Salama, A. M., & Wiedmann, F. (2013). Demystifying Doha: On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City. London: Routledge.
The book summarises Doha’s urban transformation process from the perspective of an architect and an urban planner. It is the first book to present and discuss both the historical development of this city as well as today’s planning challenges. Rapidly growing migration and new economies have led to new urban landscapes characterised by various emerging qualities and conflicts endangering the city’s sustainability. The book is based on joint research results by Prof. Ashraf Salama and Dr Florian Wiedmann. The book is currently available in more than 700 libraries worldwide.
International reviews:
“The authors provide an authoritative account of the development of Doha in the context of the rapid growth of Arabian Gulf cities. The book identifies the social and cultural changes associated with this growth and its positive and negative impact on the city of Doha. Such unbridled growth as seen in Doha can have deleterious consequences as the authors clearly identify. They propose the need for an urban development vision that integrates social, cultural and economic factors. Consequently, this book is a necessary guide for Doha’s decision makers in the public and private sector as well as design and planning educators and professionals. Although Salama and Wiedmann focus on the Arabian Peninsula they develop a unique investigative approach relevant for the study of other regions as well.”
Prof. Henry Sanoff, North Carolina State University, USA
“The book gives a comprehensive overview of the urban and architectural development of the Arabian Peninsula but in particular about the rapid growth of Doha. It offers a profound documentation of the urban structure and environment as well as the architectural forms of the city, while introducing significant knowledge on an area, which is often not well considered by international professionals planning in the metropolis. Salama and Wiedmann concentrate not only on Doha, Qatar and the Arabian Peninsula but also analyse the evolution of architecture and urbanism as products of contemporary global trends in governance, development strategies, image-making and the human encounters with the city. Demystifying Doha is a valuable source for every planner and architect working in Doha as well as those working in neighbouring countries of the Arabian Peninsula.”
Prof. Albert Speer, Albert Speer + Partner GmbH, Germany
“Salama and Wiedmann offer a far-reaching examination of the city of Doha within the larger context of the Arabian Peninsula. While their main focus is on the evolution of the city and its morphological transformations, they successfully map such evolution to socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects that characterized the growth of the city. Addressing the institutional environment in which decisions are made, the book highlights important aspects of urban governance. Discussing the multifaceted aspects of sustainable urbanism, the authors propose a framework for future investigations in similar contexts. The inclusive nature of the book makes it a necessary reading for policy makers, academics and professionals in architecture and urban planning. This is a great addition to the library of architecture and urbanism.”
Prof. Attilio Petruccioli, Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy.
Wiedmann, F. (2012). Post-oil Urbanism in the Gulf: New Evolutions in Governance and the Impact on Urban Morphologies. Stuttgart: SVH Verlag.
The book is based on a shortened and revised version of Dr Wiedmann’s PhD dissertation. This book explores the new form of urbanism in the Gulf States and examines the new ways of governance, rooted in decentralisation and privatisation, and its impact on the built environment. The studies mainly focus on the Emirate of Dubai and the Kingdom of Bahrain, where economic diversification incentives have been necessary due to shrinking oil and gas revenues. The property-led development strategies have led to new urban landscapes of rapid growth and thus a severe disconnection between people and places.
