Al-Abed, A. (2011). SANA’A URBAN TRANSFORMATION: FROM WALLED TO FRAGMENTED CITY. JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 39(No 4), 897-918. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2011.127724
Abdullah Al-Abed. "SANA’A URBAN TRANSFORMATION: FROM WALLED TO FRAGMENTED CITY". JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 39, No 4, 2011, 897-918. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2011.127724
Al-Abed, A. (2011). 'SANA’A URBAN TRANSFORMATION: FROM WALLED TO FRAGMENTED CITY', JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 39(No 4), pp. 897-918. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2011.127724
Al-Abed, A. SANA’A URBAN TRANSFORMATION: FROM WALLED TO FRAGMENTED CITY. JES. Journal of Engineering Sciences, 2011; 39(No 4): 897-918. doi: 10.21608/jesaun.2011.127724
SANA’A URBAN TRANSFORMATION: FROM WALLED TO FRAGMENTED CITY
Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Sana'a University, YEMEN
Abstract
The recent rapid uncontrolled urban transformation of Sana’a city is a significant example of the historic core of most Arab cities with regard to its formation, growth and development. Sana'a city has expanded from merely 3.7 square kilometers in 1962 to more than 1,600 square kilometers at the end of the 2010. When El-Sheshtawy (2004) presented the evolution of Arab cities, Sana’a city was discussed under “the cities affected by globalization phenomenon”. That has had an extremely uneven impact on Sana’a. When Sana’a compared to the cities in the region, globalization is not necessarily a central issue for Sana’a city. In fact Sana'a shares the fragmentation phenomenon with the rest of the cities in the region. This is the point from where this paper starts. The approach of this paper is based on both diachronic and synchronic readings of the historical and new city. It will discuss: · Urban transformation approaches. · Phases of Sana'a urban form fragmentation. This research pinpoints the current spatial and environmental problems facing the new and the old urban fabric as consequences of urban form fragmentation. Though it doesn’t aim to reach conclusive results, the study hoped to provide a conceptual background for the present debate on city's urban future.