A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities

Addas, Abdullah; Maghrabi, Ahmad

doi:10.3390/ijerph17165970

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A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities

Abdullah Addas

and

Ahmad Maghrabi

Landscape Architecture Department, Faculty of Architecture & Planning, King Abdulaziz University, P.O. Box 80210, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17(16), 5970; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165970

Received: 2 July 2020 / Revised: 12 August 2020 / Accepted: 14 August 2020 / Published: 17 August 2020

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Abstract

Public open spaces (POS) have an essential positive impact on cities and their residents. These spaces play a critical role in enhancing users’ physical, mental, and social wellbeing. In addition, POS improve city resilience and economic value, and act as part of the city’s visual amenities. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is taking many approaches to enhance quality of life in all its cities through initiatives such as increasing the POS area per capita. Several studies have examined the importance of the accessibility of POS in addressing users’ needs. In this study, we measured the per capita area and accessibility of POS in the three megacities Riyadh, Dammam, and Jeddah. We also collected data on user preferences for the use of POS through semi-structured interviews, observations, and an online questionnaire. This study suggests that the country needs to establish its own POS planning approach based on users’ desires and behaviors when using POS, as well as the country’s social characteristics, and to depend not only on standard international planning approaches. The paper recommends considering the possibility of increasing POS by creating typologies of these spaces based on each city’s landscape characteristics. This proposal will have a major impact on city planning and design in Saudi Arabia. In addition, it will make the Saudi cities livable and have a positive impact on the physical, mental, and social wellbeing of the population. View Full-Text

Keywords: public open spaces; planning approaches; planning standards; Saudi Arabia

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Addas, A.; Maghrabi, A. A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020, 17, 5970. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165970

AMA Style

Addas A, Maghrabi A. A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(16):5970. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165970

Chicago/Turabian Style

Addas, Abdullah, and Ahmad Maghrabi. 2020. "A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17, no. 16: 5970. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17165970

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A Proposed Planning Concept for Public Open Space Provision in Saudi Arabia: A Study of Three Saudi Cities

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