Evaluation of Urban Land Use in High Densely Populated Areas: the Case of Tal Al-Hawa Housing in Gaza

Author/Editor

Maysara Asa'd Elessy

Date

2008

Language

English

Keywords

urban land use, high density populated areas, Tal Al-Hawa Housing, Gaza, Palestine

Institution

University of Jordan

Advisor

Prof. Salim S. Al-Faqih

Abstract

Gaza City, one of the major cities in Palestine, has witnessed urban planning beginnings after the advent of the Palestinian Authority. These initial stages have increased rapidly since the proposed Israeli withdrawal from Gaza Strip. Land use management is of high importance and these issues should be considered carefully for limited land area cities and highly populated growth rates. This constitutes a major challenge when cities are so restricted in expansion possibilities, economically and urban-wise.
This research is tackling literature review in the urban growth situation in Gaza City as a densely populated city, passing through theoretical study of most important urban patterns that have a direct impact on land use in light of high population densities regarding residential land use.
Concentration, decentralization, densification, urban densities and their criteria, mixed land use localities, self-contained and dependent urban settlements all will be highlighted in brief upon studying urban planning theoretical information. Following, 16 forms of new urban settlements will be classified to schedule the case study of Tal Al Hawa Housing project in Gaza City according to those classifications.
Tal Al Hawa Housing as a new housing project represents a decentralized densified growing cell originating from the body of Gaza City's southwest fringe and as a solution for the growing need for housing in a hierarchy pattern originating as a new urban settlement. Then it is divided into a sub-sub-settlement represented in smaller clusters to fulfill housing needs for limited income workers. This new settlement is classified as a new land subdivision provided with the necessary communal services using high building urban form of high density.
Theoretical data, field survey and questionnaires all were used in order to evaluate the efficiency of the existing land use and the applied densities, especially the uses that should be provided in the scale of land subdivision.
It was concluded that this project is a characteristic incident in the field of directing urban growth toward oriented and controlled urban land uses in such a dense city using high building, high density strategies.