Abstract
There is an increasing concern about the growth of car dependence and its associated negative impacts on cities, including economic and environmental factors, urban form and lifestyle. City authorities worldwide now pay increasing attention to sustainable transport systems by enhancing or introducing public transit services. An example is Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia, which has witnessed a significant growth in car ownership and population. Current efforts to reduce high dependence on private cars in Riyadh involve the development of a new public transport system. Against this background, this paper considers the wider impacts of the new public transport system in Riyadh City on urban form, economics, environment, social norms and culture. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews conducted with transport experts and officials of relevant authorities in Riyadh City. The study results highlight that the city’s urban form would have the highest impact on the uptake of public transport. Moreover, stakeholders assumed that the provision of public transport services in Riyadh would improve mobility, decrease travel time, and create more employment opportunities, positively affecting Riyadh City’s economy and the environment. Interviewees concluded that these potential interventions would affect social norms and culture positively in the long term.
Highlights
In the aftermath of World War II and as a result of economic development, cities over the world continue to grow; in 2008 the urban population has exceeded that of rural areas for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2009). Donovan and Munro (2013) expect the population in urban areas to double over the 40 years
This paper considers the wider impacts of the new public transport system in Riyadh City on urban form, economics, environment, social norms and culture
Interviewees cited evidence in the Metropolitan Development Strategy for Ar Riyadh (MEDSTAR) project, and the Riyadh Comprehensive Public Transport Plan by Canadian from the Intelligence Buildings Infrastructure (IBI) group in 2002 and 2006 respectively, which identify a public transport system being necessary for Riyadh City
Summary
In the aftermath of World War II and as a result of economic development, cities over the world continue to grow; in 2008 the urban population has exceeded that of rural areas for the first time in human history (United Nations, 2009). Donovan and Munro (2013) expect the population in urban areas to double over the 40 years. Previous studies (Aljoufie, 2016; World Health Organization, 2013; Zhao, 2010) indicate that a rapidly increasing population, urban sprawl and the proliferation of cars result in higher traffic volumes and increased vehicular use, leading to congestion and other negative impacts such as air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and economic losses. Saudi Arabia along with other Gulf countries have experienced extreme wealth, significant population growth and increased car ownership since the oil boom in the 1970s, which led towards less sustainable travel patterns such as congestion and air pollution (Aljoufie, 2014). In 2012, the Riyadh City authorities introduced a new investment of $22.5 billion to develop a new public transport system including six metro lines integrated with a bus network. The study’s results are presented in Section 5 and Section 6 presents the whole study discussion and conclusion
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