Diving for the spatio-functional qualities of exclusivity at The Pearl-Qatar

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and globalization characterized Doha over the last half-century. Most research focuses on its urban expansion to the north, south, and west. However, urban development also occurred eastward into the Arabian Gulf via land reclamation projects for Al Corniche Road, West Bay, Hamad International Airport, portions of Lusail City, and The Pearl-Qatar. The last is a 400-hectare, US $15 billion artificial island development. It provides 32 linear kilometers of new coastline in northeast Doha. The Pearl is approaching its built-out date with a 2020 projection of 18,831 dwellings for 45,000 residents. The paper presents a morphological analysis of The Pearl-Qatar and its different districts. It includes figure-ground and pedestrian shed analysis, mapping ground-level land uses and active/inactive frontages, and space syntax analysis of the urban spatial network. The goal is to explain the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of The Pearl's design and planning strategies. We argue that The Pearl operates effectively for its purpose as an exclusive residential enclave. The design and planning selectively promote pedestrian walkability via compact mixed-use districts while carefully managing route connections and frontages to maintain a degree of residential exclusivity and privacy in the country's Islamic culture for socio-economic purposes. Nonetheless, there is room for improvement to promote pedestrian movement.