Abstract:

Today, Old Jeddah is subject to all sorts of rapid development pressure, represented in the negative impact of vehicular traffic and corresponding disruption of the fabric of the city; speculative real estate trends linked with vehicular accessibility which introduce new land-use within the historical urban fabric; the new standards of services, facilities and sanitation which are neither adapted nor integrated to the historic fabric; Demographic changes involving the emigration of the original residents from the center to new suburbs, and, jointly, the moving of a poorer guest labor population flocking into the historic houses and buildings with lack of maintenance, as well as the increase of uncontrolled trade and semi-industrial activities in the historic city. In addition, continues deterioration of monuments and landmark buildings and the loss of ‘image’ and prestige of the historic centers and the misconceived ‘modernity’ in many locations of the center. Key buildings, mosques and merchants' houses of historical Jeddah are concealed today behind modern high rise buildings and skyscrapers that make up Jeddah's bustling business district. This severe pressure results in a dramatic treats for the continuity of the historical city into the future.

Over the past few decades, many historical cities in the region have confronted with similar conditions like the current ones of Jeddah, resulting in several conservation based development projects for improving the urban context of historic buildings, encompassing upgrading and enhancement of public open spaces, and combining many different disciplines and concerns. In many cases, all possible sorts of interventions have been addressed; from urban conservation to modern redevelopment, rehabilitation of private housing, associated with socio-economic development activities and local capacity-building were successfully implemented. The recent activities in the conservation and redevelopment projects in Historic Cairo, the traditional center of Doha, the Bastakia and the areas along the creek of Dubai, in the heart of Sharja and the new old center of Ajman, among other cases, represent all remarkable efforts to achieve a balance between development needs with urban conservation and design needs. Regional experiences to conservation and renovation in cities such as the center of Beirut and along the gulf of Doha as well as some creative experiences in the Medina of Tunis delineate also several possibilities that can be of great relevance to the similar ones of Historical Jeddah.

The purpose of this presentation is to give a critical overview of the recent urban conservation and development regional experience of historic centers, as well as to draw on some lessons learned and suggest recommendations that are relevant for Historical­­ Jeddah, to help developing its conservation and development model. However, the presentation will focus on the importance of developing an appropriate urban conservation based development model that most suits Historic Jeddah’s own needs, which may involve the combination of aspects of a number of different successful models.

Short Profile:

Galal Abada is an urban design, conservation and development advisor, consultant and educator. He is a development and planning advisor for Madinah development authority MDA, Madinah, KSA, since 2010. He was an advisor for the comprehensive planning and future development of Makkah, Medinah and the Holy Sites in Saudi Arabia (2005-2010). He is also an associate professor of architecture and urban design at Ain Shams University in Cairo ASU since 2004 (on leave). He is a representative partner at the Internationaler Stadtbauatlier “ISA”, Stuttgart, Germany since 2006. Dr. Abada was trained at Ain Shams University (1980-1985), the School of Architecture Paris-Belleville, France (1993), and the University of Leuven in Belgium (1992-1994). He received a Ph.D. in urban design from Stuttgart University in Germany in 1999. Dr. Abada was the founding director of the Historic Cairo Studies and Development Center of HCSDC (200-2005) and the founding head of planning, the National Authority for Urban Harmony NOAH, Cairo (2002-2005). Over more than 24 years, he has been engaged in professional practice in a wide range of urban development; urban conservation and rehabilitation and design projects. His projects are located in Belgium, Germany, and throughout the Middle East, notably in Egypt where his completed projects include a number of development and conservation projects, and urban design schemes in Historic Cairo, Qena, and Karnak area Luxor. He has published more than 70 articles, research papers, critical reports and technical reviews in international conferences, refereed journals and magazines. He has served as a technical reviewer for a number of projects nominated for the Aga Khan Award for Architecture AKAA, Geneva. He also contributed to a number of books on the Arab city, urban heritage and conservation practice.