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Corresponding Author

Tarek Galal Habib

Subject Area

Architectural Engineering

Article Type

Case Study

Abstract

The urban townscape of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia is the most prominent them of the urban transformations that have passed through the Kingdom as a result of economic changes, which reflected changes on the character of cities (except for the new cities in the eastern region and the neighboring old cities was not characterized by acute tension with the new ones (Al-Naeem,2008). In Riyadh, the capital of the Kingdom, visual tension occurred only in the second half of the twentieth century. However, this boom of traditional construction methods did not last through the era of technology, car entry and concrete construction. Different cultures began to affect the urban townscape, represented in particular (Al-Naeem,2008), that lost the scene most of its characteristics and components, thus forming an exotic urban scene that contradicts its principles with the traditions of Saudi society. Therefore, this study aims to identify the current situation of the urban townscape of the traditional residential neighborhoods and what has become the scene at present and compare it with the urban townscape of contemporary residential neighborhoods. In order to develop a scientific method to help the competent authorities to deal with that scene in order to achieve access to a distinctive urban scene with harmonious relations to avoid the current problems in existing residential neighborhoods of Riyadh and new residential neighborhoods. To achieve the objective of the study, two main approaches are addressed: one representing the theoretical framework, the other representing the practical framework. The theoretical framework of the study is the collection of information through the review of theoretical literature about the urban townscape, its components and elements, and therefore relied on the inductive method. Then a set of elements is drawn up to be used in the second approach (the practical framework), which is an analysis of the urban townscape of the selected residential neighborhoods, and then a comparison between the past and present urban townscape. In comparison, the study showed a complete transformation of the urban townscape of the traditional residential neighborhoods from a harmonious urban townscape with a historical identity to a mixed urban townscape without identity. This was reflected in the modern urban townscape, which despite its dependence on technological factors has not been utilized in adapting it to achieve a new character represents the contemporary period of the Kingdom, as well as the absence of man from the contemporary urban townscape

Keywords

Townscape, Traditional residential, neighborhoods, Contemporary residential neighborhoods, Technological factors, Local identity, Form Based Cods.

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