Doha: The urban planning, especially in a growing economy, should focus on what people want, experts said here yesterday.
Qatar is planning projects of massive infrastructure development in view of the 2022 World Cup. This development should not result in cast off mega-structures that are not accessible to the people, they said.
"The beauty of a structure lies in its appeal to the people," said Jeffrey Decker, speaking at the 2nd Annual Humanisation of Cities of Tomorrow Summit.
"It's always better to seek the opinion of the people through a poll before constructing a mega-structure. There is no use in building a facility that would not be visited by the people," he said.
Elaborating his point, Decker said the Museum of Islamic Art is one such example. Onlookers still wonder whether the facility is open to them. He suggests that one reason for this is the lack of linkages. Apart from proper spaces, the routes that link buildings to people should be easily accessible. "When you make an Island of a structure, you practically cast it off from the people," he said.
Experts suggested that the structural design of Qatar has over-lapped various styles, resulting in an obvious confusion of sorts.
While Qatar struggles to preserve cultural heritage in design, accessing these facilities pose a challenge for many.
Maheerah Gamieldien Mohamed, a reporter for Qatar Construction Sites, pointed out the increasing traffic in the central city, especially outside Souq Waqif, whose entrance and exit areas are not clearly marked out.
The two-member panel to which the issue of traffic jams was posed chose not to comment on it.
On the issue of the future urban development design of Qatar being inclusive of the expatriates, Martin Hay, the Director of Aecom, said the structural design of Qatar today is more expatriate-friendly.
"Because of the different categories of migrant workers here, it's a complex issue" he said.
Qatar's economy relies heavily on its expatriate community as they outnumber the local people by a huge ratio. When asked the same question, Decker said that he disagrees with the notion that structures should be labelled 'modern' or 'cultural'.
"Structures are only relevant; they can be used by both the expatriates and the locals."
Due to the warm climate, walking around the city is not a practical idea for most here. Yet one of the most ambitious areas of future planning of Qatar is to make it environment friendly. This includes turning it into a 'walkable' city. With the right kind of architectural design, it is possible to make Qatar easier to walk in, it was said.
© The Peninsula 2011
