Cities are rarely planned; they tend to grow organically related to the socio-economic factors intrinsic to towns and villages that merge together and become part of the city. The preeminent driving factor for the emergence of cities has always been the expansion of agricultural production.

 

In his introduction to ‘The Culture of Cities’ published in 1938, Lewis Mumford concluded that the nature of the city was not to be found simply in its economic base but evolves through social complexities. The city becomes the point of maximum concentration for the power and culture of a community. It is the very centre of social effectiveness and is the focal point of human interaction.

 

Many academics believe the birth of the city, or urbanisation, began in the Middle East region. In ‘Cities and Economic Development’ published in 1991, Paul Bairoch discusses the evidence of agricultural societies and trading economies dating back over twelve thousand years, far earlier than in Europe or the Far East.

 

In the 21st century once again the Middle East is at the forefront of the creation of emerging global cities. This time, agriculture is not the preeminent force. The driver behind the creation of these cities is the need for a diversified economy.

 

Advancing from organic growth experienced when villages and towns merged to become a city, these neo-metropolis developments are being carefully planned to consider how people live and interact with the surrounding environment.

 

Al Madina A’Zarqa is one of these pioneering new cities that analysis knowledge gained through centuries of development to determine the best way to build an entire, new city for the future of Oman.