Public Participation in Preparing Urban Plans, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: the Case of Dammam Metropolitan Area. (Dept. A)

Abstract

Saudi government took the initiative and declared formation of municipal councils.  This act allows Saudi elected members to participate in issues concerning city development and thus lessening some of the problems facing the local society. This research aims to explore opinions regarding the introduction of public participation practice in the urban planning process in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).  Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) is taken as a case study. The paper investigates the opinions of the professionals, officials and experts at DMA.  Emphasis is on the method and means of participation, and who should participate. The paper starts with an introduction, followed with a review of literature with emphasis on the processes of urban plan development and public participation.  Then, data collection methods and analysis are discussed.  Finally, the study ends with discussion and recommendations. The results show that public participation is one of the core principles of preparing urban plans.  It shows that the professionals, officials and experts of Dammam Metropolitan Area (DMA) have positive attitudes toward public participation in urban planning. They support participation in urban planning and by particularly giving equal chance to "Men & Women" to participate in decision making.