IN-PERSON: Livable Cities – New York

Abstract

Initiatives for humanizing our cities aim to increase the social capital of neighbourhood communities and strengthen their social cohesion. However, a number of projects undertaken by various municipalities have resulted in decidedly negative results. This paper aims to understand the root causes in terms of misalignments and to suggest an appropriate strategy for circumventing the problems. Using a case study approach, two new projects in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia that represent the issue under investigation were analysed. A diverse set of data were collected through site visits and researcher observations of user behaviour. Interviews with inhabitants of neighbouring communities of the two projects were conducted to gather their points of views. The results showed that while the users of the projects were highly satisfied with the places for social interactions that they provided, the neighbours were very dissatisfied with the overall outcome. A large percentage of the users came from different parts of the city, and the influx of people into the neighbourhood community disrupted its feeling of cohesiveness. Countless specific issues arose in which the neighbours described negative effects resulting from the urban project. We would like to suggest that the methods for choosing the places for humanization initiatives and novel design features are very important for achieving the desired aim. Indeed, such programs should be designed on multiple levels, considering the size and characteristics of the target community. Moreover, the plans should first consider the city on a larger scale, then move down to work with the suburbs and smaller communities. This approach is essential to ensure that the multilevel initiatives achieve a well-integrated synergy.