أرشيف الوسم: NEOM

As discussed in my previous blog post, repositioning Kuwait’s new cities as centers of productivity, rather than just consumption. It is essential to examine comparable cities that have effectively leveraged their unique assets to generate meaningful results. Copenhagen offers a compelling case study, embodying the principles of creativity, livability, and economic vitality.

Copenhagen’s emergence as a cultural capital reflects centuries of strategic investment in the arts, architecture, and urban development. In the 18th century, Danish monarchs laid the groundwork by founding key cultural institutions, including the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts (1754), established by King Frederik V to develop Denmark’s own pool of skilled artists and craftsmen, as well as the Royal Theatre and the Royal Library. These institutions established Copenhagen as the kingdom’s intellectual hub, creating an artistic legacy that continues to define the city’s character.

During the 20th century, Copenhagen established itself as an international benchmark for people-focused urban planning, significantly influenced by architect Jan Gehl’s approach to designing cities for their inhabitants rather than vehicles. The establishment of Strøget in 1962 — one of the world’s first major pedestrianized streets — set global standards for livable urban environments. Currently, more than 60% of Copenhagen’s residents cycle to work daily, demonstrating the city’s successful integration of mobility, wellness, and thoughtful design.

Copenhagen’s cultural identity is deeply intertwined with its environmental aspirations. The city’s 2012 commitment to become the world’s first carbon-neutral capital by 2025 led to the development of the CPH 2025 Climate Plan, which targets improvements in energy consumption, production, mobility, and city operations. Though this goal was not met, this ambition has inspired innovative projects that blend sustainability with cultural expression, such as CopenHill—a waste-to-energy facility crowned with a ski slope and hiking trail—and Superkilen Park, a Nørrebro public space that celebrates diversity through design elements from over 50 nations. These initiatives demonstrate how environmental responsibility and social inclusivity are deeply ingrained in Copenhagen’s cultural fabric.

The city is also a leader in design and architecture, sharing its minimalist aesthetic worldwide through landmarks such as Arne Jacobsen’s furniture designs and projects by Bjarke Ingels Group. Public funding ensures cultural accessibility, from institutions like the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art and Designmuseum Danmark to grassroots venues such as Copenhagen Contemporary.

In essence, Copenhagen’s cultural distinction stems not merely from its institutions, but from its embodied principles — equality, openness, and hygge “a quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being (regarded as a defining characteristic of Danish culture)” — which foster a city where creativity, environmental stewardship, and community engagement define everyday existence.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Like Copenhagen, Kuwait possesses the essential ingredients for urban transformation: a manageable scale, concentrated population, abundant resources, and a forward-thinking citizenry. These parallels suggest that Kuwait is well-positioned to adopt lessons from Copenhagen’s success and strategically develop its new cities as centers of economic productivity and cultural vitality.

The fundamental question we must ask at this critical stage of our history is: How do we place the productive economy at the heart of urban development? Urban expansion can become a burden if it is not grounded in production and value creation. Building cities that evolve based on production rather than consumption is the key to authentic and sustainable development.

Our economy remains rentier, heavily dependent on oil, and the public sector remains the primary employer of citizens. With urban expansion and the establishment of new cities, we have a unique opportunity to invest in economic reform and redirect resources toward more productive sectors.

Here, I argue that urban expansion and housing plans must be closely linked and contingent upon the creation of productive jobs that generate real economic value and contribute to the increase of gross domestic product (GDP). These jobs should utilize the skills of local workers and offer fair wages that are driven by market demand.

The welfare state has created a form of fake employment or “disguised unemployment,” where resources are depleted without actual production. Excess labor in enterprises that do not need this number represents an economic loss, unlike productive labor that drives sustainable growth. Therefore, development plans must be based on production, not consumption, because expansion based on temporary resource abundance threatens economic stability.

In this regard, there is a pivotal role of urban planning, which must focus on:

• Encouraging productive uses, especially mixed uses.
• Investing in infrastructure that stimulates production, not false displays of well-being.
• Stimulating small industries and creative initiatives by supporting industrial land and entrepreneurial workspaces.

In conjunction with urban development, we must develop education and skills to keep pace with industrial and technological transformations, as curricula are still far from serving the needs of the future economy, despite significant spending on them.

At the same time, we must consider and support local production chains that rely on local raw materials and labor, as this has a positive impact on strengthening national wealth and social cohesion.

Development plans must include special attention to creative and cultural production in the fields of art, design, and architecture, as is the case in cities like Barcelona and Copenhagen, which have flourished thanks to the knowledge economy and creativity. Kuwait has a long history in these fields and boasts a distinguished human capital in these sectors in particular.

Finally, national policies must be based on policies, regulations, and governance that stimulate production through exemptions, facilitations, and research support, along with flexible land planning systems that enable productive activities to flourish.

It is time to link urban sprawl with strict economic policies that lead to the creation of productive cities, combining creativity, industry, and knowledge. Urban development must be a means of creating true wealth, not a means of fostering consumption and speculation.

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.

Kuwait was struck by the fire that broke out at the Al Mubarakiya Market (the main souq of Kuwait). The fire damaged a significant portion of the market and caused irreparable damage. This fire left another wound in Kuwait City, and we hope it can be repaired soon and in the best manner.

Currently, specialists and architects are concerned about how the government will approach repairing the fire damage. They are worried that the process will fall victim to state bureaucracy, neglect, and even worse, alternative schemes for the site, which will destroy what remains of the identity of this wounded city.

Kuwait City is the capital of a modern state with massive resources that have the potential to provide an outstanding urban model. This city’s many vital constituents could be the basis for a rich civil center. However, inadequate planning and ignorance led to its current deterioration.

The rich coastline and traditional ports are where many Kuwaitis previously built their livelihood around. They were not adequately preserved and or developed. Additionally, Kuwait City was initially divided into three distinct areas that could have been utilized to preserve the unique character of Kuwait. However, the modernization efforts have erased or covered over many of its landmarks.

The early master plans advocated preserving Kuwait City’s remaining historic buildings. These plans protected the densities from commercial uses. They also proposed the reduction of building heights. More importantly, the plans recommended the increase of housing within the city to create the desired land use balance.

However, with time and a lack of vision, Kuwait city saw a series of decisions that negatively impacted its character and left the city with chronic wounds. Such as:

• • • • • An early compulsive takeover led to the demolishment of the vast majority of traditional mud houses within the city boundary, destroying the city’s urban fabric.
        • The first ring road project, which gave priority to private vehicles, led to a highway that disconnected the city and lowered its accessibility.
        • During the last few years, we saw a series of decisions that prompted the demolishing of various modern architectural landmarks with a unique architectural and historical value, such as (the Al Hambra Cinema, Al Sawaber complex skating ring, lately the Justice Palace, and others.
        • In addition, the negligence of large areas of open unutilized governmental lands within the city boundaries that are random parking yards contributed to the mutilation of the city.

The failure of national-level planning led to the deteriorating condition of Kuwait City and the random transformation of its land uses and densities. While the local market expanded and consumption multiplied, the market did not provide venues to absorb the expansion. The market also imposed a reorganization of the city. We saw the building of various highrise towers and multiple shopping malls, leading to wider roads and bigger multi-story car parking buildings. All this damaged the urban fabric and defected the city.

To develop the city, we need a comprehensive vision for the state, allocating the necessary resources and overcoming all obstacles. And the deployment of teams of specialized and competent members. Further, because it’s Kuwait city, the wounded capital, it has to be treated.