This paper is a comprehensive coverage of a research project of the National Priority Research Program of the Qatar National Research Fund, entitled ‘Investigating the Qualities of the Urban Environment in Emerging Regional Metropolises’, and carried out between 2011 and 2014 through the joint collaboration of Qatar University and Technische Universität München. Through the shift of global economic forces Gulf cities, such as Qatar’s capital Doha, are developed as central hubs between developed economies in the West and the rising economies of Asia. In the context of international competition between cities new challenges are emerging where cities need to find ways to sustain and extend their position in a globalizing world. Therefore the research process placed emphasis on the complex interrelationship of knowledge economies and spatial developments in the Gulf region. The work is premised on the assumption that non-physical economic aspects and the qualities of the urban environment are interdependent. It analyses the qualities of the urban environment of Doha as an important regional metropolis through a comprehensive investigation utilizing a set of interdisciplinary research methods that include analysis of historic documents, Delphi interview series, company network analysis, GIS analysis, cognitive mapping, behavioural studies, media surveys, attitude surveys, and space syntax analysis. The outcomes promise important results regarding urban qualities in the city of Doha culminating into various recommendations aimed at potential beneficiaries including public sector organizations, private sector and real estate development companies, and academia.

The various efforts in diversifying local economies in most Gulf States led to the emergence of new medium to high-income groups of migrant knowledge workers whose efforts are required to develop various new economic sectors. This paper aims to investigate the current housing conditions and perceptions of these migrant communities to identify key similarities and differences with respect to housing made available to them and depending on their cultural background. To this end, the methodology involves field surveys to explore the three main housing typologies for higher-income groups and a questionnaire with a total of 258 knowledge workers in the city of Doha as a representative case to investigate the associated perceptions of four dominant groups from different cultural backgrounds. The findings reveal that there is a distinct social segregation between cultural groups, which is mainly rooted in varying income levels. Furthermore, the supply-driven market has hardly integrated cultural needs of migrants and thus diversified and inclusive housing has been identified as major planning and design challenge.

Abu Dhabi and Doha have evolved rapidly in the twentieth century due to the investment of oil and gas revenues. The fast economic growth resulted in an extensive period of urbanization. The various urban dynamics had a great impact with regards to new housing typologies during the last few decades. Doha’s housing market is studied in comparison with Abu Dhabi’s market considering their population growth rates, real estate market conditions, socio-cultural characteristics, and political approaches. The study is focused on the period from 2004 to 2013 where rapid urban development took place in both cities. The comparative assessment is based on three key aspects: housing typologies, housing distribution, in addition to housing supply and demand. The paper highlights that the urban growth in both cities is initiated via government investments, especially in the real estate market. This is reflected in the case of very similar housing dynamics in both cities. A gradual replacement of low-rise residential villas by high-rise residential towers (apartments/ penthouses) is currently observed in both cities.

The Social Ecology of Border Landscapes, edited by Grichting and Zebich-Kros, is part of the Anthem Series on International Environmental Policy, which seeks to provide new evidence-based insights on global environmental governance. The book attempts to address this objective by inviting a wide variety of authors from various disciplines to contribute international case studies on border landscapes. All these studies are situated in the field of critical social theory and social ecology in particular – a subject that is focused on the complex interrelationships between nature and society. The wide range of scientific perspectives on social-ecological systems is categorised into four main parts: Frames, Bridges, Corridors and Portals. This structure functions as a suitable guide to distinguish major focal points within the rather complex discourse.