Abstract

The government has been rapidly expanding large-scale housing initiatives to meet the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, such as boosting house ownership to 70% by 2030, in Saudi Arabia. This research compares the sustainability of the spatial development of mega government housing projects with existing inner-city residential neighbourhoods in Riyadh, Jeddah and Alhofuf. A comparative multiple-case study design was employed, drawing upon the SPECTRUM neighbourhood sustainability assessment framework to assess six case studies against the 10 dimensions of sustainability: accessibility, connectivity, infrastructure, public transport, housing provision, environmental quality, and public services. The results show that well-developed inner-city neighbourhoods routinely scored significantly higher in terms of sustainability than recent suburban housing developments. The suburban developments helped provide housing, but were overall less connected with cities, had poorer access to public transport, and more dependent upon existing cities for employment and essential services. The study concludes that future developments by the government should focus on infill development, phased urban development, integrated public transport provision and comprehensive infrastructure to enhance the sustainability of neighbourhoods and meet longer-term goals of Saudi Vision 2030.

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