IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v17y2025i10p4310-d1652472.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Sustainable Urban Renewal: Planning Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Riyadh

Author

Listed:
  • Silvia Mazzetto

    (Sustainable Architecture Laboratory, Department of Architecture, College of Architecture and Design, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh 12435, Saudi Arabia)

  • Raffaello Furlan

    (Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar)

  • Reem Awwaad

    (Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, College of Engineering, Qatar University, Doha P.O. Box 2713, Qatar)

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and car dependency have transformed Riyadh into a sprawling metropolis, straining mobility, sustainability, and land use efficiency. Investments in metro and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems present an opportunity to shift toward transit-oriented development (TOD), making strategic urban planning essential. This study assesses Riyadh’s TOD potential by analyzing its urban structure, transport accessibility, and regulatory framework while drawing lessons from successful global models. This study applies GIS-based spatial analysis, policy review, and AI-driven clustering techniques (e.g., DBSCAN, K-Means) to evaluate TOD readiness and inform actionable strategies for Riyadh. The findings indicate that transit investments alone are insufficient due to gaps in zoning policies, pedestrian connectivity, and urban density. Enhancing compact, mixed-use developments, improving first- and last-mile accessibility, and leveraging AI-driven planning can reshape the city’s mobility ecosystem and foster sustainable urban growth. Vision 2030 provides a pivotal opportunity to align infrastructure investments with urban planning policies, ensuring Riyadh evolves into a modern, efficient, and transit-friendly city.

Suggested Citation

  • Silvia Mazzetto & Raffaello Furlan & Reem Awwaad, 2025. "Sustainable Urban Renewal: Planning Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) in Riyadh," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(10), pages 1-37, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4310-:d:1652472
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4310/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/10/4310/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wang, Jiaoe & Tan, Wenwei & Huang, Jie, 2024. "Extending TOD through the interrelationship between transport and land use: A case study of Beijing," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    2. Sultan Alamri, 2024. "Spatial Analysis and GIS Mapping of Public Parks Adequacy: A Case Study from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(8), pages 1-17, April.
    3. Silvia Mazzetto, 2022. "Sustainable Heritage Preservation to Improve the Tourism Offer in Saudi Arabia," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 195-207.
    4. Silvia Mazzetto, 2024. "A Review of Urban Digital Twins Integration, Challenges, and Future Directions in Smart City Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-33, September.
    5. Diao, Mi, 2019. "Towards sustainable urban transport in Singapore: Policy instruments and mobility trends," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 320-330.
    6. Zaher Youssef & Habib Alshuwaikhat & Imran Reza, 2021. "Modeling the Modal Shift towards a More Sustainable Transport by Stated Preference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(1), pages 1-19, January.
    7. Rasha A. Moussa, 2023. "A Responsive Approach for Designing Shared Urban Spaces in Tourist Villages," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(9), pages 1-27, May.
    8. Silvia Mazzetto, 2022. "Sustainable Heritage Preservation to Improve the Tourism Offer in Saudi Arabia," Urban Planning, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 195-207.
    9. Khalid Mohammed Almatar, 2022. "Transit-Oriented Development in Saudi Arabia: Riyadh as a Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-10, December.
    10. Mooza Al-Mohannadi & Reem Awwaad & Raffaello Furlan & Michael Grosvald & Rashid Al-Matwi & Rima J. Isaifan, 2023. "Sustainable Status Assessment of the Transit-Oriented Development in Doha’s Education City," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-20, 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. Silvia Mazzetto & Fiorella Vanini, 2023. "Urban Heritage in Saudi Arabia: Comparison and Assessment of Sustainable Reuses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-24, June.
    2. Rogier Pennings & Bart Wiegmans & Tejo Spit, 2020. "Can We Have Our Cake and Still Eat It? A Review of Flexibility in the Structural Spatial Development and Passenger Transport Relation in Developing Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(15), pages 1-25, July.
    3. Dugan, Anna & Mayer, Jakob & Thaller, Annina & Bachner, Gabriel & Steininger, Karl W., 2022. "Developing policy packages for low-carbon passenger transport: A mixed methods analysis of trade-offs and synergies," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 193(C).
    4. Zaiyu Fan & Zhen Zhong, 2023. "Spatial Morphological Characteristics and Evolution of Policy-Oriented Urban Agglomerations—Take the Yangtze River Middle Reaches Urban Agglomeration as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(18), pages 1-20, September.
    5. Khan, Muhammad Salar & Jamil, Kamil & Malik, Ammar A., 2022. "Delivering Urban Mass Transit—The Case of Lahore, Pakistan," SocArXiv 2zj8m, Center for Open Science.
    6. Joanna Jaroszewicz & Anna Majewska, 2021. "Group Spatial Preferences of Residential Locations—Simplified Method Based on Crowdsourced Spatial Data and MCDA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-24, April.
    7. Rocío González-Sánchez & Sara Alonso-Muñoz & María-Sonia Medina-Salgado & María Torrejón-Ramos, 2023. "Driving circular tourism pathways in the post-pandemic period: a research roadmap," Service Business, Springer;Pan-Pacific Business Association, vol. 17(3), pages 633-668, September.
    8. Umar Farooq & Wasim Abbas & Faryal Chaudhry, 2025. "Multi-Criteria Decision Making and Graph Theory-Based Optimization of the Lahore Metro System: A Metric Dimension, VIKOR, and PROMETHEE Approach," Journal of Mathematics Research, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 17(1), pages 1-51, April.
    9. Rasha A. Moussa, 2025. "Humanization of Street Median Islands: Utilizing Pedestrian Quality Needs Indicators for Saudi Urban Transformation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-30, February.
    10. Xiao Xiao & Yunlong Zhang & Xiubin Bruce Wang & Shu Yang & Tianyi Chen, 2021. "Hierarchical Longitudinal Control for Connected and Automated Vehicles in Mixed Traffic on a Signalized Arterial," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.
    11. Monica Moscatelli, 2024. "Heritage as a Driver of Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case Study of the Darb Zubaydah Hajj Pilgrimage Route," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(16), pages 1-24, August.
    12. Silm, Siiri & Tominga, Ago & Saidla, Karl & Poom, Age & Tammaru, Tiit, 2024. "Socio-economic and residential differences in urban modality styles based on a long-term smartphone experiment," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    13. Majd Homoud & Ola M. Jarrar, 2024. "Walkability in Riyadh: A Comprehensive Assessment and Implications for Sustainable Community—Al-Falah Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(18), pages 1-27, September.
    14. Wang, Zi-Jia & Jia, Hui-Hui & Dai, Fangzhou & Diao, Mi, 2022. "Understanding the ground access and airport choice behavior of air passengers using transit payment transaction data," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 179-190.
    15. Wang, Chao & Zhan, Jinyan & Xin, Zhongling, 2020. "Comparative analysis of urban ecological management models incorporating low-carbon transformation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    16. repec:osf:socarx:2zj8m_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    17. Yuyuan An & Xiao Wu & Rui Liu & Lu Liu & Pengquan Liu, 2023. "Quantitative Analysis Village Spatial Morphology Using “SPSS + GIS” Approach: A Case Study of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(24), pages 1-30, December.
    18. Xingmin Yin & Jing Zhang & Xiaochen Zheng, 2024. "How Does Digital Economy Influence Green Mobility for Sustainable Development? Moderating Effect of Policy Instruments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-18, October.
    19. Vincenzo Barrile & Emanuela Genovese & Clemente Maesano & Sonia Calluso & Maurizio Pasquale Manti, 2025. "Developing an Urban Digital Twin for Environmental and Risk Assessment: A Case Study on Public Lighting and Hydrogeological Risk," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-24, March.
    20. Sara Sampieri & Mohammed Bagader, 2024. "Sustainable Tourism Development in Jeddah: Protecting Cultural Heritage While Promoting Travel Destination," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(21), pages 1-24, October.
    21. Elda Cina & Ersin Elbasi & Gremina Elmazi & Zakwan AlArnaout, 2025. "The Role of AI in Predictive Modelling for Sustainable Urban Development: Challenges and Opportunities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-39, June.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:17:y:2025:i:10:p:4310-:d:1652472. 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.