The “Before It’s Too Late” report was prepared by 29 Kuwaiti academics who set out to shed a light on the dire state of Kuwait’s economy. The report included a call for major reforms to correct the current trajectory of Kuwait’s chaotic urban sprawl and rescue the general condition of the State while it is still possible.

The report states that “the sustainability of the welfare state for future generations is not possible without sacrifices and concessions made by our current generation.”*  In this context, reforming Kuwait’s urban growth model is key to its overall transformation. Although the model of urban growth that Kuwait followed for more than 50 years may have been suitable when the population was limited and the resources vast, it is no longer appropriate or sustainable.

After many years of explosive population growth and a surge in spending and subsidiaries coupled with wasting resources and missing opportunities to create a productive sector, many challenges have arisen. Thus, we are obliged to reconsider our urban growth policies and unwise expansion, which is the source of massive governmental and individual wastage.

Reestablishing urban development in Kuwait on sustainable principles that protect the rights of future generations must be made a priority. The first step toward this goal is to control the model of chaotic urban sprawl, which is rejected worldwide due to its disastrous effects on the economy and environment.

Chaotic urban sprawl has a negative economic impact, as the segregated new cities require the construction of new roads, infrastructure, and services. They also require the employment of many services and an administrative workforce that would increase the State’s spending. This cost is felt now, and in the near future, it would constitute heavy obligations, which the State may not be able to keep.

The model employed today provides a single housing option that drains the state’s and the individual’s budget. Moreover, this model forces families to spend their entire savings on the procurement of housing, leaving them in debt for the rest of their lives. This cost does not even include the price of furnishing and maintaining large homes secluded on the outskirts with inadequate amenities. Also, in the future, the peripheries would receive the least amount from municipal and public services and become locations of complex economic and social problems.

The chaotic urban sprawl negatively impacts the environment. Urban sprawl consumes natural land, destroys the environment, and increases greenhouse gas emissions that result from a dependency on private vehicles and road usage. These factors contribute to increased temperatures as well as other climatic disasters, such as seasonal floods.

Chaotic urban sprawl also imparts a negative social impact in addition to its economic consequences. Chaotic urban sprawl increases class disparity and hinders the creation of coherent communities. The secluded urban setting, the time spent on roads, the large distance between home and work, and the lack of physical movement directly impact psychological and physical health.

We must take a stance while it is still possible and reconsider our urban development model. We need to choose a sustainable approach that meets our aspirations and protects the rights of future generations. Decision makers should urgently take these steps:

• Review the state’s master plan and reevaluate the location of future housing cities to ensure their suitability and efficiency, measuring their life cycle cost based on real givens.
• Conduct detailed studies on the existing metropolitan area, consider the possibility of redistributing land-uses, and introduce new land-uses that correspond with current conditions, requirements, and circumstances.
• Update housing design criteria and establish highly efficient guidelines that consider long-term costs and meet economic and environmental standards.
• Revise current building regulations and produce new ones that propose alternative housing options that accommodate different families and individuals.

… Before it’s too late!

• *kuwaitimpakt.com