Land Use Dynamics and Mobility Patterns in Muscat Capital Area:Insights from a Detailed Study of Al-Ghubra North

Abstract

Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman, has been developed since the 1970s with typical characteristics such as high urbanization rate, low-density urban sprawl, and private car based mobility. Land-use patterns favour the separation of functions, creating long distances for daily trips and a high traffic volume. State investments went into developing and improving the road network while the public transport has been neglected for a long time. In light of depleting resources and the recent decline of oil revenues, however, a first rethinking of transport policies and land use planning has set in. Diversifying the economy has become a major aim and efforts are made to encourage the private sector and to attract foreign direct investment. With regard to urban development, these policies are reflected in increasing changes in land use patterns. The paper analyses ongoing land use changes in al-Ghubra North, a multifunctional neighbourhood in Muscat, and discusses how far these forms of land use change contribute to a more sustainable urban structure and more sustainable mobility patterns.