Dissertation_Dr Faisal Almubarak

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terms "The Contemporary city of Incoherence." 59
B. 'No Man's Land
The wholesale adoption of the gridiron network based on rectangular lots was a
practical approach to adopt to the new technologies and exigencies of rapid growth.
Several negative outcomes have resulted from the unchecked application of the grid iron
and its corollary the setbacked villa: (1) the encroachment on residents' privacy by
neighbors and other public and private buildings' users, (2) the creation of large,
uncovered areas as part of the developed land, e.g. yards, wide boulevards, streets and
ample parking space, all have diluted the urban mass, and (3) the production of "walled
corridors", that is wide and extensive urban space dedicated to circulation, streets and
sidewalks separated from adjacent properties by high walls. These negative outcomes will
be discussed in the following paragraphs.
First, the superimposition of the villa, situated in rectangular lots and surrounded by
an outer yard, has occurred at the cost of abandoning the traditional mud house built around
the courtyard, historically suited for environmental conditions and social norms. The
majority of modern buildings, including villas and other non-residential uses are setback
from property lines according to municipal formulas (e.g. structures must be built at a
distance no less than that of one-fifth the street width from the property line). Moreover,
the majority of these buildings are two-story structures or more and built with
unconventional fenestrations: large windows and balconies overlooking neighbors' yards.
This has caused considerable infringement on many of the overwhelmingly conservative
households, which view privacy as a necessity.
To counteract the lost privacy and to maximize utilization of yards by household
members, residents have resorted to antidotal measures such as the construction of high
walls, as high as two stories, rimming their outer yards and the erection of high screens
between neighbors and the blinding of windows (e, g, with screens), all to shield their
homes and yards from obtrusive looks. The ubiquitous wall has become a physical
manifestation of cultural emphasis on privacy. These walls and screens have become an
indispensable element of, not only residential units, but also commercial complexes,
governmental buildings, public parks, and the like. In the West and other urban systems
with moderate climates, setbacks have been utilized as landscaped areas and yards therefore