centre in the Gulf region. It has witnessed rapid urban growth driven by economic diversification strategies that have liberalised its markets. At the same time however the general urban consolidation has not kept pace and the liveability of many areas has decreased in quality despite the transformation of the city into a global hub because of large-scale projects. This paper aims to introduce a framework that can be utilized to analyse the complex interdependencies between Doha's recent economic transformation and the changing structure of its urban environment. It is designed to deliver insights into the various factors that produce urban space and their individual effects on urban qualities, taking as its basis Henri Lefebvre's triad of space production. The analyses resulting from the application of this framework have the potential to contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the needs of a thriving knowledge economy and the emerging urban environment that accommodates it.
_____________________
Covering about three million square kilometres, the Arabian Peninsula is mainly a diverse landscape of hot humid sandy coasts, arid desert, sparse scrubland, stone-strewn plains, and lush oases, as well as rocky and sometimes fertile mountain highlands and valleys. In addition to the indigenous local populace, the population is composed of large groups of expatriate Arabs and Asians, in addition to smaller groups of Europeans and North Americans; these expatriate groups represent a major workforce community of skilled professionals and semi-skilled or unskilled labourers from over sixty countries. The region’s contemporary economy, dominated by the production of oil and natural gas has created unprecedented wealth, which in turn has led to a momentous surge in intensive infrastructural development and the construction of new environments (Wiedmann, 2012). The ensuing impact of this fast track development on the built environment, in conjunction with the continuous and seemingly frantic quest for establishing unique urban identities (Salama, 2012), is seen as a trigger for introducing this special edition of Open House International. At the dawn of the new millennium, rulers, decision-makers, and top government officials started to demonstrate a stronger and more attentive interest in architecture, urban development projects and real estate investment; this concerted interest and attention have resulted in a new influential phase impacting on the development of architecture and urbanism in the Arabian Peninsula (Salama and Wiedmann, 2013). Cities on the Arabian Peninsula are continuously witnessing dramatic twists and turns that represent a diverse array of intents and attitudes (Salama, 2011). This can be explained by a series of vibrant discussions, characterised by a new unbiased openness, of the contemporary condition of architecture and urbanism in the Gulf region with its variety and plurality of perspectives and interests. “With their varied socio-physical, socioeconomic, socio-cultural, and socio-political presence, cities are always been highly differentiated spaces expressive of heterogeneity, diversity of activities, entertainment, excitement, and pleasure. They have been (and still are) melting pots for the formulation of and experimentation with new philosophies and religious and social practices. Cities produce, reproduce, represent, and convey much of what counts today as culture, knowledge, and politics” (Salama and Wiedmann, 2013). Evidently this statement manifests the significance of studying cities. While this edition addresses several cities on the Arabian Peninsula, emphasis is placed on key transformational aspects relevant to five important cities that include Doha, Abu-Dhabi, Riyadh, Kuwait, and Manama. Building on the efforts currently undertaken by the guest editors of this issue as part of a research project funded by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) under the National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), five papers focus on the city of Doha as one of the important rapidly growing cities on the Peninsula (Wiedmann, Salama, Thierstein, 2012). Each of the five papers discusses specific issues related to architecture and urbanism of the city. In the first paper, Salama explores image-making efforts in the city and introduces a multi-layered critical discussion based on analyses of the visual attributes of architecture and the way in which the city is portrayed in the printed media to materialize a hub vision. Mirincheva, Wiedmann, and Salama explore, in the second paper, the spatial development potentials of the West Bay as a vital rising business district in the city of Doha. In the third paper, Wiedmann, Mirincheva, and Salama elaborate on how public initiatives are altering existing urban structures and examine the extent to which the spatial reconfiguration of the historic core of the city contributes to major revitalisation objectives. In papers four and five, Salama, Khalfani, and Al Maimani investigate key dynamics of the inhabitants in relation to the physical environment of the city. Utilizing social science research techniques including cognitive and behavioural mapping, they offer an assessment of key urban nodes relevant to the way in which inhabitants experience the city and its urban spaces. In paper six, Elsheshtawy presents a contextualization of Abu Dhabi’s urban development while identifying and examining the factors that influenced its urban growth. He offers a case study of the Central Market— also known as Abu Dhabi’s World Trade Center, as an important urban intervention project. Al Naim, in paper seven, offers a brief investigation of urban transformation of Riyadh from the beginning of the twentieth century until the present day with the aim of capturing the way in which inhabitants have perceived surrounding urban environments and, in turn, the resulting impact on urban planning activities. In paper eight, Mahgoub traces the evolution of urbanism in the city of Kuwait and the associated forces that instigated various urban shifts. Wiedmann, in paper nine, explores the city of Manama and how its urban periphery has witnessed dramatic transformation, namely verticalization. In essence, he examines the evolution of urban planning that resulted in the construction of high-rise buildings on the city’s urban periphery by analysing urban devel-opment processes of key districts. The ending paper of this edition is introduced by Al Kodmany and Ali on how contemporary cities on the peninsula are being transformed by examining the role of skyscrapers in supporting place identity and how cities on the peninsula keep importing urban giants and exceptional buildings. The ten papers presented in this special edition address critical issues and the challenges cities on the Arabian Peninsula are facing to shape a better urban future. These include the impact and characteristics of the contemporary global condition and how it is currently shaping the urban environment of those cities, how architectural and urban identities are constructed through allegorical representations that speak to the past and aspire to the future by either rooting interventions into the real or the imagined past or by yielding to the tidal wave of globalization, and how such a condition is influencing the perception and experience of the average citizen. While the discussions raised in this edition are important and inter-disciplinary in nature, they do not offer blue prints or concrete panacea to current concerns or potential urban problems, as this is not the intent. The impetus here is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in architecture and urbanism in a region that enjoys unique richness in its culture, economy, and geopolitical position while facing serious challenges due to its rapid urban growth. Indeed, the value of the papers presented in this volume lies in establishing a critical architectural and urban discourse that contributes to international discussions while unveils urban transformations of cities on the Arabian Peninsula at the first decade of the 21st century.
____________________
Acknowledgement Partial support of this special issue is made through funds from the research project of the National Priorities Research Program, QNRF-Qatar National Research Fund (Project # NPRP 09 - 1083 - 6 – 023). The guest editors would like to thank our peer reviewers of the papers included in this issue for their remarks and suggestions.
_______________________
Please see more by downloading the full article.
Covering about three million square kilometres, the Arabian Peninsula is mainly a diverse landscape of hot humid sandy coasts, arid desert, sparse scrubland, stone-strewn plains, and lush oases, as well as rocky and sometimes fertile mountain highlands and valleys. In addition to the indigenous local populace, the population is composed of large groups of expatriate Arabs and Asians, in addition to smaller groups of Europeans and North Americans; these expatriate groups represent a major workforce community of skilled professionals and semi-skilled or unskilled labourers from over sixty countries. The region’s contemporary economy, dominated by the production of oil and natural gas has created unprecedented wealth, which in turn has led to a momentous surge in intensive infrastructural development and the construction of new environments (Wiedmann, 2012). The ensuing impact of this fast track development on the built environment, in conjunction with the continuous and seemingly frantic quest for establishing unique urban identities (Salama, 2012), is seen as a trigger for introducing this special edition of Open House International.
At the dawn of the new millennium, rulers, decision-makers, and top government officials started to demonstrate a stronger and more attentive interest in architecture, urban development projects and real estate investment; this concerted interest and attention have resulted in a new influential phase impacting on the development of architecture and urbanism in the Arabian Peninsula (Salama and Wiedmann, 2013). Cities on the Arabian Peninsula are continuously witnessing dramatic twists and turns that represent a diverse array of intents and attitudes (Salama, 2011). This can be explained by a series of vibrant discussions, characterised by a new unbiased openness, of the contemporary condition of architecture and urbanism in the Gulf region with its variety and plurality of perspectives and interests. “With their varied socio-physical, socio-economic, socio-cultural, and socio-political presence, cities are always been highly differentiated spaces expressive of heterogeneity, diversity of activities, entertainment, excitement, and pleasure. They have been (and still are) melting pots for the formulation of and experimentation with new philosophies and religious and social practices. Cities produce, reproduce, represent, and convey much of what counts today as culture, knowledge, and politics” (Salama and Wiedmann, 2013). Evidently this statement manifests the significance of studying cities. While this edition addresses several cities on the Arabian Peninsula, emphasis is placed on key transformational aspects relevant to five important cities that include Doha, Abu-Dhabi, Riyadh, Kuwait, and Manama.
See Editorial: Salama, A. M. and Wiedmann, F. (2013). Evolving Urban on the Arabian Peninsula. Open House International, 34, 4, pp. 4-5
___________________________________
DOI: 10.1057/978-1-137-46639-6_6
___________________________________________________________________
In the past two decades Doha has witnessed enormous urban growth driven by various projects and strategies, which were launched to realise the vision of a hub city within international networks. Successively, the increasing investments in combination with liberalisation strategies have affected the decentralisation of urban governance, while dramatically transforming Doha’s urban structure and built environment. This chapter explores the recent developments in Qatar’s “urbanism”. The impact of large-scale investments of oil and gas revenues on urbanism in Qatar’s capital city of Doha is discussed to offer insights into recent developments by adopting a multi-layered methodological approach that includes two major components. The first is a series of interviews with experts and planners working on strategies and plans within the public sector, while the second is a review of recently published data and figures regarding investments in relation to positioning Doha as future “hub city”. The methodology helps identify investment strategies and aspects of decentralised urban governance within which urban development is undertaken. The chapter concludes with a brief on how a new form of urban governance may enable the effective implementation of a hub vision in the case of Qatar.
This chapter examines the current fast track urban growth as an important characteristic of the emerging city of Doha. This growth is marked by intensive infrastructure projects, high-rise clusters of glass towers, new cultural facilities including art museums, emerging residential environments on the periphery of the city, as well as hallmark events. However, very few studies have addressed important growth aspects, including the examination of the way in which the inhabitants comprehend and react to their built environment and the resulting spatial experience. This paper examines the inhabitants’ spatial experience in key urban open spaces in the city by applying cognitive and behavioral mapping procedures coupled with an attitude survey. Applying the cognitive mapping technique, 108 responses were received, analyzed, and classified under three categories a) living, working, and visiting patterns; b) comprehension of home range, home zone, and movement; and c) ethnic affiliation: Qataris and other Arab expatriates. Implementing direct systematic observation and behavioral mapping of key urban open spaces revealed important outcomes that include absence of physical aspects amenable for effective use while offering a pleasant experience for visitors. The findings contribute to an in-depth understanding of the inhabitants’ spatial experience of the everyday urban environment of Doha. The conclusion emphasizes that by developing the knowledge generated from research findings that are derived from the direct experience of inhabitants, the various aspects of how certain areas work within the urban structure of the city can be elucidated and the means for improving the qualities of the everyday urban environment can be sought.
The paper traces the rapid transformation processes of Doha, Qatar’s capital city, both socio-economically and spatially since the end of the 20th century. Large-scale public investments in local developments that were intended to establish Doha as a regional and international service hub ushered in a new evolutionary phase in the city’s urbanism. Subsequently, an increasing number of international “Advanced Producer Service” (APS) firms set up offices in Doha, particularly attracted by emerging local real estate markets. In this paper, the authors attempt to clarify the distinct roles of APS firms and their employees in the development of urban complexity and diversity in Doha. They explore currently existing APS networks in Doha as well as the morphological consequences for urban fabrics due to the recent economic diversification process. The applied methodologies include a network analysis of 98 APS firms in order to investigate the current characteristics of advanced producer services sectors in Doha. The dynamics in recent urban developments are investigated using a comparative assessment of GIS data of the city in 2003 and 2013 as well as a Space Syntax analysis, which is used to investigate the spatial integration of office locations in Doha. Furthermore, 350 questionnaires of employees engaged in APS firms were evaluated to examine the locations of their weekly activities. These empirical investigations of various parameters within contemporary urbanism provide insights into how the transition into a service hub based on emerging knowledge economies and their networks is currently interdependent on increasing urban qualities.