Msheireb Downtown, a district celebrated as one of the world’s most sustainable urban developments.
From the first step, the design impressed: shaded walkways, a quiet tram slipping between buildings, and hidden underground parking keeping the streets free for pedestrians. It was an architectural vision of the future – cool, efficient and beautifully composed.
And yet, it felt lifeless. Msheireb had achieved climate resilience but lost something just as vital: social life.
That contradiction lies at the heart of the Gulf’s new urban dilemma – how to build cities that can endure rising heat and water scarcity without sacrificing the spontaneity and inclusiveness that make urban life worth living.
The development of Msheireb also came at a cost. Its construction led to the removal and erasure of Najada, a traditional old neighbourhood located just across from the site.
Najada had long been home to a thriving South Asian community – tailors, small traders and craftspeople who animated its narrow streets and courtyards.
In their place now stands a new district of glass and stone, its polished surfaces concealing the memory of old Doha.
What was once a living neighbourhood of exchange and informality has been replaced by a curated environment, sterile, exclusive and detached from its social past
To continue reading:
https://www.agbi.com/opinion/infrastructure/2025/10/resilient-but-empty-the-human-dilemma-facing-gulf-cities/
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