Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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My discussion starts with a historical overview of the development of urban planning
in the Western hemisphere. This is meant to set the stage for a comparative development of
the planning profession in contrasting cultures. Overwhelmed by rapid change, local
authorities in many Developing countries relied on Western models to assuage negative
outcomes accompanying rapid urbanization. Western planning consultants were hired to
draft wholesale master and comprehensive plans. For example, in a period of a little less
than two years, an American consulting firm was hired by the Libyan government to
complete thirty-five long term master plans for Libyan towns and cities. 4 Moreover,
Western paradigms have also come into vogue through the training of architects and
planners of the host countries in Western institutions. The unguarded use of imported
architecture and urban planning paradigms presents a paradox. Stefano Bianca wrote
Hence Muslim societies are facing an ambiguous situation: in most
countries, Islam still provides firm religious bonds and a strong
sense of community. On the other hand, western institutions,
political, economic and educational systems have been adopted,
which to some extent contradict the Islamic way of life....The tools
of European civilization imply a value system and an ideology of
their own, which is inseparable from the corresponding
techniques....Therefore, an indiscriminate use of these tools in the
Islamic context will necessarily mean a cultural struggle and
penetration by alien ideological concepts. 5
On the one hand, there is a deep concern over reaffirming traditional values and
bringing identity to the contemporary built environment. On the other hand, due to rapid
development, their was little time to ponder on the device of culturally-based design models
and policies. Instead, governmental planning organs fell on Western models. To Rowe,
the process of contemporary urban development sharply contrasts the past and draws
heavily on post-War Western architecture and planning models. Unlike its Western
counterpart, the Western models employed in Saudi Arabia, have not passed through
critical assessment as they have been maintained essentially in their original forms 6
I. THE ORIGINS OF WESTERN URBAN PLANNING AND THE ROLE OF WESTERN
CONSULTANTS
In Europe, Galantay wrote, "Christianity strove to enhance its identity with respect to
Judaism and to Islam, and fell back on classical traditions by embracing rationalism. Thus
Abelard claimed logic to be the preeminent Christian science and St. Thomas Aquinas
argued that a city must be the 'perfect and absolute assembly of its parts' which encouraged