More planning and thought needs to go into integrated transported systems in Qatar, said Tangram Architects & Designers GM Nigel Eckersall at the CW Infrastructure Qatar Conference held at the Grand Hyatt in Doha on December 5.
“Integrated transport systems get plonked into the middle of communities because governments say we have to have modern transport. But how ‘integrated’ is this?” questioned Eckersall.
“We need mass transport for the people, rather than just for tourists.”
Eckersall said that transport systems must be accessible to all and integrated with existing infrastructure in order to link communities together.
“A city must have a heart. Infrastructure development is key for the development of communities. Community was important to the past of Doha. This is how cities grow. We have to be close to our natural resources. Transport needs determine community spacing.
“Qatar has some of the most advanced masterplans in the region. How will visions of utopia affect the future of cities in 60 years? Will we end up with cities with no heart, where we do not know our neighbours? This is not a true city, it is just a housing estate,” said Eckersall.
