Abstract
Due to the economic booming of oil/gas discovery in early 1940, Qatar's urban context drastically changed as the urbanization process has been accelerated. As our economy, populations, and community grow over time, rapid urban development rates have been accelerated and the consequent environmental, climatic, and health challenges are accelerated as well to create a healthy and inclusive urban environment. Providing holistic active and passive public open spaces is truly a part of what makes any cities a great place to live. The current reality, however, suggests of increasing built environment and expanding urbanization that mainly driven by variable aspects of rapid development that could be due to political, economic, or social challenges. The adopted urban planning approaches believed to be part of the problem as inclusive green spaces are often perceived as a luxury, and not an integral part of city-making, especially in cities where the value and importance of such spaces are under-prioritized in comparison to providing basic services such as housing and commercial uses. Lack of outdoor activities in modern cities is argued to be the result of poor public spaces (Jacobs 1961). On the other hand, on 2 December 2010, FIFA appointed Qatar as the host for WORLD CUP 2022. Such factors imposed even further economic prosperity and rapid urban growth rates over the last decade. Hosting international sports events like FIFA world cup requires certain spatial development that must be fulfilled to ensure a successful host that includes but not limited to the provision of a certain number of stadiums, training site facilities, and fan zones. Over the history of the host countries of the mega international sports event, there were many cases where several required sports facilities and infrastructure were left behind as abandon concrete mammoth with no purpose to its community. Creating a healthy, liveable, and inclusive urban environment is of high priority for Qatar National Master Plan. Hence, greater attention needed to be placed on creating strategic urban planning framework for World Cup legacy plan that integrating the recreational open space and sports facilities in a way that not only ensuring a successful international event and promote a good image of Qatari cities but to serve the current and future generation to come as well. The strategic urban planning framework for Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 legacy plan is a holistic planning approach aiming to create a sustainable and resilient people-centered approach that adopted to maximize the community benefits by creating active, inclusive and vibrant recreational sports facilities and open spaces network by integrating its spatial requirements in early stages with the future open spaces and community-oriented sports facilities national strategies and master plans. The urban planning framework for Qatar FIFA World Cup 2022 legacy plan is comprised of three main domains. First, the strategic development strategy where all related national strategies are integrated at all tiers and driving the decision-making process. Second, the spatial urban planning level, where the holistic supply and demand analysis was done in accordance with future spatial development plans, third, the design guidelines that ensuring flexible reuse of the sports facilities to serve a community-oriented approach. The case study report/presentation will elaborate on the adopted strategic framework in further detail addressing all lessons learned to achieve the legacy master plan that contributes to creating a long term active, healthy, and inclusive urban environment.
