Developing a Framework to Improve the Implementation of Geospatial Technology in the Planning and Delivery of Infrastructure for Residential Areas in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study of Riyadh City

Alqarni, Mohammed (2017) Developing a Framework to Improve the Implementation of Geospatial Technology in the Planning and Delivery of Infrastructure for Residential Areas in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study of Riyadh City. Doctoral thesis, Northumbria University.

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Abstract

Over the past five decades, Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia, has witnessed many organisational, economic, social and demographic transformations, all of which have contributed to its rapid growth. This growth, which exceeded the city’s plans to meet the needs of a growing population, resulted in many neighbourhoods experiencing limited services and utilities. Along with governmental efforts to manage the spread of residential areas, several agencies accountable for providing residential services have sought to exploit the potential of geospatial technologies as a means for improving the planning, management and decision-making processes needed to address these issues. Government support has provided a major boost towards the improvement of geospatial technology usage in different areas. However, the use of these technologies in the context of residential infrastructure delivery is limited. This research investigates empirically how the implementation of geospatial technologies can be improved in the agencies concerned with the delivery of residential infrastructure, with the aim of developing strategies to enhance the exploitation of the available technologies in support of decision-making. To achieve the research objectives, the researcher carried out an extensive review of the literature, official reports and documentation, and conducted a Delphi study through three successive consultation rounds, involving a set of experts representing all concerned agencies. The results revealed that shortcomings in organisational, technical and human aspects are the primary reasons behind the limited use of geospatial technology tools in the planning process for residential infrastructure delivery. This in turn assisted in the development of consensus-based strategies for addressing these issues. The research contributes to the existing body of knowledge in the field of urban studies by offering a better understanding of how the employment of geospatial technology tools could be improved in the context of residential infrastructure delivery in rapidly growing cities in general, and the city of Riyadh in particular. It also offers a practical contribution to decision makers in the agencies concerned with residential infrastructure delivery, who work to improve the activities of these technologies to achieve the best use of their implementation. The research results are expected to help researchers to conduct further studies on the development of the use of geospatial technologies in the context of Saudi Arabia.

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