VALUING ‘GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE’ IN JEDDAH: A CITY LOST IN ‘GREY’ INFRASTRUCTURE

Mohammed Aljoufie,Alok Tiwari

doi:10.3846/20297955.2015.1113901

Mohammed Aljoufie, Alok Tiwari

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3846/20297955.2015.1113901

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Abstract

In the planning of the urban green infrastructure it is important how the decision makers and residents value their living environment. While the coverage of Green Infrastructure in the case of Jeddah appears negligible, the paper attempts to find out its causal factor. We primarily consider (1) what are the challenges of resident's well-being in Jeddah which Green Infrastructure can solve. (2) What are the constraints; obstructing the sustainable expansion and development of green infrastructure in Jeddah and (3) what are the policy interventions required as well as crucial issues to be considered while planning of green infrastructure in Jeddah. Primary data through satellite imagery and secondary data from extensive literature search incorporating internal and external linkages on the problems; could generate further discussion on the way by which green infrastructure planning could be successfully loomed.

Highlights

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is among highly urbanised countries of the world with 83 percent of urban population (CDSI 2012) that is far above from world’s average of 50 percent (UN-Habitat 2013)
Roaring oil economy has allowed kingdom to allocate immense aegis for urban infrastructure development; in Jeddah urban infrastructures are in transitional phase whereas policy makers and planners are attempting to offer maximal infrastructure stock on the contrary city inhabitant feels that more attention is paid towards grey infrastructures such as roads, flyovers, sewer line expansion, and drainage provisions
This paper attempts to trace out major gaps prevailingin adequate expansion of Green Infrastructure in Jeddah; which would further serve as guiding norm for local policies in a city with costal arid climate conditions

Summary

Introduction

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is among highly urbanised countries of the world with 83 percent of urban population (CDSI 2012) that is far above from world’s average of 50 percent (UN-Habitat 2013). This paper focuses at Jeddah; the second largest city of kingdom with a current population touching 4 million. Roaring oil economy has allowed kingdom to allocate immense aegis for urban infrastructure development; in Jeddah urban infrastructures are in transitional phase whereas policy makers and planners are attempting to offer maximal infrastructure stock on the contrary city inhabitant feels that more attention is paid towards grey infrastructures such as roads, flyovers, sewer line expansion, and drainage provisions. Green Infrastructure (GI) is not attracting extensive attention from responsible authorities because its value and multi functionality is not well recognized while city acutely lacks adequate green spaces. This paper attempts to trace out major gaps prevailingin adequate expansion of Green Infrastructure in Jeddah; which would further serve as guiding norm for local policies in a city with costal arid climate conditions

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