Livability and Urban Quality of the Souq Waqif in Doha (State of Qatar)

Abstract

Doha, the capital city of the State of Qatar, has undergone rapid economic growth and urbanization over the past 20 years. In contrast with developed countries, where sustainable development has been implemented on a neighborhood scale, sustainable planning research has still been concentrated at the national level and less on the neighborhood level in the State of Qatar. Achieving the development of healthy cities without green and sustainable neighborhoods within them is challenging. The dynamism, livability and diversity of cities rely upon the cohesion of its neighborhoods as they make up the urban fabric from which enduring settlements are formed. Moreover, walkability and connectivity have been identified as two of the central aspects for enhancing neighborhood livability. However, the introduction of the car has transformed traditional pedestrianized street patterns into a car-dominant street network, with traditional walking Souqs replaced by destination-based strip-shopping. This study aims to examine the extent to which the heritage neighborhood site of the Souq Waqif in Doha is livable and what further implementations can be employed to increase its social sustainability (livability).