Creating identity in new communities: case studies from Saudi Arabia

Community identity is considered a desirable goal for various reasons. This paper traces the impact of rapid and unprecedented urbanization on the structure of Saudi cities by taking the example of a small town, Al-Badai in the Riyadh region. It points out how existing towns are struggling to regain their character through a number of methods including the provision of planning frameworks and the creation of new city centers. The paper discusses the creation of identity in the two new communities of Diplomatic Quarter, within Metropolitan Riyadh and Yanbu, the new industrial city on the Red Sea in the Western region. The paper describes how site exploitation, architecture of public buildings and housing employing the principles of traditional Saudi settlements, and landscape architecture with local trees and shrubs have been used in creating community identity. The use of hierarchy of mosques due to their frequent dotting of urban landscape as nodes and landmarks has been identified as a special feature of these communities. The paper brings out the roles of administrative structure and comprehensive planning approach in a centralized system of government for creating community identity.