11th EAEA Envisioning Architecture: Design, Evaluation, Communication Conference in 2013

Track 2 | Experiential Simulation | The sensory perception of the built environment

Users’ perceptions about planning and design of public open spaces: a case study of Muscat

ABSTRACT

Public open spaces have played a significant role in the development of society and cities. There are presently increasing concerns globally regarding the essential value of those spaces. The understanding of successful public open spaces as the most liveable and well-used by public has grown. Although there already exists much research in this area, enough emphasis has not been placed on such spaces in Middle-Eastern cities. This study brings fresh evidence from Muscat in comparison with international knowledge and contributes to planning and urban design theories for other Middle-Eastern countries. The emergence of what is known as the modern renascence era since the 1970s has changed Muscat dramatically in very short period of time. Users’ perceptions have also changed, meaning that the demand for good quality public open spaces is growing. In this regard planning and urban design must have a deeper understanding of users’ needs; especially when intending to create a successful public open space. This paper examines the effectiveness of urban design and planning practice in providing liveable public open space in Muscat by investigating users’ perceptions through four detailed case studies of selected squares and plazas. In order to explore users’ perceptions, 120 face-to-face questionnaires were conducted in the four case studies. Structured interviews were conducted with community representatives to find out constraints that hold potential users from using the spaces. Data shows that spaces in Muscat require extra consideration of users’ needs in the planning and design system to deliver spaces that allow the people in Muscat to more effectively engage with their environment.

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AUTHORS

Hanan Aljabri

Head of Architectural Section, Directorate of Central Design, Muscat Municipality, Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

Hanan Aljabri is an Architect in Muscat Municipality, Oman. She was part of the design team of Al-Sahwa Garden which won awarded as the best landscape project in 2010 from the Arab Town Organisation in Doha, Qatar. After her six-year career as a Head of Architectural Section in Muscat Municipality, She decided it was time for a change of scenery (and weather) and moved to Edinburgh, where she done her M.Sc. in Urban and Regional Planning from Heriot-Watt University. She is currently in her last year of her PhD study in public open spaces at the same university.

Harry Smith

Senior Lecturer, School of Built Environment, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK

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