The document discusses a proposed transit oriented development (TOD) around the Al Doha Al Jadeeda metro station in Doha, Qatar. The proposed TOD aims to create a compact, walkable, mixed-use community centered around the metro station through strategies like increasing density and land use diversity near the station, improving pedestrian connectivity and public spaces, and enhancing placemaking. Key strategies proposed include allocating a mix of residential, commercial, and institutional uses near the station and transitioning to lower densities farther out; increasing building heights and densities near the station; and developing the main street as a pedestrian-oriented public realm. The goal is to transform the area into an active neighborhood center with improved quality of life through

1. Transit Oriented
development:
The case of Doha Al Jadeeda
Faculty Member: Dr. Yasser Mahgoub
Students: Participating students: El-Shaimaa Mahmoud ,
Najeeba Kutty , Mariam Shurbaji , Rana Wadi
College of Engineering
Department of Architecture& Urban Planning
Master of Urban Planning and Design
QFARC_15_0163
Abstract
The rapid growth of traffic congestion in Doha, along with wide divergence created
by the roads have led to desires for the improvement of quality of urban life.
Metaphorically, buildings rise above plinths of cars. The concept of journey to work
and the desire for more walkable lifestyles away from traffic, have led to the concept
of creating compact Transit Oriented Developments (TOD). The introduction of metro
rail with TOD around the stations, is a strategic solution to decrease the traffic
congestion, improving quality of urban life and reducing automobile use.
Introduction
Transit Oriented Development is a method to create vibrant, liveable and
sustainable communities. It is the creation of compact, walkable, mixed-use
communities, centered around high quality train systems. Al Doha Al Jadeed Metro
station is located along the Red line of the Doha metro rail, running 98.5 km
connecting three major terminus: Al Khor, Hamad airport and Messaid. This metro
station is a strategic location for TOD due to its location along junction of 5 zones,
proximity to the main Musheirib hub and other two stations. The study area
circumscribes a 400m radius (5min. walk), around the station intersection created by
Al Mattar Street and B-ring road. The area outside the study area is predominantly
high density residential with retail fronting the major roads. Many of the buildings
are old with the potential to experiment in terms of changing land uses and density.
Objectives
The aim of this project was to study the area (Al Doha Al Jadeeda) and introduce
strategies ensuring its emergence as a TOD. The main goal was to develop the area as
an active neighborhood center (station type) with increased quality of urban life,
human scale, mixed uses and a the public realm. The main objectives were to
promote a sense of place making; transform urban form in terms of compactness and
high density; improve connectivity, liveability and walkability; and to create a public
realm. The area was surveyed to document the current state of the study area. The
team members analysed and proposed strategies addressing: (1) Place making; (2)
Land uses; (3) Density; (4) Compactness (5) Public realm.
The study generates a model for a comprehensive strategy, in developing an area
around any metro station along the Qatar rail line into a TOD.
The Study area:
1. Location: The transit oriented development is proposed around Al Doha Al Jadeed
metro station within 400m radius at the intersection of 5 zones-Old Ghanim (16),
Doha Jadeeda (15), Najma (26), Al Mansoura (25) and Umm Ghuwailina (27). The
area is at junction of B ring road and Al Mattar Street. It is strategically located close
to the Umm Ghuwailina and Mansoura stations.
2. Challenges: The site is predominantly residential with a few retail strips lacking
hierarchy in density and land use distribution. The site has no activity generators
with only a potential mosque. The area is high in density with no focus on the metro
station, lacking a sense of place. Since, it is located along the B-ring road, segregation
of a completely pedestrianized area is not possible. The area is devoid of any social
and public interaction due to lack of human scale and open spaces.
3. Aim: The project aims at the process of applying legislation that would develop the
metro station area into a compact, diverse, active and vibrant transit neighborhood
center with increased transit ridership and improved social interaction.
Selected Proposed Strategies:
A. Promote place making- A spirit of place: In order to create a memorable human
scale area, focussing on liveability, quality and uniqueness, the following strategies
need to be implemented: (1) Develop the transit station or stop as a focal point
within the neighbourhood; (2) Orient different land uses within the vicinity of the
station area; (3) Designate public open spaces near the transit stations to encourage
public interaction; (4) Create intermixing of the public and private spaces along the
street scape; (5) Reduce the width of interior streets, collectors and other access
ways to 9m, allowing larger foot prints with increased height and mixed uses; (6)
Maintain an enclosure ratio of 1:5 or less, promoting the usage of woonerf streets in
the interior residential areas; (7) Allow the buildings to front onto the streets for
better pedestrian environments and attractive street fronts; (8) Orient the
residential entry to the streets to ensure safety and vitality, through ‘eyes on the
street’ (natural surveillance); (9) Limit access of cars and encourage pedestrian use
;(10) Create a unique distinctiveness by enhancing the activities in the area by
insertions of new uses to existing structures. TOD is thus intended to stand out in
terms of its uses and public realm.
B. Allocate a mix of land uses: The development of TOD into an activity hub
depends to a great extent on appropriate allocation of mixed land uses near the
station. The measures to be followed to attain the objectives are: (1) Ensure a
transition of land uses from commercial to residential as the movement progresses
away from the station; (2) Transform the existing residential land uses close to the
station area to offices, recreational, open spaces and commercial; (3) Increase the
activity within the circumference of the station by introducing new land uses
(institutional);(4) Retain the existing hotel and mosque to act as landmarks or
activity generators;(5) Promote mixed uses with a maximum 60-70% coverage with
minimum setbacks of 3m, along Al Matar street and 5m along the internal streets; (6)
Create horizontal as well as vertical mixed land uses only along the Al Matar street
and B-ring road frontages; (7) Allow for the provision of mixed land uses within the
same building (retail+offices+residential); (8) Cluster several different purpose
buildings to create mixed land use areas (office buildings, shopping complexes, hotels
retail shops etc. forming a cluster); (9) Demarcate open plazas and parks by
demolition of the dilapidated structures. Finally, ensure that all the proposed land
uses are compatible with the surrounding land uses.
C. Increase density and compactness: The increased density ensures efficiency in
the distribution of services and promotes transit ridership. The following strategies
are to be implemented for favourable TOD density in Doha Al Jadeeda: (1) Maintain
high densities close to the station areas, transitioning to lower densities in the
neighbourhood interiors; (2) Maintain the maximum height of buildings as 7 levels
within the station premises to minimum of 2 levels along the TOD boundary; (3)
Combine different building blocks with maximum block length of 150m x 50 m with
typical access ways; (4) Promote clustered mixed use buildings in existing low rises
with retail frontages at ground floor ,two levels of offices above and 4 new levels of
residential at the top. Different methods have also been suggested to improve the
connectivity and compactness. These include: (1) Facilitate the uninterrupted flow of
pedestrians through proposed bridges/skywalks connecting the buildings close to
transit stations; (2) Retain and encourage grid like pattern of buildings and streets
within walkable distance; (3) Restrict the parking areas close to transit station with
provision of underground parking spaces; (4) Promote the integration and transfer
between different modes by providing facilities such as park and ride, drop off areas
etc.; (5) Integrate retails to residential flats at lower level within the building or 5
min. walkable limits; (6) Address the parking requirements in the area, transferring
the on street parking for the mid and high rise flats to underground; (7) Locate the
surface parking away from the streets and design it as small clusters separated by
landscape areas; (8) Promote the use of shared parking spaces, car-sharing
programs, appropriate parking rates and restricted parking hours along Al Matar
street. Hence, the increased density leads to compactness and good connectivity.
D. Create a Public Realm: The main spine of the TOD is Al Matar street with the
potential to be developed as a quality pedestrian street. The following guidelines
need to be implemented to create a pedestrian friendly street: (1) Develop Al Matar
street in human scale fronted by arcades with maximum height of 3m with
articulation of facades to change scales; (2) Introduce 4m wide furniture zones and
2m pedestrian walkways along the main street, sandwiched between the arcades and
the mixed use buildings; (3) Develop activity spills in the form of restaurants and
cafes to increase public and social interaction; (4)Visual clutters should be avoided
next to the station area by introducing underground parking and roof top open
restaurants; (5) Provide an open park with public art next to transit station as a
street extension; (6) Encourage the multiple use of the urban plazas with temporary
stages within enhanced active retail and civic use areas; (7) Visual softening of the
built environment with spacing of the trees along the streets at 8m intervals; (8)
Contribute to the safety, vitality and quality of transit streets through pedestrian
scaled lighting of sidewalks and crosswalks; (9) Visually integrated roadways need to
be provided balancing the hardscape and landscape treatment; (10) Provide
adequate curb extensions to protect pedestrians minimising the road crossing
distances; (11) Introduce crosswalks to create strong pedestrian bias continuing
through intersecting roads in line with walkways.
Conclusion
The development of TOD provides an incentive for compactness and sprawl
reduction. Due to the increased quality of life with better places to live, work, and
play; greater mobility with ease of movement; increased transit ridership; reduced
traffic congestion and a healthier lifestyle, there is a need to start developing Transit
oriented developments around the Doha metro rail stations.
Existing Condition:
Proposed Condition:
Connectivity index
reduced-more
pedestrian friendly
Public realm
Increase height along
the principle arterial
Decrease in height as
movement progresses away
from the station
Retain existing
building height
New land uses
within existing
heights
Increase dependency by changed land
uses (Residential-Offices)
Integrate open
plazas with civic
identity
Change land use from
institutional to
Commercial /Leisure
Retain hotel as
activity generator
Residential replaced by
offices-Increased ridershipResidential retained at
peripheries of 400m
radius
Transition of
Land uses
Retail-Offices-
Residential
Mosque as
landmark-
activity nodes
Residential & retail-
Activity enhanced
along main spine
Activity node
introduced-Weekend
ridership improved
Residential replaced with mixed
use(offices+retail)-increased
ridership
Connectivity
Building heights
Station influence
Connection node
Links
10 Levels(Existing)
7 levels
4 levels
2 levels
Morning activity
Morning + Evening
Evening + Night
Throughout day
Site influence
Residential
Offices/commercial
Retail
Institutional
LandmarksLand uses
Residential with
lower retail
Daily ridership improved-
high density ,increased
vibrancy & activity
Activity spine-pedestriansRetention of residential
with 4 levels-ensure
natural surveillance
Single retail improving
activity
Natural
surveillance-open
space
Shopping mall-
improve night
activity