apa 2012: emerging markets s443 urban planning in...

APA 2012: EMERGING MARKETS S443 URBAN PLANNING IN THE MIDDLE EAST

AND NORTH AFRICA

“Toto, I’ve got a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore…”

Geoff Batzel, Director Planning and Urban Development

KEO International Consultants, Abu Dhabi UAE

Moderator:

Cynthia Bowen, Director of Planning and Urban Design

RW Armstrong, Indianapolis IN

Contributors:

Christine Carlyle, Principal & Director of Planning

Solomon Cordwell Buenz, Chicago IL

George Kisiel, Principal

Okrent Associates, Chicago IL

OBJECTIVES

Learning objective 1:

Provide insight into the opportunities and challenges of working across the Middle East & North Africa.

Learning objective 2:

Discuss importance and limitations of cross-cultural dialogue: between planners and host nation nationals, and between planners from different planning traditions.

Good Afternoon

George Kisiel AIA, AICP

Okrent Associates, Inc

Planning in the Middle East / North Africa Region

MENA Region

MENA Region

United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates

Tribal History

United Arab Emirates

Tribal History

United Arab Emirates

Oil Fields

United Arab Emirates

Tribal Migration

Abu Dhabi

City

Abu Dhabi City

Abu Dhabi C.1967: Population ±50,000

Abu Dhabi C.1972—75: Population ± 130,000

Abu Dhabi C.1975

Abu Dhabi C.1978: Population ± 230,000

Abu Dhabi

City

Abu Dhabi Today

94% UAE’s Oil Reserves

2.9 million population

88.5% expatriate

16.4 M per capita net worth

Richest City in the World

Abu Dhabi City: CBD Skyline

Abu Dhabi City

Mohammed

bin Zayed

City

Emerald

Gateway

Khalifa

City A

Capital City Shamkha

Abu Dhabi City: 2005

1999—2001 building moratorium

Extreme housing shortage

New Property Law

Government initiatives

to provide housing

Mohammed bin Zayed City

Abu Dhabi Municipality

1.9 billion USD investment

Housing for 85,000

Primarily Expat population

Mohammed bin Zayed City

Z29

ME9

Z6

ME8 Z9

Gifted land program

150’ x 150’ plots

350 towers

5 sectors

Mohammed bin Zayed City: 150’ X 150’ PLOTS

Mohammed bin Zayed City: Underground parking

Mohammed bin Zayed City: Detailed prototypes

Mohammed bin Zayed City: Sector Z29

Abu Dhabi: Mohammed bin Zayed City

Abu Dhabi: Mohammed bin Zayed City

Abu Dhabi: Mohammed bin Zayed City

SCB

INTERNATIONAL

Christine Carlyle AIA, AICP Principal &

Director of Planning

christine.carlyle@scb.com

RECENT

WORK IN

THE GULF

REGION

Capital District City Centre Master

Plan, Design Guidelines and

Development Regulations

Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Prince Abdulaziz bin Mousaed

Economic City (PABMEC)

Ha’il, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Al Ain International Airport and

Aerospace Cluster Master Plan

Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Capital District City Centre Local

Government Overlay District

Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Capital District City Centre North

Spine District and Gateway

Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Airport City Master Plan, Abu

Dhabi International Airport

Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Doha Airport City Competition

State of Qatar

Al Ain Sanaiya District Master

Plan Competition

Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE

Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Doha, Qatar

Abu Dhabi Capital

District City Centre

Master Plan Abu Dhabi, UAE

1,000 Hectares

Mixed use downtown

1.6 mil sm2 Office

700,000 sm2 government

office

200,00 0 Population

60,000 units Residential

750,000 sm2 hotel

450,000 sm2 retail

Sustainable Approach

Abu Dhabi Capital

District City Centre

Master Plan Abu Dhabi, UAE

10km2 total city plan

Detailed Development and

parcelization of the high

density CBD of the Capital

District including

guidelines and plot

specifications.

Abu Dhabi Capital

District City Centre

Master Plan Abu Dhabi, UAE

business and symbolic

heart of the nation and the

region

Abu Dhabi Capital

District City Centre

Master Plan Abu Dhabi, UAE

special district detailed

urban design

gateway districts

Abu Dhabi Capital

District City Centre

Master Plan Abu Dhabi, UAE

public realm and open

space guidelines and

design palette

inviting landscapes with

balanced irrigation

strategies

Abu Dhabi Capital

District City Centre

Master Plan Abu Dhabi, UAE

building prototypes

transect approach from

highest to lowest density

form based urban design

and development

guidelines

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

The Landscape Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Dry port

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

158 km2 total city plan

26 km2 first phase

12,500,000 m2

26,500 housing units

90,000 population

comprehensive ecological

city plan

land use and transport

planning respective of the

landscape

green infrastructure

strategies throughout

Universities Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

The Context Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Infrastructure Development Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

Phase 1 – 28 km2

Airport

Industrial

Urban Center

Residential

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

contemporary

Saudi Arabian city

respectful of regional

patterns of life

multiple neighborhood

centres

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

mixed-use central

business center

civic center

transport oriented

development

Prince Abdulaziz

bin Mousaed

Economic City Ha’il, Saudi Arabia

neighborhood urban

design

community facility

planning

open space and

pedestrian networks

evocative of urban

patterns of traditional

Arabian cities

Christine Carlyle AIA, AICP Principal &

Director of Planning

christine.carlyle@scb.com

Thank You

Why Consult in the Middle East ?

Example of Abu Dhabi,

United Arab Emirates

Project Size & Complexity

BiG

BiGGeR

BiGGesT

But not always best…

Project Size & Complexity

Project Size & Complexity

Capital City District

Abu Dhabi, UAE

• 17 square miles

• “2nd City Centre” for Abu Dhabi

• Residential pop: ~375,000

• Daytime pop: ~800,000

• 18 month planning effort

Extremely detailed physical planning for master plan

Politically driven feasibility

No project level costing during planning

Project Size & Complexity

Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Mousaed Economic City, Ha’il Saudi Arabia

• 60 square miles

• New industrial/logistics city for north

• Pop: ~350,000-400,000

Part of national economic diversification strategy

Politically driven mandate

Economically driven planning

Project Size & Complexity

Shamkha National Housing

Abu Dhabi, UAE

• 5 square miles

• Suburban mixed-use community

• Residential pop: ~50,000

• 12 month planning effort

Part of national housing strategy

Extremely detailed physical planning for master plan

Delayed due for political reasons

Project Size & Complexity

South of Shamkha

Abu Dhabi, UAE

• 15 square miles

• Suburban mixed-use community

• Residential pop: ~150,000

• Extended planning/replanning efforts

Part of national housing strategy

Forced redesigns due to advent of 2030 regional growth plan

Under construction

Modernization and Change

Old School

The Rise of Planning in Abu Dhabi

Modernization and Change

Old School New School

The Rise of Planning in Abu Dhabi

Modernization and Change

Visions and Idealism

Modernization and Change

Advancing on All Fronts

Modernization and Change

Advancing on All Fronts

Modernization and Change

Advancing on All Fronts

Modernization and Change

Advancing on All Fronts

Modernization and Change

Hitting the Wall: The Power of the Push Back

Modernization and Change

Advancing on All Fronts

Modernization and Change

Finding the Balance

The Flip Side of Consulting in the Middle East

How to Do Business

New Contract Type: FIXED FEE – VARIABLE SCOPE

Labor Practices

“ As soon as this job stops being fun, I’m quitting !”

A Matter of Time

Patience is a virtue…

…often in short supply

RW Armstrong & Associates, Inc.

Libya Operations

Cynthia Bowen, AICP

Associate // Director of Planning & Urban Design

cbowen@rwa.com

Planning in Libya

1ST Day in Libya

Planning in Libya

Government Structure

• Pre-1969 Kingdom of Libya

– Occupied by Greeks, Roman, Ottoman and

then Italians

– United Nations established Libya as its own

country in 1951

– Ruled by a King

– Heavy influence on architecture

• Dictator from 1969 to 2011 (Muammar Gaddafi)

• Ministries

– Housing and Infrastructure Board –master

planning, urban planning, water and sewer

projects

– Transportation Planning Board – roads and

airports projects

– Tourism – bring people into country and

protect some of Libya’s natural heritage

Planning in Libya

The Second Planning

Generation included a

National Physical Perspective

Plan, four regional plans, 13

sub‐regional plans,

comprehensive and master

plans of 220 cities

and towns.

Khalij

Region

Tripoli

Region

Benghazi

Region

Planning region Area in Km²

Tripoli 224,990

Benghazi 135,270

Khalij 730,960

Fezzan 684,240

Total 1,775,460

National Planning

Fezzan

Region

Planning Approach in Libya

Planning in Libya

Redevelopment Projects: 2007-2011

Planning in Libya

Sabratha Regional Plan

Planning in Libya

Private Development: Energy City, Libya

Planning in Libya

Private Development: Energy City, Libya

Planning in Libya

The Civil War

• Tunsia uprising to the west and Egypt uprising in

the east

• The Arab Spring transformed the country - February

2011 the uprising in Benghazi started

• We evacuated 20 people over the week of February

21st

• All assets were frozen and personal effects were

left behind and stored in our main office in Libya

• Seven employee were active to keep us informed

• We have to apply for license for each asset (all

project)

– All 100% capture of our assets

– 1st license June 2011

– By October of 2011 we were

given all approval to start

negotiating

Planning in Libya

Recovering and Restarting

Planning in Libya

Doing Business in Libya

US Laws Applicable to US Businesses

– 2004 embargo lifted

• Things move very slow

• Language Barriers

• Cultural Barriers

• Meetings Are Different

– No written or verbal

commitments

– “Inshal Allah” هللا شاء إن ‎

• In Country Handler

– Sponsor

– Entrance & Exit

– Interpret things

– Grease the wheel

Planning in Libya

Doing Business in Libya

Planning in Libya

Thank You!

Cynthia Bowen, AICP

RW Armstrong & Associates

Associate //

Director of Planning & Urban

Design

cbowen@rwa.com

Themes

•Modernization of planning practice

•Adaptation of practice to fit local reality

•The allure of the large project

•How to do business: contracts, legal, & labor markets

• Focus on “hard” physical planning over “soft” social planning

•Often tenuous connection between planning & feasibility

•How political “events” can quickly & dramatically intrude

Discussion & Questions