A vision for directing future planning efforts: the case of villages of southwestern Saudi Arabia

The paper assesses the planning efforts in southwest Saudi Arabia during three stages of development; traditional, transitional and contemporary. The modern planning models were introduced in this area over the last 30 years to deal with rapid economic and social development. The investigation views them as ineffective in preserving the indigenous pattern as well as controlling the urban blight and sprawl especially when comparing the outcome of traditional planning models. With modern models, the traditional village of southwest had a distinguished urban pattern, architectural style and vernacular landscape. The guidance for directing planning efforts should express and respect local economic, climatic, and cultural requirements in the form of policies and guidelines. The planning efforts should preserve physically social values and promote sustainable resources. The planning efforts enhance in a way or other the environmental quality of the built environment, landscape, and remedy the haphazard urban growth and blight, which took place during the transitional stage. The paper proposes a new relationship between a planning and social structure to overcome the unprecedented changes based on a re-evaluation of traditional practices. It argues that a new emphasis on local participation and control might help reverse the current pattern of legitimate planning efforts being subverted by entrenched local interests. It uses the traditional settlements as case examples of past practices and current conditions for directing future planning efforts.