IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v15y2023i8p6960-d1128637.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Challenges and Opportunities for Small Cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Study of Expert Perceptions

Author

Listed:
  • Sameeh Alarabi

    (Department of Urban Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, Riyadh 11574, Saudi Arabia)

  • Fawaz Alasmari

    (Department of Urban Planning, College of Architecture and Planning, King Saud University, Riyadh 11574, Saudi Arabia)

Abstract

Small cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia face the challenges of adequately providing for their citizens and maintaining and growing their population. This study of small cities in Saudi Arabia provides insights into the prevalent challenges faced by small cities from the perspective of a sample of experts in related fields. In this research, a self-completing online questionnaire was designed to gather valuable quantitative data on five critical themes drawn from relevant theoretical considerations, case studies of small cities, and official government documents. This study explores the issues of existing infrastructure, governance processes, relationships with other cities, current economic activity, and potential development opportunities. The findings suggest that the local urban governance and strategic planning of urban growth are among the main components of successful development in small cities, especially by providing local planning authorities with greater autonomy while considering the cities’ regional integration to form links with larger cities. As research in small cities in Saudi Arabia remains unexplored, the findings also highlight areas of further research which may lay the groundwork for future researchers and be utilized by policy makers to devise more effective policies and implementation strategies that render small cities more sustainable.

Suggested Citation

  • Sameeh Alarabi & Fawaz Alasmari, 2023. "Challenges and Opportunities for Small Cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Study of Expert Perceptions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-16, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6960-:d:1128637
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6960/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/15/8/6960/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lewis Dijkstra & Enrique Garcilazo & Philip McCann, 2013. "The Economic Performance of European Cities and City Regions: Myths and Realities," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(3), pages 334-354, March.
    2. Kanbur, Ravi & Venables, Anthony J. (ed.), 2005. "Spatial Inequality and Development," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199278633.
    3. Philip McCann & Zoltán J. Ács, 2015. "Globalization: Countries, Cities and Multinationals," Chapters, in: Global Entrepreneurship, Institutions and Incentives, chapter 19, pages 371-386, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    4. Gilles Duranton, 2007. "From cities to productivity and growth in developing countries," Working Papers tecipa-306, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    5. Susanne A. Frick & Andrés Rodríguez†Pose, 2018. "Big or Small Cities? On city size and economic growth," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 49(1), pages 4-32, March.
    6. Alberto F. Ades & Edward L. Glaeser, 1995. "Trade and Circuses: Explaining Urban Giants," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 110(1), pages 195-227.
    7. Evert Meijers & Martijn Burger & Evert J. Meijers & Martijn J. Burger & Marloes M. Hoogerbrugge, 2016. "Borrowing size in networks of cities: City size, network connectivity and metropolitan functions in Europe," Papers in Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 95(1), pages 181-198, March.
    8. Etido Essien, 2021. "Impacts of Governance toward Sustainable Urbanization in a Midsized City: A Case Study of Uyo, Nigeria," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Cohen, Barney, 2004. "Urban Growth in Developing Countries: A Review of Current Trends and a Caution Regarding Existing Forecasts," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 23-51, January.
    10. Roberto Camagni & Roberta Capello & Andrea Caragliu, 2015. "The Rise of Second-Rank Cities: What Role for Agglomeration Economies?," European Planning Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 1069-1089, June.
    11. Edward L. Glaeser, 2014. "A World Of Cities: The Causes And Consequences Of Urbanization In Poorer Countries," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 12(5), pages 1154-1199, October.
    12. Gilles Duranton, 2008. "Viewpoint: From cities to productivity and growth in developing countries," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 41(3), pages 689-736, August.
    13. Patricia C Melo & Daniel J Graham & David Levinson & Sarah Aarabi, 2017. "Agglomeration, accessibility and productivity: Evidence for large metropolitan areas in the US," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 54(1), pages 179-195, January.
    14. Loris Servillo & Rob Atkinson & Abdelillah Hamdouch & Loris Servillo & Rob Atkinson & Abdelillah Hamdouch, 2017. "Small and Medium-Sized Towns in Europe: Conceptual, Methodological and Policy Issues," Tijdschrift voor Economische en Sociale Geografie, Royal Dutch Geographical Society KNAG, vol. 108(4), pages 365-379, September.
    15. Castells-Quintana, David, 2017. "Malthus living in a slum: Urban concentration, infrastructure and economic growth," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C), pages 158-173.
    16. García, Jorge H. & Garmestani, Ahjond S. & Karunanithi, Arunprakash T., 2011. "Threshold transitions in a regional urban system," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 78(1), pages 152-159.
    17. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Frick, Susanne, 2017. "Big or small cities? On city size and economic growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 12324, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    18. Claude Lacour & Sylvette Puissant, 2007. "Re-Urbanity : urbanising the Rural and Ruralising the Urban," Post-Print hal-00154248, HAL.
    19. Lambert van der Laan, 1998. "Changing Urban Systems: An Empirical Analysis at Two Spatial Levels," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 32(3), pages 235-247.
    20. David Bell & Mark Jayne, 2009. "Small Cities? Towards a Research Agenda," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 33(3), pages 683-699, September.
    21. Kanbur, Ravi & Venables, Anthony J., 2005. "SPATIAL INEQUALITY AND DEVELOPMENT Overview of UNU-WIDER Project," Working Papers 127127, Cornell University, Department of Applied Economics and Management.
    22. Jennifer Robinson, 2002. "Global and world cities: a view from off the map," International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 531-554, September.
    23. Rahel Meili & Richard Shearmur, 2019. "Diverse diversities—Open innovation in small towns and rural areas," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(2), pages 492-514, June.
    24. Kanako Mukai & Ryo Fujikura, 2015. "One village one product: evaluations and lessons learnt from OVOP aid projects," Development in Practice, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 389-400, April.
    25. Ravi Kanbur & Tony Venables, 2005. "Introduction: Spatial inequality and development," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 5(1), pages 1-2, January.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Andrés Rodríguez‐Pose & Jamie Griffiths, 2021. "Developing intermediate cities," Regional Science Policy & Practice, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 13(3), pages 441-456, June.
    2. Susanne A. Frick & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2016. "Average city size and economic growth," Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy and Society, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 9(2), pages 301-318.
    3. Jorge Díaz-Lanchas & Peter Mulder, 2021. "Does decentralization of governance promote urban diversity? Evidence from Spain," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 55(6), pages 1111-1128, June.
    4. Clerici Maria Antonietta, 2020. "Unity in Variety. Employment Dynamics and Specialisation Profiles of Medium-Sized Towns in the Asti-Rovigo Area, Italy (2001–2017)," Quaestiones Geographicae, Sciendo, vol. 39(4), pages 5-22, December.
    5. Christian Düben & Melanie Krause, 2021. "Population, light, and the size distribution of cities," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(1), pages 189-211, January.
    6. Bluhm, Richard & Krause, Melanie, 2022. "Top lights: Bright cities and their contribution to economic development," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    7. Jedwab,Remi Camille & Pereira,Daniel & Roberts,Mark, 2019. "Cities of Workers, Children, or Seniors? Age Structure and Economic Growth in a Global Cross-Section of Cities," Policy Research Working Paper Series 9040, The World Bank.
    8. Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés & Frick, Susanne, 2017. "Big or small cities? On city size and economic growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 12324, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Madeleine Wagner & Anna Growe, 2021. "Research on Small and Medium-Sized Towns: Framing a New Field of Inquiry," World, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-22, February.
    10. Lessmann, Christian & Seidel, André, 2017. "Regional inequality, convergence, and its determinants – A view from outer space," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 92(C), pages 110-132.
    11. Frick, Susanne A. & Rodríguez-Pose, Andrés, 2018. "Change in urban concentration and economic growth," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 156-170.
    12. Achten, Sandra & Lessmann, Christian, 2020. "Spatial inequality, geography and economic activity," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 136(C).
    13. Mayer, Heike, 2021. "Wirtschaftliche Entwicklung und Innovationsdynamiken in Kleinstädten," Forschungsberichte der ARL: Aufsätze, in: Steinführer, Annett & Porsche, Lars & Sondermann, Martin (ed.), Kompendium Kleinstadtforschung, volume 16, pages 140-154, ARL – Akademie für Raumentwicklung in der Leibniz-Gemeinschaft.
    14. Lu Liu & Yu Tian, 2022. "Compact Urban Form and Human Development: Retest Based on Heterogeneous Effects," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, February.
    15. Mohamed Amara, 2023. "Agglomeration and firm performance in times of economic turmoil: Evidence from Tunisian firm‐level data," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 54(2), pages 446-481, June.
    16. Sunderlin, William D. & Dewi, Sonya & Puntodewo, Atie & Müller, Daniel & Angelsen, Arild & Epprecht, Michael, 2008. "Why forests are important for global poverty alleviation: A spatial explanation," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 13(2).
    17. Güneş Aşık & Ulaş Karakoç & Şevket Pamuk, 2023. "Regional inequalities and the West–East divide in Turkey since 1913," Economic History Review, Economic History Society, vol. 76(4), pages 1305-1332, November.
    18. Roberto Ganau & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2022. "Does urban concentration matter for changes in country economic performance?," Urban Studies, Urban Studies Journal Limited, vol. 59(6), pages 1275-1299, May.
    19. World Bank, 2004. "Sri Lanka - Reshaping Economic Geography : Connecting People to Prosperity," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 21549, December.
    20. Roberto Ezcurra & Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, 2017. "Does ethnic segregation matter for spatial inequality?," Journal of Economic Geography, Oxford University Press, vol. 17(6), pages 1149-1178.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:15:y:2023:i:8:p:6960-:d:1128637. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.