Introduction by Agatino Rizzo
Al Asmakh – Al Najada area is the original city heart of Doha. In the last 50 years it has been affected by dramatic urban transformations as result of Qatar rapid, oil-based economic growth.
Starting from the 1960s and during the next three decades increasing oil exploitation revenues enabled the country to embark in a rapid economic and social development program resulting in a dramatic urban expansion of Doha and its surrounding town*. The 1960s public housing policy, the introduction of new building materials enabling modern and denser urban blocks, and the need for public land to locate government functions can be considered among the main drivers for urban changes in Doha.
In 1972 a consortium of British planning firms was hired by Qatar’s government to prepare master plans for the city of Doha and to advise the newly established Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The consultants suggested a dual strategy of de-concentration of population from today’s A ring area - to make space for traffic infrastructures - and reclamation of shallow waters to the North of Doha to provide an exclusive location to government ministries.
Deconcentration and urban redevelopment of Doha city centre meant the dramatic transformation of parts of Al Asmakh – Al Najada area with new housing typlogies, densities, street layout, etc. In particular Al Najada is part of the Grand Hamad project which is locally labeled the "bank road", due to its large concentration of banks. Al Asmakh instead mantained its ancient urban layout, however becoming a neglected area for the large South Asian community.
Al Asmakh – Al Najada area is the original city heart of Doha. In the last 50 years it has been affected by dramatic urban transformations as result of Qatar rapid, oil-based economic growth.
Starting from the 1960s and during the next three decades increasing oil exploitation revenues enabled the country to embark in a rapid economic and social development program resulting in a dramatic urban expansion of Doha and its surrounding town*. The 1960s public housing policy, the introduction of new building materials enabling modern and denser urban blocks, and the need for public land to locate government functions can be considered among the main drivers for urban changes in Doha.
In 1972 a consortium of British planning firms was hired by Qatar’s government to prepare master plans for the city of Doha and to advise the newly established Ministry of Municipal Affairs. The consultants suggested a dual strategy of de-concentration of population from today’s A ring area - to make space for traffic infrastructures - and reclamation of shallow waters to the North of Doha to provide an exclusive location to government ministries.
Deconcentration and urban redevelopment of Doha city centre meant the dramatic transformation of parts of Al Asmakh – Al Najada area with new housing typlogies, densities, street layout, etc. In particular Al Najada is part of the Grand Hamad project which is locally labeled the "bank road", due to its large concentration of banks. Al Asmakh instead mantained its ancient urban layout, however becoming a neglected area for the large South Asian community.
Recently, however new plans are being implemented by the government to redevelop the area. The chosen approach for urban redevelopment is similar to the one adopted for the adjacent Mshereib Redevelopment area: extensive demolition of the existing built environment, new street layout, and relocation of the current population to let space for a model, mix-used development for the upper class/expatriate community.Within the Master of Urban Planning and Design a group of students (Fatima Abdulla Khalfani; Ahood Abdullah Al-Maimani; Khaled Tamim Nassar) coordinated by a Faculty (dr. Agatino Rizzo) reflected on the current issues of this area and put forward new urban scenarios.
The first step consisted in developing a comprehensive Urban Situation Analysis (Stakeholder Analysis, Urban Situation Profile, Urban Situation Appraisal (SWOT) and a Consolidated Urban Diagnosis). The results of the first step were then used to inform the Scenario Planning exercise, an innovative participatory methodology which allows to explore the effects of local/global driving forces in the investigated area.
The issues considered in this research include:
1. urgent need of urban renewal whilst trying to preserve the old cultural and historical values in the area;
2. past history and cultural values;
3. challenges in trying to attract Qataris back to the city centre to live;
4. relationship with the close, ‘new urbanist’ urban redevelopment being undertaken by Qatar Foundation (Mshreib project);
5. urban design and community building challenges;
6. relationship with the close, redeveloped Souq Waqif;
7. recent Government decree for single workers to relocate away from the CBD and single family residential areas;
8. future impact of the Metro station and location of a major bus interchange;
9. opportunity to implement TOD principles;
10. other challenges in relation to preserving economic activity in the area.
*See RIZZO, A. (2012) Metro Doha. Cities, doi:10.1016/j.cities.2011.11.011The first step consisted in developing a comprehensive Urban Situation Analysis (Stakeholder Analysis, Urban Situation Profile, Urban Situation Appraisal (SWOT) and a Consolidated Urban Diagnosis). The results of the first step were then used to inform the Scenario Planning exercise, an innovative participatory methodology which allows to explore the effects of local/global driving forces in the investigated area.
The issues considered in this research include:
1. urgent need of urban renewal whilst trying to preserve the old cultural and historical values in the area;
2. past history and cultural values;
3. challenges in trying to attract Qataris back to the city centre to live;
4. relationship with the close, ‘new urbanist’ urban redevelopment being undertaken by Qatar Foundation (Mshreib project);
5. urban design and community building challenges;
6. relationship with the close, redeveloped Souq Waqif;
7. recent Government decree for single workers to relocate away from the CBD and single family residential areas;
8. future impact of the Metro station and location of a major bus interchange;
9. opportunity to implement TOD principles;
10. other challenges in relation to preserving economic activity in the area.
