Atkins’ projects often involve engaging with local communities in the field – for example, our strategic planning work across the Middle East. 8
industry and tourism. Bahrain is an island state and the northern part of the island – which includes the capital, Manama – is densely populated. “It’s a matter of finding ways to extend that urban structure to meet future development needs,” says Roger Savage, associate director with Atkins. “The population is going to increase from 1.1 million to perhaps 2.1 million over the next 20 years, so it’s a large amount of growth to accommodate in quite a small space.” Bahrain’s National Planning and Development Strategy was launched in 2005 to address the changing landscape. It began by setting out the spatial plan for the country and now the focus is on turning that plan into a reality.
“The work being done now is on implementation to take the strategy forward. This covers planning tools, drafting an updated planning law, and also preparing a suite of regulations and guidance to go with that – things like planning and design guidelines, and addressing how development should be delivered in certain areas,” says Savage. Implementation includes a new strategic transport model, making it possible to assess the
traffic effects of new developments. It also considers how infrastructure and land are managed, and – crucially – how it’s all to be funded, including developer contributions for infrastructure. “This goes beyond straight planning,” says Savage. “The public sector is involved in planning and subdividing some areas, but you’ve also got privately led schemes, which are almost self-contained gated communities that fall completely outside of the current remit. “It requires a balance between private and public sector involvement, making sure that open space and public access to the waterfront are delivered and that there are adequate community facilities to serve these developments.”
Risk management European nations have a tradition of state- sponsored planning. The same is not true in the Gulf, where governments have generally taken a less prominent role in directing development of private land. But that’s changing. There’s growing awareness of the benefits of strategic planning and its ability to bolster economic resilience.
“UNDERSTANDING WHERE DEMANDS ARE LIKELY TO BE MADE ALLOWS GOVERNMENT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT IN MAKING ITS OWN INVESTMENTS”
“There’s a realisation that the more speculative
approach to development may not be the best way to deliver large-scale projects,” says Savage. “Schemes that have been successful – and are ongoing – involved a long-term approach to managing land and development, and phasing the infrastructure.” Crucially, planning can play a decisive role in attracting new investment – and that’s of critical importance as countries such as Bahrain continue to diversify away from oil: “Institutional investors see having a robustly formulated plan as a way of managing risk,” says Savage. “If you have a proper strategic plan, it can flex to accommodate changes in the market.” Strategic plans also help reduce financial risk
for governments. “If you pay for major infrastructure development from the start and then everything changes, you can’t be sure it will be able to accommodate what comes next. That’s costly. Understanding where demands are likely to be made allows government to be more efficient in making its own investments,” says Savage. “Integrated development supports diversification and delivers tangible economic benefits,” observes Savage. “But it also provides some of the more intangible ones, including a better quality of life.”
It is hoped that tackling the complex economic and social challenges facing nations in the Gulf using a sustainable and holistic approach, as in the UAE, will pave the way to an even brighter future.
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