Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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sites. The King, who was advised by a coterie of educated advisors from nearby Arab
countries, acknowledged the need to devise a system of regulations and procedures aimed
at enhancing order in the built environment and to monitor growth.
Urban and regional planning in the Kingdom has evolved with two distinct eras (A1
Hathloul and Anis-ur-Rahman, 1985). During the first era (1930 up to early 1970s) urban
planning in Saudi Arabia was essentially an incremental and ad hoc process which
responded to day-to-day problems and needs. Starting with the 1970s, the second era of
urban and regional planning emphasized a form of 'holistic approach' in which emphasis
has been placed on preparation of regional and urban plans based on evaluation of existing
conditions.
Prior to the 1970s, the common practice was platting of subdivisions in the outlying
parts of the towns and cities, many of which were distributed free to those interested in
building their own homes outside the walled towns. As demand for land rose, so new
tracts were thrown at the periphery. So to speak, free land was only available in the
rectangular new annexes at the periphery. In most cases, petitioners for free land had to
abide by the municipal regulations which sanctioned the setback concept, hence
encouraging the villa type. As such, and due to numerous measures that were followed by
local municipalities in complying with statutes issued periodically by the central state since
1357/1938, the grid pattern and the villa on a square lot were gradually adopted through
master plans, zoning regulations and decrees, directives and circulars. 36
It was a formative era because the measures that were taken by the government had a
lasting impact on the future of urban development and planning in the Kingdom. Such
measures were reactionary, essentially taken in response to day-to-day needs and problems
in major urban centers and settlements. It gradually introduced measures and regulations
aimed at controlling growth and enhancing order and scenic qualities in the build
environment. The movement to systematic urban improvements and the adoption of
statutory powers over subsequent urban development presents a turning point in the urban
processes in which the state has assumed a larger role than the putative purview it exercised
in the traditional built environment. The second period dates back to the early 1970s.