Urban land development policies, the case of Saudi Arabia

The growth of population, the higher standard of living and all other changes associated with economic growth have been generating pressure on urban land, and consequently on urban land development policies. Under the continuous pressure of urbanization and urban growth, land policies have displayed several weaknesses. As a result urban growth has not been directed in a manner consistant with development goals, as been able to respond to social and cultural needs. The aim of this dissertation is to explain existing land policies, identify the problems of urban land development, the weaknesses of land policies and attempt to find appropriate solutions. This thesis comprises ten chapters. The introductory chapter presents the thesis. The second chapter looks into the phenomenon of urbanization and its impact on urban land. The third chapter defines land policies whilst the fourth discusses and presents the cultural and environmental criteria by which land development and land policies will be evaluated. Chapter five and six examining physical planning policies in Saudi Arabia. Chapter seven evaluate land development and deffine existing urban land problems,it contains three case studies for the purpose of evaluation. Evaluation of land policies against the generated problems of land development are discussed in chapter eight. The ninth chapter presents the thesis recommendations and the final chapter concludes the work and presents some final remarks. In brief, the study concludes that existing land policies are Inadequate to meet the pressure of market forces and to facilitate land improvement. Nevertheless, existing policies have failed to produce an urban pattern compatable with cultural and environmental conditions. These weaknesses include: The failure to provide land for development and urbanisation; The inadequacy of land use controls; Deficient administrative system for development control. In order to overcome the above existing policies weaknesses, the thesis recommended several changes: - To the administration system at the local and regional levels; - To legal and administrative procedure of development controls; and - To the system for providing land for development and urbanization.The growth of population, the higher standard of living and all other changes associated with economic growth have been generating pressure on urban land, and consequently on urban land development policies. Under the continuous pressure of urbanization and urban growth, land policies have displayed several weaknesses. As a result urban growth has not been directed in a manner consistant with development goals, as been able to respond to social and cultural needs. The aim of this dissertation is to explain existing land policies, identify the problems of urban land development, the weaknesses of land policies and attempt to find appropriate solutions. This thesis comprises ten chapters. The introductory chapter presents the thesis. The second chapter looks into the phenomenon of urbanization and its impact on urban land. The third chapter defines land policies whilst the fourth discusses and presents the cultural and environmental criteria by which land development and land policies will be evaluated. Chapter five and six examining physical planning policies in Saudi Arabia. Chapter seven evaluate land development and deffine existing urban land problems,it contains three case studies for the purpose of evaluation. Evaluation of land policies against the generated problems of land development are discussed in chapter eight. The ninth chapter presents the thesis recommendations and the final chapter concludes the work and presents some final remarks. In brief, the study concludes that existing land policies are Inadequate to meet the pressure of market forces and to facilitate land improvement. Nevertheless, existing policies have failed to produce an urban pattern compatable with cultural and environmental conditions. These weaknesses include: The failure to provide land for development and urbanisation; The inadequacy of land use controls; Deficient administrative system for development control. In order to overcome the above existing policies weaknesses, the thesis recommended several changes: - To the administration system at the local and regional levels; - To legal and administrative procedure of development controls; and - To the system for providing land for development and urbanization