Towards Meaningful Spaces: RECLAIMING CULTURAL CONTEXT TO ITS INHABITANTS IN GCC CITIES THROUGH THE CONCEPTUAL PHASE OF URBAN DESIGN PROCESS Abdul Azeez Al Ghareebi A thesis submitted to Brunel University for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Design Brunel University London Department of Design, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences November 2015 This copy of the thesis has been supplied on condition that anyone who consults it is understood to recognise that the copyright rests with its author and that no quotation from the thesis and no information derived from it may be published without the prior written consent of the author or of the University (as deemed to be appropriate). TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Keywords ............................................................................................................................................. 6 Primary Hypothesis ....................................................................................................................... 6 Chapter One: Introduction ................................................................................................. 7 1.0. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 8 1.1. Background ................................................................................................................... 8 1.2. Thesis Concept ............................................................................................................. 9 1.3. Terminologies and Concepts ................................................................................. 9 1.3.1. GCC cities ..................................................................................................... 9 1.3.2. Double Diamond model ........................................................................ 9 1.3.3. Conceptual Stage ...................................................................................... 9 1.3.4. Implementation Stage ............................................................................ 9 1.3.5. The 3 Aspects of Socially Produced Space .................................. 10 1.3.6. The Circuit of Culture .......................................................................... 10 1.4. Research Problem ................................................................................................... 10 1.5. Gap and Contribution to Knowledge ............................................................... 12 1.5.1. From an international perspective ................................................ 13 1.5.2. From a regional perspective ..............................................................13 1.6. Aims and Objectives ................................................................................................14 1.6.1. Aim ............................................................................................................... 14 1.6.2. Objectives .................................................................................................. 15 1.7. Thesis Stages and Diagrammatic Expression .............................................. 16 1.8. Study Structure ......................................................................................................... 22 Chapter Two: Literature Review ................................................................................ 32 2.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................. 32 2.1. Space and Cultural Context ................................................................................ 35 2.2. Culture and Space .................................................................................................. 48 2.3. Circuit of Culture .................................................................................................... 54 2.3.1. Representation ..................................................................................... 55 2.3.2. Identity ..................................................................................................... 60 2.3.3. Production ............................................................................................... 62 2.3.4. Consumption .......................................................................................... 64 2.3.5. Regulation ................................................................................................ 66 2.4. Urban Planning and Design Process ............................................................... 68 2.5. Design Process in Spatial Design Projects .................................................... 85 2.6. Discussion ................................................................................................................... 94 2 Chapter Three: Methodology ......................................................................................... 97 3.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................... 97 3.1. Methodological Overview .................................................................................... 98 3.2. Questionnaires ....................................................................................................... 101 3.3. Semi-structured interviews ............................................................................. 103 3.4. Structured interviews with practitioners .................................................. 109 3.5. User community questionnaire of final deliverable ...............................111 3.6. Literature review interpretation .................................................................... 113 3.7. Methodological limitations ............................................................................... 114 3.8. Mixed Method (Pragmatic) Creswell 2003 ................................................ 114 3.9. Concurrent Triangulation Design .................................................................. 116 3.10. The Research Sample ........................................................................................ 118 3.11. Objectives and Research Questions ............................................................ 119 Chapter Four: Findings and Analysis ...................................................................... 121 4.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 121 4.1. Demographic Factors of Respondents ......................................................... 122 4.2. Respondents’ Age ................................................................................................. 123 4.3. Respondents’ Level of Education .................................................................. 124 4.4. Correlations: Religious Principles and Cultural Aspects of Design .......................................................................... 126 4.5. Cultural Design Aspect, Cultural Identity and Urban Design Understanding .................................................................... 127 4.6. Navigation through Cities ................................................................................. 128 4.7. Opinion on Design of Urban Cities ................................................................ 129 4.8. Aspects of Public Space Projects in GCC cities .......................................... 130 4.9. Questionnaire results .......................................................................................... 131 4.10. Semi-structured interviews .......................................................................... 131 Chapter Five: Discussion ....................................................................................................... 139 5.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 139 5.1. Satisfaction Levels ................................................................................................ 138 5.2. Missing Aspects of Design Process ................................................................ 142 5.3. Operational Levels for Culture Definition .................................................. 146 5.4. GCC appropriateness for Design Process ................................................... 149 5.5. Info Graph for GCC city enhancement .......................................................... 152 Chapter Six: Conclusions ....................................................................................................... 158 6.0. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 158 6.1. Contribution to knowledge ............................................................................... 158 6.2. Future work ............................................................................................................. 160 6.2.1. Suggested Cultural Based Design Methodology (CBDM) ........ 160 3 6.2.2. Development of Models ........................................................................ 161 6.3. Evaluation of final deliverable through professionals’ Structured interviews .................................................................................. 172 6.4. Evaluation of final