Initiative to ‘humanise’ Omani cities

MUSCAT, OCT 30

Seeking to embed sustainability principles in the development of cities around the country, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning has launched the ‘Vibrant Public Places’ initiative, which centres primarily on an effort to enhance the quality of public spaces in these urban settings.

Initially rolled out in 2023, the Vibrant Public Places programme complements other such initiatives by the Ministry to “humanise” existing cities by making them more vibrant. This is sought to be achieved in collaboration with the relevant authorities, notably the Environment Authority and local municipality, to improve the quality of public spaces while easing the predominance of concrete structures in those areas.

“The initiative targets increasing the per capita share of public spaces in Muscat Governorate from 2 to 4 square meters and transferring the experience to residential neighborhoods in 4 other governorates: North Al Batinah, South Al Batinah, South Al Sharqiyah, and North Al Sharqiyah,” said the Oman Vision 2040 Implementation Follow-up Unit in its latest report.

“The Amlak platform now includes a service for planting trees in the front and back yards of residential neighborhoods. Additionally, mandatory afforestation percentages have been established for usufruct lands,” it further added.

The Vibrant Public Places initiatives adds to an expanding portfolio of urban development projects spearheaded by the Ministry in line with goals enshrined under Oman Vision 2040, Oman National Spatial Strategy (ONSS), and the Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy. Conceived for implementation are Smart Cities, Integrated Residential Neighbourhoods, and Agricultural Cities, among other sustainability-focused urban schemes.

“Smart cities are a cornerstone of the ‘Development of Governorates and Sustainable Cities’ priority, focusing on improving the lives of urban residents, integrating technology into all aspects of urban life, and enhancing the efficiency of transportation systems to reduce congestion and improve the movement of people and goods while ensuring sustainable land use,” said the Oman Vision 2040 report.

It cited in this regard the example of Sultan Haitham City as a model for future smart cities in Oman. Described as a “sustainable gift from His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik to future generations”, the city aims to provide a high-quality living environment for its residents.

An array of other model neighborhoods and cities are also under development in a number of governorates of the country. They include Integrated Residential Neighbourhoods based on the Sorouh Initiative. Notable are the Al Naseem Neighbourhood in Barka, Al Luban Neighborhood in Halban, Al Ahed Neighborhood in Al Amerat, and Majd Neighborhood in Suhar. In addition, three new sites for Integrated Residential Neighbourhoods are under initial development at Bidbid, Salalah, and Khasab, while a further four sites are being prepped for investment at Ibra, Samayil, Sur, and Buraimi.