2 minute read
Importance of Research
influenced by important places in their [...] communities. The result is a park that has emotional significance for participants, significance that leads to agency – everyday and political practices – to protect the park, sometimes in the face of immense challenges.
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Finally, this disregard for abandoned buildings positioned well within the infrastructure of the built city, and consequent expansion, leads to the formation of suburbs that, due to their distance from amenities, central city locations and so forth, create a certain lifestyle that has been proven to be less than adequate in terms of individual health, as well as environmental responsibility. Increasing distances between destinations with the expansion of the city leads to a heavy dependence on vehicular transport. With the context of Riyadh society and city culture in mind, this means dependence on private vehicular transport, with only a minor percentage of the population using carpooling, or other means of public transport. According to the Ministry of Transport Annual Report of 2011, “present Saudi road vehicle emission standards are low compared to other developed countries and the transition to regulate and introduce cleaner car technology in the Kingdom is a major challenge.
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As such, it can be seen that, with minimum policing of standards of carbon emission, footprint, and so on, expanding the city and causing people to rely more and more on these methods of transportation is not conducive to the environment. The individual health aspect of this problem consists of people living sedentary lifestyles, due to a lack of health awareness regarding eating habits and better lifestyles. This easily escalates into obesity, heart disease, and other health issues - both physical and mental - as has been seen in the growth of other cities across the world.
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It can therefore be seen that such cases of city growth - and, in turn, city neglect - can cause issues in aspects of a community’s
● environmental impact ● economic pact ● social impact,
as well as its identity and the way it shapes the character of the city.
IMPORTANCE OF RESEARCH
In constant search of better opportunities for work, play and rest, and in the ever uphill struggle for a more equitable and safer society, it is imperative to better understand the negative aspects of today’s urban fabric and its effects on society and quality of living - this can in turn help us to better battle them by setting out strategies and methods that address these exact issues at their root.
