أرشيف الوسم: history

The newspapers have published the news about the proposal by the municipal council members to establish an independent municipality for Kuwait City. Dr. Sharifa Al-Shalfan, Eng. Farah Al-Roumi and Eng. Abdullatif Al-Dai submitted a proposal to establish an independent municipality for Kuwait City. This municipality would have a separate budget and particular organizational structure that adheres to the municipality’s regulations with the aim of raising the level of services offered. This is an excellent proposal that could contribute to the dismantling of government centralization and potentially serve as a first step in establishing more independent municipalities in all governorates, including the new cities like Al-Mutla’a, Saad Al-Abdullah, Sabah Al-Ahmad, and others.

People are often motivated to care for their cities due to the spiritual connection that binds them to the historic town. Nostalgia drives them to envision a positive, idealized past. Some elders and professionals people reminisce about the picturesque history of Kuwait City, recalling its walls, houses, ferjan, markets, beaches, seas, and other aspects of pre-oil social life. Specialists are working to leverage these features to shape the modern and future vision of Kuwait City while preserving the remaining historical monuments.

However, a major obstacle to this trend is that most citizens are not inclined to return to the old city’s image. Many who lived before the oil era appreciate the comforts of modernity, such as private vehicles, modern homes, residential suburbs, and amenities. The younger generation, on the other hand, has limited knowledge of the pre-oil era, often exposed to superficial glimpses of the past, through media or educational curricula. Media stereotypes about neighboring regional cities with their high-rise towers, highways, and architectural landmarks influence perceptions.

Furthermore, the systematic destruction of historic Kuwait City is irreversible. The city has been depopulated, erasing its original urban fabric, with the majority of its old buildings being demolished and replaced with modern facilities. Additionally, the completion of the First Ring Road Project further divided the city into two and dismantled its already fragmented fabric.

Kuwait City, as the capital, remains essential, serving as the nucleus of the state, the center of governance, and a hub of commercial activities. To salvage what remains and steer urban development in the right direction, the following steps should be taken:

• Promote the preservation of Kuwait City as a historical site with spiritual significance even though few physical artifacts remain.
• To undertake small-scale interventions and urban experiments to improve the city’s-built environment, serving as pilot studies for replication.
• Initiate the revitalization of the city by encouraging different segments of society to reside within its limits. A thriving city with permanent residents will foster interest in the place and create a vibrant environment round the clock.
• The establishment of the Kuwait City Municipality will undoubtedly contribute to the city’s development. It would concentrate efforts, define responsibilities, and streamline the complex bureaucracy complexities. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to the members of the Municipal Council for this valuable proposal.

Last week, Kuwait’s National Assembly passed the law on the establishment of housing cities, which was widely accepted and met with a lot of enthusiasm by a large segment of citizens and interested parties. Many politicians considered it a valuable achievement and proof of the fulfillment of some electoral promises.

Without a doubt, the law is a step in the right direction and a valuable opportunity for the government and the private sector to get out of the stalemate and monotony and to try to launch constructive cooperation between the two sectors that benefits citizens. It should be emphasized that no one claimed that the law offers a comprehensive solution to the housing problem or magically overcomes the phenomenon of the frantic rise in residential real estate prices in the State of Kuwait.

The reader’s reaction shows that the law did not live up to the ambition of the private sector. In its current form, it does not allow the free market to contribute directly to the provision of housing products according to the mechanisms of supply and demand. However, global experiences have proven that free market mechanisms lead to greater economic growth and provide wider alternatives for consumers at competitive prices for all types of goods, including housing goods.

However, after decades of political tensions, the Kuwaiti legislator was keen to take into account the nature of the local political system and took into account the citizen’s suspicion of the practices within the business and financial spheres. Accordingly, the law opened the way for international companies to compete with local companies to enhance competition and benefit from international experiences. The law also limited participants to public shareholding companies, and the subscription to them should be public, and the percentage of investors should not exceed 49%. These conditions are intended to reassure citizens by ensuring strict restrictions on private sector practices.

Despite the limitations of the law and the additional restrictions that the executive regulations of the law may set, the real challenge remains for the private sector to take the initiative to take advantage of this opportunity and to provide creative solutions that contribute, even in a small way, to solving aspects of the obstacles to the implementation of cities and residential suburbs. The private sector can only prove its seriousness and efficiency through the success of its initiatives and the provision of housing products that surpass the traditional model to which Kuwaiti citizens are accustomed.

This law is a small step in the right direction, but it does not address the root of the housing problem, which is to change the urban consumption pattern to which Kuwaiti citizens are accustomed. Thenumericalgrowth of the populationof the State of Kuwaitand the limitedrevenues of the Statedoesnotallowfor the continuation of the successiveexpansionandtheencouragementofextensivespendingonhousingunits.

The model of total dependence on central state institutions to continue providing housingcareto100%ofcitizensisillogical and economicallyunhealthyinthelongrun.

From an urban planning point of view, the law does not meet the ambitions of professionals. The continuous expansion of the urban area at an unsustainable pace continues to spur the state budget to provide services, utilities, and facilities. Additionally, the establishment of a housing unit model of 400 square meters per Kuwaiti family is still encouraged. This model is universally exceptional and does not correspond to the diverse nature of human beings and their changing needs.

The law will not change the urban reality, nor will it create smart or environmentally friendly cities for us. We will not see advanced roads, efficient public transportation, and pedestrian and bicycle paths, nor will good public spaces, parks, or unique architectural buildings.

But at best, the law will stimulate the private sector, unlock investment and commercial opportunities, and speed up the completion of housing projects. This is a significant achievement and a step towards further positive transformation in addressing the housing issue.

Municipalities around the world have a lot of roles, the most important of which is urban planning. Modern urban planning must conform to the requirements of the times and comply with adaptation, flexibility, and rapid response. The municipality is an important institution that operates in almost all countries in the world. The first municipality was established in the Italian city of Siena in 1239 AD. Its council had nine members whose main role was to manage the city’s affairs. The town constructed a city hall building overlooking the main square, symbolizing the central role of good governance.

The Municipality was established in 1930 in Kuwait at Sheikh Yusuf bin Issa’s proposal submitted to the Ruler of Kuwait, Sheikh Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, who blessed the idea. The work of the municipality continued until 1954, when a new law was passed confirming the independence and the pivotal role of the municipality that exists until today.

Municipalities, in general, work to achieve the following:

• • Make decisions related to the general environment of cities on behalf of the community.
  • Undertake major public tasks such as cleaning, organization, and management of public facilities.
  • Urban planning.
  • Oversee road services, public utilities, and firefighting services.

In the cities within the Gulf Region, municipalities must be given important roles since the cities are experiencing rapid growth and the residents face rapid changes. In these cities, the real estate sector is experiencing massive growth, making real estate a significant part of the gross domestic product. The total contribution of real estate to the GDP is between 7% and 10%, making it the second most lucrative product after oil.

Since its establishment, the Kuwait Municipality was a pivotal institution. It was directly linked to the institution of governance and laid the initial foundations for the creation of the modern state. It developed the first master plan in the Middle East. Nevertheless, its role gradually declined, and it relinquished a basic set of its powers over the years. As the country expanded, it was unable to carry out its mandated tasks optimally. Today, it has become a purely bureaucratic institution, an often-obstructive automotive tool, rather than a forward and motivation tool.

As a result, we need to redefine and reshape the municipality to regain its initial powers and responsibilities. We achieve this by redrafting its functions, responsibilities, legal powers, and geographic limitations. This way, we shall revive its role in urban planning to regain order within this lucrative industry.

The desired development cannot be achieved without the modern municipality taking into account the changing nature of contemporary cities and the rapid interaction needed with the requirements of social and economic activities. A modern municipality cannot succeed without basing its work on the concepts of adaptation, flexibility, and rapid response.

We are back to the usual traffic congestion starting with the school year. Most people complain, some put forward suggestions and proposals to tackle the issue, and many blame the responsible road/traffic authorities. There have been calls upon the Ministry of Education to alternate official school day timings, in an effort to try and relieve the problem. However, others have suggested more radical solutions that call for a ban on issuing driving licenses for foreigners and preventing them from owning private cars! This scenario inevitably repeats every year without progress, change, or resolution.

One cannot deny the efforts made by the Ministry of Public Works, and the Public Authority of Roads and Transportation, who are responsible for the mega projects underway that are changing the face of Kuwait’s roadways; many of which are still in the design and/or construction phases. While we feel some improvement in terms of journey duration with each projects completion, the effect isn’t lasting and quickly returns to its previous, terrible state.

Of course, it is an undeniable truth that traffic congestion is a positive sign of growth, prosperity, and attractiveness in a city. According to the Central Agency of Statistics, the number of private cars had reached 2,300,000 at the end of 2019. At the same time, the total population reached 4,400,000, meaning that there is one vehicle for every two residents in Kuwait; a high percentage indeed. However, despite the vehicle numbers, the quality of mobility really depends on the metropolitan area.

It has become crucial to understand the negative effect of traffic congestion. Kuwait’s urban transport conditions are terrible, and is the result of years of neglect, alongside a series of arbitrary decisions that have led to the current urban environment situation. It also has a corresponding high economic cost; many commercial activities lose possible customers due to bad traffic. Also, there is a time cost to be considered with congestion, where most of the labor force endure daily delays that costs the economy more than 633 million KD per year.

Various studies confirm a direct relationship between the daily experience of traffic congestion, and the decline of mental health, such as high-stress levels, anxiety, and depression. Additionally, traffic congestion is considered among the leading causes of environmental pollution, both due to noise, and low air quality, which leads to various health threats.

We must realize that there are no magic solutions, and we won’t be able to improve the condition through more capital being spent on roads and bridges. We won’t achieve a sound urban environment without a willingness to change our lifestyle, and make some sacrifices. Thus, any corrective measures will not be readily accepted by the public, and would face significant opposition. The below set of recommendations is intended to guide decision-makers and those working in the urban development field:

• Review all urban planning policies, and re-evaluate our land use to achieve balanced distributions and more mixed land uses. This should reduce the need for mobility and the use of private vehicles.

• Invest in public transport; directly fund public bus networks to attract more users, and revive the metro project, despite economic unfeasibility. Also, re-evaluate the condition of taxis, and improve performance through the development of systems, standard types of vehicles, and mandatory driver standards.

• In parallel with the provision of public transport alternatives, introduce policies to reduce the use of private vehicles by increasing the cost of issuing licenses and registration fees, fuel prices, and parking fares, especially in commercial centers.

• There is no other country where all students go to school by private car, and no university in the world matches Kuwait’s for the number of students who own personal vehicles. It is crucial to impose collective transport on students, which would make a giant leap towards changing the culture of using public transport in the long run.

• Create residential neighborhoods with the necessary services to lower travel needs, and provide pedestrian networks and bike lanes. Introduce measures to limit speed and increase safety, to encourage youth and children’s walkability.

• Encourage working from home, in both public and private sectors, utilizing modern technology. The speedy activation of the small business license allows Kuwaitis to use home addresses for various businesses. At present this process still faces bureaucratic obstacles and regulations that fail to understand the programs value and the spirit of the time we live in.

These broad lines could create a significant shift in the urban environment of Kuwait, and ignite a cultural transformation. However, these will not succeed without specialists, and a credible team with a futuristic vision willing to face the prevailing views, to achieve a change for the public good and serve future generations.