The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning is working on a project to develop model residential districts in parts of the country, aimed at avoiding crowding and congestion seen in many old areas.
 
The Ministry has prepared a uniform design for the project which comprises schools, commercial centres, parks and other amenities, a member of the Central Municipal Council (CMC) said yesterday.
 
The project is an extension of an ongoing plan to develop model commercial complexes in residential areas that will eventually replace the hundreds of neighbourhood stores.
 
“I believe the first of these projects will be implemented in Rowdath Al Hammam on
 
Al Shamal road. The new design will have uniform standards and specifications,” Mubarak Frish, CMC member representing the Gharafa constituency told The Peninsula.
 
He said the new residential districts will also have ample parking spaces and roads will be designed to prevent traffic jams.
 
According to him, developing new residential areas would be better than redeveloping the old ones that are heavily populated.
 
Some other CMC members and Qatari architects have, however, called for redeveloping the older parts of the city that were built without proper planning.
 
Apart from being an eyesore with their old and dilapidated buildings, such old residential areas are a safety and security threat.
 
“The roads are so narrow that even an ambulance or fire truck will find it hard to reach these areas,” said Engineer Ahmed Al Jolo, president of the Qatar Engineers Forum, in remarks to a local Arabic daily.
 
He said the areas that require immediate attention are Umm Ghuwailina, North Maider, Markhiya, Mesaimeer, Najma, Mansoura, Old Al Ghanim, South Medinat Khalifa and Gharafa.
 
He pointed out that some old buildings in Najma were built in the 1970s. These buildings are located in the heart of the city and in the vicinity of new skyscrapers.
 
The Gaza Street in Medinat Khalifa has been cited as a classic example of a haphazardly built residential area in the city.
 
“This is a very narrow street which does not even have street lights. These are randomly developed areas that need redevelopment,” said Mohammed Shaheen Al Ateeq, CMC member from Medinat Khalifa. It is often seen that such areas are ignored while rapid development takes place in other places.
 
Source: http://thepeninsulaqatar.com/qatar/240727-ministry-plans-housing-zones-outside-doha.html