أرشيف الوسم: مدن

As a result of climate change, we are witnessing a crisis that cannot be ignored. Our environment is rapidly degrading as we fail to battle climate change by any meaningful measures. Scientists worldwide agree that humans and urban developments are heading in the wrong direction. In this respect, Kuwait and other GCC countries’ urbanism faces two major challenges: lack of public transportation and rising temperatures.

Sudden wealth led to the rapid development and expansion of Kuwait’s urbanism in an attempt to fulfil the demand for larger single-family housing and other amenities. And, as the city grows and attracts more residence, the urban fabric sprawled outward — supported by wide networks of streets that encourage the population to rely on private vehicle travel. With severely limited transportation alternatives, we are trapped in an endless loop of cars, networks, and sprawl.

The wealth of the country and its residents resulted in the reliance on technology to address the harsh weather of Kuwait and other GCC countries in the design and construction of buildings. Further, conventional technologies have a high financial and environmental cost. We spend substantial money to make our buildings habitable, even though we cannot survive in them for two hours or more without electricity and HVAC systems.

In Kuwait and other Gulf countries, we have had an exceptional circumstance, whereby we feel that energy is cheap, as we enjoy high government subsidies for electricity and oil. This level of government support misleads the market and the general public and gradually influences our lifestyle and commercial practices.

Throughout the last fifty years, we have witnessed a strand of buildings that ignore any reference to the local environment and/or energy consumption. We see buildings in Kuwait and other Gulf countries that do not belong and can be erected anywhere in the world. Buildings are responsible for 72% of electricity consumption, and carbon emissions mostly come from the use of private cars and building energy consumption.

Our role as architects and planners shall be to focus on raising awareness. Architects should promote developments and buildings that aim to reduce carbon emission. We must demonstrate that saving energy is cheaper than buying it. For future sustainability, passive design approaches, high quality envelops, proper insulation, and smart responsive buildings technologies are key. Additionally, climate should shape our developments and buildings, not the other way around. Governments need to take steps to limit sprawl and make the general public realize the actual cost of energy and environmental consumption. Otherwise, we will never escape this loop, facing a catastrophic result.

The world is rapidly changing, and this change is creating and shaping new individuals as well as societies. Accordingly, concepts and values change as well; few of them resemble what was inherited from our past. The home acts as the nucleus for life in society, and the sum of the homes comprise of communities that share similar values. Then, these communities forge districts, cities, and the state itself.

Residential districts are crucial because their design directly influences the creation of personalities. As daily scenes are observed, they generate memories and confirm the values and customs of society at large. Further, the resulting environment produces the individuals through the lifestyle that it dictates.

The concept of the neighboring is deeply rooted in the Arabic and Islamic culture. Yet, under the modern state and its rule, neighborhoods lost their central position in society. We no longer see similar practices instilled in us by past generations. Gradually, we lost the meaning of (neighboring) due to various modern givens, such as:

• – In the past, people selected their home’s location naturally. People organized smoothly according to economic or professional divisions. Current situations prevent people from selecting their neighbors; the decision usually is dictated by economic factors or simply the chance of the location of social housing projects.
• – Previously, neighborhoods were divided flexibly. Fathers could simply deduct part of their estate to their sons, an estate could infringe on the public road if additional room was needed, or two buildings could be linked by a bridge, etc. However, modern planning organizes cities, limiting their freedom of use and division. Plot sizes and shapes, plot divisions, building, and expansion fell under strict laws and regulations. This led to people moving to newly established areas and contributed to the division of communities.
• – The constant relocation of people and the widespread of temporary housing (rent) weakened belonging and gave priority to the commercial relation over social ties.

In turn, the spirit of the residential neighborhood deteriorated, and people began to act differently. As a result, the nature of their relation to neighbors altered drastically:

• – Overcrowding and the scarcity of adequate housing led to increased competition among neighbors and lowered the spirit of compassion.
• – The lack of sense of citizenship caused a constant infringement on the public realm, and the rise of vandalism reflects the devaluing of public space.
• – Hierarchical decision making in conjunction with the vague process by which the state made decisions as well as the lack of partnership between official bodies and the people enhanced individualism and negligence.

The concept of neighboring is crucial. Intimate and close-net neighborhoods contribute to the happiness of citizens and their sense of belonging. Thus, Planners should maintain the concept of neighboring at the center of their thinking process. We must study public spaces carefully and find places that bring people together.

We need to utilize the locations of mosques, squares, playgrounds, and retail shops intelligently, as these are attractive meeting points for neighbors. Sidewalks must be designed carefully and take into consideration a building’s scale/orientation and building regulations must be compatible with people’s needs and lifestyle. We will succeed once our designs suit our lifestyle and create places that call for unity rather than competition and provide instead of subtract.

“What defines the character of a city is its public space, not its private space.” — Dr. Joan Clos, Executive Director, UN Habitat

In Kuwait, it is an unfortunate reality that public spaces suffer from neglect. Along this line, a wide gap exists between the level of care between public and private spaces.

Kuwait is rich, spending generously on public buildings and infrastructure. Furthermore, Kuwait’s people are highly-cultured and properly maintain their homes and private properties. These residents also possess elevated tastes and can distinguish between what is aesthetically pleasing and what falls short. This is present in the way residents display personal presentation and private image.

On the other hand, neglect for spaces that fall outside the realm of personal properties is evident. People tend to neglect, sabotage, and even infringe on public spaces. Due to the consequences of this phenomenon, it deserves investigation and deep analysis.

Public spaces consist of all open spaces to the general public in a given city — such as roads, sidewalks, plazas, squares, beached and others.

Public spaces have significant roles in the economic value of surrounding properties. These areas also play a social role, providing opportunities for meetings, gatherings, and entertainment. In addition, public spaces have environmental and health values, as they offer spaces for sports, vegetation that beautifies the city, lower temperatures, and enhances air quality.

How to improve the level of care for our public spaces:

Awareness of the concept of public ownership

Awareness of the concept of public ownership will generate a profound impact on how residents and communities interact with their public spaces. Higher opinion about the performance of the government and the integrity of official practices strengthens awareness about public ownership.

Laws and regulations

Our laws and regulations that govern public places are insufficient. They are not enough to force public institutions to properly care for public spaces. In both past and present, these institutions are shown to be inadequate in the prevention of vandalism and violations directed toward public spaces.

Vision and standards:

Currently, public places are neglected in Kuwait. The state lacks a vision that reflects the same passion and consideration that residents display regarding private spaces. Kuwait does not have adequate codes and standards that govern the design, execution as well as the maintenance of public places. This has a direct impact on the low quality of our public realm.

Public participation

The involvement of the private sector and the general public in the planning, design, and execution of public places within the city enhances the quality of public spaces. Once we encourage public participation in the decision making process, we will develop a feeling of shared ownership. And every citizen and institution will, in turn, take proper care of it.

Supervise and interaction

Many good public realm projects are executed in Kuwait — however soon after — they are let for decay and vandalism. Active supervision perpetuates interaction, and media coverage for public places projects will have a positive impact on the preservation and proper maintenance.

When celebrating our national days, we need to take this opportunity to call for the public to care for public spaces and properties. Moreover, paying more attention to all things that improve the quality of our cities and neighborhoods fortifies the public’s connection to these spaces and inspires further involvement. To close the gap between our concern for public and private spaces; we must understand and correct the divide resulting from a lack of interest and awareness.

“إن ما يحدد شخصية المدينة، هي أماكنها العامة، وليس أماكنها الخاصة”

د. جون كلوس – المدير التنفيذي لبرنامج الأمم المتحدة للمستوطنات البشرية

إنه من المؤسف أن نلحظ تدني مستوى النطاق العام في دولة الكويت، كما أنه من المحزن أن نلاحظ اتساع الفجوة بين مستوى العناية بالأماكن الخاصة والأماكن العامة.

الدولة غنية بالموارد، وتقوم بالإنفاق السخي على المباني العامة والبنى التحتية، وعموماً يمكن القول بأن السكان بشكل عام يتمتعون بمستوى ثقافيٍّ عالٍ، ويقومون بالاهتمام الجيد بمساكنهم وأملاكهم العامة، كما أنهم يتمتعون بذوقٍ رفيع ومميز، فهم مطلعون ويفرقون بين الجميل والقبيح، ويولون اهتماماً خاصاً بهيئتهم ومظهرهم الخاص.

ولكن في الجهة الأخرى، هناك إهمال كبير لكل ما يقع خارج حدود ملكيتهم الخاصة، وعدم المبالاة له، بل أحياناً تعمد تخريبه والاعتداء عليه، وهذا شيء مثير للاهتمام، ويستدعي البحث والتحليل.

الأماكن العامة هي الفراغات المفتوحة لعامة الناس في المدينة وتشمل الطرق والأرصفة والساحات والفراغات والشواطئ غيرها.

وللأماكن العامة أهمية كبيرة، فلها دور في رفع قيمة العقارات المحيطة بها؛ لما توفره من إطلالات وفرص للعرض لعدد أكبر من الزبائن، كما أنها تلعب دوراً اجتماعياّ من خلال توفير أماكن للتلاقي والتجمع والترفيه، ولها دور صحي وبيئي؛ لما توفره من فرص لممارسة الرياضة والحركة  ما تتضمنه من عناصر تشجير تعمل على تجميل المدينة وخفض درجات الحرارة وتحسين جودة الهواء.

السؤال الذي يتبادر للذهن، كيف يمكننا أن نرفع من مستوى الاهتمام بالأماكن العامة لدى العامة:

الوعي بمفهوم الملكية العامة:

إن وعي السكان بأنهم يملكون، وشعورهم بأنها أنشأت من الأموال العامة، يؤثر على تعاملهم معها، كما أن قناعة السكان بحسن إدارة البلد بشكل عام و نزاهة الممارسات الحكومية يعزز من الوعي بالمليكة العامة.

الأنظمة والقوانين:

مازالت القوانين والأنظمة التي تُعنى بالأماكن العامة غير كافية لتعزيز العناية بها، كما أنها ما زالت على ما يبدو غير كافية لحث الجهات الحكومية لمواصلة العناية والصيانة والاهتمام بالأماكن العامة، وثبت أنها غير فعالة لردع  مخربي وملوثي الأماكن العامة.

الروية الواضحة والمعايير العالية:

ما زالت الأماكن العامة مهملة في الكويت، وتفتقر الحكومة لرؤية واضحة تؤكد اهتمام الدولة بالنطاق العام، كما لا زلنا نفتقر للمعايير الواضحة لتصميم الأماكن العامة وتنفيذها و صيانتها، الأمر الذي يؤثر سلباً على جودة البيئة الحضرية بشكل عام.

إشراك القطاع  الخاص والأهالي:

إن إشراك القطاع الخاص والعام في تصميم الأماكن العامة وتنفيذها و إدارتها  له  دور مباشر في رفع مستواها، متى اشركنا الناس في اتخاذ القرار سننمي لديهم الإحساس بالملكية وسيشعر كل مواطن وكل مؤسسة أنهم شركاء في ملكيتها و بالتالي يعتنون بها.

الرقابة والتفاعل:

كثيراً ما تصمم مشاريع وتنفذ بشكل ممتاز، ولكن سريعاً ما تُهمل وتترك رهينة لعوامل الوقت والمخربين؛ لذا إن تفعيل الأدوات الرقابية ومواصلة التفاعل والتغطية الإعلامية لمشاريع الأماكن العامة سيكون له أثر كبير في المحافظة على البيئة الحضرية ورفع مستواها.

و حيث إننا في هذه الأيام وبينما نحتفل بالأعياد الوطنية يجب أن نعزز من مشاعر الحرص على الملكيات العامة، وأن نحرص على ما يرقى بمستوى مدينتنا وضواحيها، وأن نسد الفجوة بين مستوى اهتمامنا بملكياتنا الخاصة والملكية العامة.