Tall Buildings, High Expectations, Towering Responsibilities: Critically Considering Skyscrapers, Urbanism and Sustainability

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2018-11-23
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The present thesis investigates the tall building phenomenon in the Gulf cities through the lens of the place-making, urban integration, and sustainability. The specific focus is on four cities (Riyadh, Dubai, Kuwait, and Doha) in the Gulf countries. The overarching aim of this work is to draw a big picture of the vertical development in the region. To this end, a qualitative methodology—specifically, the case study approach—is used. Specifically, to investigate the tall building typology in the region, we perform an in-depth analysis of 12 cases studies (three cases from each of the four cities under study). To complement this analysis, several other data sources are used, including interviews with three different groups of stakeholders, literature review, documents and secondary resources, and field visits. Based on these sources to which appropriate methodologies are applied, the present thesis proposes a conceptual framework and formulates design guidelines that will help to enhance future planning and design of tall building in the Gulf region. Taken together, the results reported therein demonstrate that the issues of placemaking, urban integration, and sustainability are crucial to meet the needs of tall building construction in the Gulf region.
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Alotaibi, F. (2018). Tall Buildings, High Expectations, Towering Responsibilities: Critically Considering Skyscrapers, Urbanism and Sustainability (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/32873