Review of 'Demystifying Doha: On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City'

Very few informative books have been produced regarding the development of the State of Qatar and its emerging capital city Doha until this recent book ‘Demystifying Doha: On Architecture and Urbanism in an Emerging City’ has been published by Ashgate Publishing Limited at the end of 2013. This book reflects on the rapid urban development process in an era of globalizing architecture and urbanism with in-depth focus on the various trends of urban evolution, governance, image-making and socio-cultural sustainability.

Ashraf M. Salama and Florian Wiedmann, the authors, approach such a developmental case by a strong conceptual organization of research and a rich analytical methodology that unveils morphological transformations. While the title of the book promotes Doha, the book is essential for every planner, architect, and academic to read and explore its scientific and empirical methodologies, and their implementation. In essence these can be utilized in other cities of similar vision and pace of growth. This solid production delivers an overview study and analytical investigations on architecture and urbanism of a city, which competes with other cities in the region such as Dubai and Abu-Dhabi. The book interrogates three main questions: (1) how the city’s urban structure was shaped and managed from its beginning until its being a key player in the global arena; (2) what are the models of governance utilized to transform the city’s built environment and its physical image; and (3) how place-making and city-branding mechanisms define the city’s image and impact on the urban development tendencies and their relationship the city’s inhabitants.

Key words: Doha; architecture; urbanism; emerging city