The cities on the Arabian Gulf have gained greatly in geostrategic importance in recent years. The shifts in the global economic structure have made the Gulf States a hub between Europe and Asia. The international competition between cities also leads to new challenges; cities must maintain and expand their position in the structure of global networks. In many places, the knowledge economy is the decisive force for spatial and urban development, and Doha will have to make important decisions in the coming years.
Abstract: The interdependence of the built environment and functional networks is the focus of research. The work builds on ongoing projects of the chair and offers the opportunity to research global and local influences on the spatial organization of Doha in close cooperation with Qatar University. The aim is to understand the economic and social significance of Doha as a centre of the region and to make it useful for strategic urban planning. The research team is interdisciplinary, consisting of architects and geographers and works partly in Munich and partly in Doha.
Participating team members: Alain Thierstein, Sven Conventz
Client: Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) Cooperation partner: Qatar University, Faculty of Architecture and Engineering