Out of Sight and Out of Reach: Public Access Strategies Using a Mixed Method to Reconnect a Saudi Urban Mega-District with its Shoreline

Alhajaj, Nawaf; Hendrigan, Cole

doi:10.1080/08920753.2022.2078175

Cited by 1 publication

(1 citation statement)

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“…Such a decision will minimize social and physical distancing between users, as the lack of POS provision is not only linked to the six studied residential districts but the entire city of Jeddah [55,88]. The city also suffers from inaccessibility to a significant portion of its public shoreline because of privatization [90]. Moreover, 42% of Jeddah's population lives in areas between 50 and 150 p/ha, and the city's population is projected to reach more than 5.2 million by 2033, with a population growth rate of 3.2% per annum [88].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One-Kilometer Walking Limit during COVID-19: Evaluating Accessibility to Residential Public Open Spaces in a Major Saudi City

Habibullah

Alhajaj²,

Fallatah³

2022

Sustainability

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Considering the significance of physical activities in maintaining physical and mental well-being, several nations made exceptions during the COVID-19 lockdowns and allowed residents to walk outdoors, but with time and distance restrictions that varied across countries. This study aimed to identify if such regulations provided residents with equal access to public open spaces (POS) to engage in physical activity during the lockdown. Using a mixed research method (secondary descriptive data, field observations, and spatial analysis), we assessed the one-kilometer walking limit imposed on six typical existing neighborhoods in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia. We find that the imposed one-kilometer limit was effective in providing accessibility, and the four urban factors ensured the effectiveness of the imposed walking distance: the small scale of residential districts in comparison to the long-imposed walking distance; the presence of neighborhood parks near main local streets; the distribution of neighborhood parks throughout the districts; and the absence of major highways that physically isolated residential districts. Notably, regulations related to walking distances during future pandemics should not be generalized to all cities; instead, they should be based on the existing availability of relatively good POS provisions with easy and equal access to all community members to enhance social sustainability.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%