Urban Growth Management in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: An Assessment of Technical Policy Instruments and Institutional Practices

Abstract

This paper assesses the effectiveness of technical policy instruments used to manage urban growth and examines their relationship with institutional practices in the city of Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A quantitative method by means of a questionnaire was adopted to examine research questions, while a qualitative method was used to better understand technical policy instruments and their relationship with institutional practices. Findings reveal that technical policy instruments are unable to manage urban growth effectively. A number of factors, such as lack of community participation, low coordination levels, and a failure to disseminate clear information have contributed to this lack of effectiveness. Therefore, the creation of a national framework to link institutional practice to technical policy instruments is required in order to improve the overall capacity of urban authorities to manage urban growth.