Planned neighborhoods of Sharjah

Brief history of Sharjah (pre 1970s)

Before discussing some of Sharjah's planned neighborhoods it's worth taking a quick look at the city's history. Sharjah's urban form owes a lot to its historic status as a modest port city. Prior to the formation of the UAE in 1971 the city took the form of a linear settlement along the creek opening up onto the Arabian Gulf. The outer limit of the settlement was defined by a wall gated by Al-Hisn fort.

Renovated Al-Hisn Fort
Source: http://www.timeoutabudhabi.com/images/content/a_road_trip_to_every_emirate/gallery/2012_roadtrip_6_gallery.jpg

The intermediate space between the creek and the wall formed the core of the settlement’s activities. Port dwellers took up residence in traditional Arabic residential complexes and merchants traded in the intricate souks that ran along the creek.

Partially reconstructed historic area of Sharjah
Image source: http://www.e-flux.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/dc8ae_nov7_sharjah_img.jpg?b8c429

The discovery of oil in the early 1970s was the major driver for the change in Sharjah’s urban form. The government needed to expand the city beyond the wall in order to provide good quality modern housing for its residents. As a result, the immediate desert outside the boundaries of the wall was the natural direction for expansion. What I find interesting however is not so much the direction of expansion but the form of it. Sharjah’s planned neighborhoods, built at various periods since the 1970s, reveal a lot about the changing trends in urban planning in the city. Below is a closer look at two of Sharjah’s planned neighborhoods that capture these trends.

Illustration of Sharjah's post 1970 expansion

A note on Sharjah’s government housing  

Before discussing the two neighborhoods below it’s worth mentioning a few points about planned communities in Sharjah. The government of the UAE is the main provider of housing for Emiratis by way of subsidized house building programs (see Sheikh Zayed Housing Program for an example). One form of housing provision is for the local government to carry out the entire planning and construction of neighborhoods and then offer UAE nationals interest-free loans to buy a house. Alternatively UAE nationals can opt to build their own houses elsewhere and are given a free lot to do so.

Maysaloon: Sharjah’s first planned neighborhood

Maysaloon was built in the mid-1970s and was Sharjah’s first government planned neighborhood. The pioneering development is a compact community of small villas with narrow tree-lined streets loosely resembling what later became defined as New Urbanism in Western urban planning. The neighborhood sits less than a mile from the historic outer boundaries of the old city and starkly contrasts the traditional Emirati houses of the city like Bait Serkal and Bait Shamsi. Maysaloon’s new houses were modern detached villas with modest garden space. Individual lots were allocated for each house and a setback ruling seemed to be applied in most cases. In terms of facilities Maysaloon has a neighborhood park, three mosques, and a school. Corner shops and other independent retail stores can also be found throughout the neighborhood.

Illustration of Maysaloon's location

Maysaloon: Strong corners with active frontages
Image source: Here.com

Maysaloon: Mosque opening up onto street
Image source: Here.com

Maysaloon: Narrow tree-lined streets
Image source: Here.com

Maysaloon: Compact houses (abandoned)
Image source: Here.com

Maysaloon: Accessible neighborhood park
Image source: Here.com

What’s great about Maysaloon is its walkability and human scale. Everything feels close. The streets are narrow and intimate, the houses are compact and cute, and branches of adjacent trees actually touch. For me, the novelty of Maysaloon’s design has not been replicated enough in Sharjah. This isn’t just an airy retro infatuation. I’m not asking for a patronizing pat on the back commending this neighborhood for its efforts. Maysaloon is still completely relevant.

What constitutes a good plan in contemporary urban design and planning can no longer be explained in terms of land use and hectares per 1,000 people. We’re now more into finding inventive ways to meet loosely defined design principles such as public realm, character, and pedestrianism. One example of this is the city of Atlanta beltline in the US, where disused railway tracks surrounding the city have been boldly transformed into paved walkways with programed activities. The beltline is in every definition a park, an exhibition center and a transit corridor, to name a few. Maysaloon may not be inventive in its approach, there are no rooftop gardens or bicycle bridges with linear parks and art installations, but this no-frills neighborhood is still awesome. Oh, and it does have a delightful Indonesian restaurant where all the hipsters from Ajman flock to (jk, but there is actually an Indonesian restaurant, and it doesn’t look that nice).

Maysaloon: Indonesian cafeteria
Image source: Here.com

Al Qarrayen: Contemporary planned neighborhood

Enter the new millennium and we are now seeing a new trend in planned neighborhoods. 7 miles West of Maysaloon and billions of oil barrels later comes one of the newest additions to Sharjah’s ongoing Western expansion, Al Qarrayen. Today most new planned neighborhoods are built in blocks of 4-12. Al Qarrayen is actually 5 planned neighborhoods that are being built over a short period of time. In contrast to the gritty Maysaloon the neighborhoods of Al Qarrayen appear to be more of an assemblage of lavish villas on excessively big lots. Here sidewalks are just an awkward formality lining the streets funneling tinted Nissan Patrols. Trees, if any, are a blessing. Streetscape? (Crickets perform herein).

Al Qarrayen: Lifeless streets
Image source: Here.com

Al Qarrayen: Dispersed facilities
Image source: Here.com 

Al Qarrayen: Large separated houses
Image source: Here.com

So how has the quality of Sharjah's planned neighborhoods declined at a time when money is most available? The philosophy is not difficult, Al Qarrayen and the likes are a metaphor for what it is to live a better life in the Emirates and a cowardly embracing of vanity in lieu of sound urban planning principles. The houses may be nicer and newer, gardens may be greener and bigger, but the neighborhoods lack any real sense of place. It really is difficult to find any positives from Sharjah's newer planned neighborhoods.

Some thoughts on future trends

What then is next for Sharjah's planned neighborhoods? Firstly, there is definitely a case for harking back into the city's past and observing some fine urban planning, as seen in Maysaloon. Secondly, in terms of public realm, there is a need for a lot more inventiveness from the government of Sharjah's house building plans and programs. All of Sharjah's planned neighborhoods (old and new) distinctly lack pedestrian boulevards/high streets. It would be good to have designated retail lots lining the main streets of neighborhoods to activate dead spaces. Thirdly, in terms of urban form, there is a need to rethink lot sizes, setbacks, and build-to lines. It's understandable that it might be difficult to convince people to live in more compact neighborhoods, but there are compromises that can be made. For example, lots facing main streets can be reduced in size and buildings can be closely packed adjacent to each other. Such property can be built to target low-income families or young bachelors, university students, or expats. These are just some suggestions as to how Sharjah's planned neighborhoods can be improved.