The majority of city centres in Saudi Arabia were developed on what used to form the old cities. These centres lost through the cities development stages their dominance as most of their activities migrated and dispersed to the new sectors of the cities. The city of Arriyadh, the capital of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, faced an exceptionally fast development. Consequently, most of the activities were decentralised from the city core, the Justice Palace District (JPD), causing it to fall into disrepair. Only limited commercial and administrative functions remained in the JPD maintaining it as the city's traditional heart. Despite the conditions of the JPD, the government insisted on continuing its presence there. The government has started major developments to assure its intentions to rejuvenate the area. However, the development of the JPD private areas is the challenging and critical part of the rejuvenation process. The private areas cover about 60% of the area with a complex ownership pattern. Chapter 1 of the thesis gives a historical background of the city. It addresses the special religious motivations in the central part of Saudi Arabia reviewing the different Islamic schools of thought. It then reviews the evolution of the Islamic City and discusses its traditional form and its main features. From there it presents the traditional urban fabric of the city of Arriyadh and the factors that shaped it. It emphasises the effect of religion on the Islamic City comparing Arriyadh with the city of Ghardaia in Algeria. The chapter finally discusses the status of the history of Arriyadh. The chapter aims to help understand the forces that governed the development of the city and to provide a feeling of the atmospheres in which political decisions are made to direct the future of the city. Chapter 2 reviews the development of a modern government structure in Saudi Arabia. It also addresses the development of planning in the Kingdom and the city of Arriyadh. It emphasises the role of the High Commission for the Development of the City of Arriyadh, the city's planning authority. After a review of Arriyadh Master Plans, the second chapter evaluates the status of planning in Saudi Arabia emphasising its distinct system. The chapter finally reviews the urban development phases of the city and its existing conditions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:660247 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Othman, Zahir A. |
| Publisher | University of Edinburgh |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://hdl.handle.net/1842/20079 |
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