Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism

Doha, the capital of Qatar, used to be a port town on the eastern part of the peninsula of Qatar. Historically, the town shared cultural commonalities with other Gulf cities, particularly relying on fishing and pearl diving as the main feature of its economy. The old town, which was characterised by...

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Main Author: Ali A. Alraouf
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Firenze University Press 2025-07-01
Series:Techne
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Online Access:https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/techne/article/view/18099
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author Ali A. Alraouf
author_facet Ali A. Alraouf
author_sort Ali A. Alraouf
collection DOAJ
description Doha, the capital of Qatar, used to be a port town on the eastern part of the peninsula of Qatar. Historically, the town shared cultural commonalities with other Gulf cities, particularly relying on fishing and pearl diving as the main feature of its economy. The old town, which was characterised by compact urbanism, extended families living in courtyard houses and shaded allies, was totally abandoned after the oil discovery and the flow of unprecedented financial resources in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. This paper provides a critical narrative of the urban regeneration process that took place in the heart of Doha. It interrogates the new vision that was articulated to revitalise the old heart of the city and bring people back to such a valuable part of its urban fabric. The paper examines the Design Strategies used in the project to move from adaptive reuse to holistic urban regeneration. It analyses the use of oil and Gas revenues to help the city go beyond the western illusions and urban spectacle, and argues that the project is a manifestation of a needed transformation from the urbanity of an image to the urbanity of meaning. Such city transformation is essential for constructing a more dynamic and vibrant identity for the city.
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spelling doaj-art-3add70aef9a9458c8abb4456fe3e918f2025-08-20T02:47:43ZengFirenze University PressTechne2239-02432025-07-01310.36253/techne-18099Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localismAli A. Alraouf0HBK Hamad Bin Khalifa University: Doha, Ad Dawhah, QatarDoha, the capital of Qatar, used to be a port town on the eastern part of the peninsula of Qatar. Historically, the town shared cultural commonalities with other Gulf cities, particularly relying on fishing and pearl diving as the main feature of its economy. The old town, which was characterised by compact urbanism, extended families living in courtyard houses and shaded allies, was totally abandoned after the oil discovery and the flow of unprecedented financial resources in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. This paper provides a critical narrative of the urban regeneration process that took place in the heart of Doha. It interrogates the new vision that was articulated to revitalise the old heart of the city and bring people back to such a valuable part of its urban fabric. The paper examines the Design Strategies used in the project to move from adaptive reuse to holistic urban regeneration. It analyses the use of oil and Gas revenues to help the city go beyond the western illusions and urban spectacle, and argues that the project is a manifestation of a needed transformation from the urbanity of an image to the urbanity of meaning. Such city transformation is essential for constructing a more dynamic and vibrant identity for the city. https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/techne/article/view/18099 Urban RegenerationDoha QatarArchitecture and urban heritage Cultural localismAuthenticityCultural continuity in urbanism
spellingShingle Ali A. Alraouf
Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism
Techne
Urban Regeneration
Doha Qatar
Architecture and urban heritage
Cultural localism
Authenticity
Cultural continuity in urbanism
title Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism
title_full Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism
title_fullStr Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism
title_full_unstemmed Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism
title_short Msheireb, Doha: the urban regeneration of a deteriorated Herat. Authentic contemporary and cultural localism
title_sort msheireb doha the urban regeneration of a deteriorated herat authentic contemporary and cultural localism
topic Urban Regeneration
Doha Qatar
Architecture and urban heritage
Cultural localism
Authenticity
Cultural continuity in urbanism
url https://oaj.fupress.net/index.php/techne/article/view/18099
work_keys_str_mv AT aliaalraouf msheirebdohatheurbanregenerationofadeterioratedheratauthenticcontemporaryandculturallocalism