The skyscraper skyline of the West Bay business district became Doha's iconic image of modernity and prosperity during the early twenty-first century. Three decades of urban development shaped West Bay's morphology. There is a need to evaluate its physical and functional characteristics as an urban area and the cumulative impact on walkability and user experience.
The study evaluates West Bay's urban form, focusing on the relation between its physical components – block size, land uses, active and inactive street frontages, building heights, pedestrian shed analysis and spatial pattern using space syntax analysis – in shaping or deterring the conditions conducive for user walkability.
The paper reports the findings of a study of West Bay's urban morphology, spatial layout and functional dynamics. It highlights critical deficiencies in its design and planning, which gave rise to the view that West Bay epitomizes Webber's (1964) definition of a nonplace urban realm: busy but not lively, dedicated to the speedy movement of vehicles to the detriment of pedestrians. The paper briefly reviews West Bay's historical location and development to provide context for its significance during Doha's rapid urbanization and globalization.
It concludes by recommending planning interventions to promote walkability in West Bay and discussing how the transformation could support the existing elements of imageability for users (Lynch, 1960).
The study contributes to our knowledge of the urban environment and user walkability in contemporary Gulf Cooperation Countries cities.
