Welcome MoeJoe. Thanks, ur thread has really brightened up the QL forum and added some real value. Its a welcome change from the interracial, interreligious brawls that I have gotten used to reading here.
I won't repeat what most have already said and with which I agree. But I do feel there is one important issue relating to my field of work that has been missed on this thread. It is the built environment.
The malls and the villa compounds that have been lobed on this thread are an artificial means of creating an attractive urban environment and enhancing the quality of life. But truly attractive cities are planned based on such concepts as a whole and not in exclusive enclaves. And I can see how some have compared Doha to american cities because they do follow the same trend set by Frank Lloyd Wright and others in the middle of the last century.
Copying such trends does not neccessarily make Qatar more attractive. It carries the potential danger of repeating the mistakes made by others and losing the local heritage and colorful culture that Qataris should really be proud of. One example is Souq Waqif which is basically the celebration of the local culture and building traditions as opposed to the Pearl project which is really just a cheap copy of western architecture taken totally out of context.
Neither the compounds nor the malls will make cities like Doha more attractive. Even the new high rise buildings in the Dafna don't serve to enhance the quality of this city, it could be anywhere. I know this might not be in your line of work MoeJoe nor under your scope of influence, but if you could convey this message to more of the local people, Qatar might be able to really make something out of the oppurtunities that have opened up and make it a true hub of attraction both financially and culturally within the region and worldwide. Just take Yemen as a prime example of what I am talking about and add some modern technology to its infrastructure and planning system and you have it.
Sorry folks for the academic lecture, but this is really the basis of what defines the quality of life in our built environment.
Cheers.
Welcome MoeJoe. Thanks, ur thread has really brightened up the QL forum and added some real value. Its a welcome change from the interracial, interreligious brawls that I have gotten used to reading here.
I won't repeat what most have already said and with which I agree. But I do feel there is one important issue relating to my field of work that has been missed on this thread. It is the built environment.
The malls and the villa compounds that have been lobed on this thread are an artificial means of creating an attractive urban environment and enhancing the quality of life. But truly attractive cities are planned based on such concepts as a whole and not in exclusive enclaves. And I can see how some have compared Doha to american cities because they do follow the same trend set by Frank Lloyd Wright and others in the middle of the last century.
Copying such trends does not neccessarily make Qatar more attractive. It carries the potential danger of repeating the mistakes made by others and losing the local heritage and colorful culture that Qataris should really be proud of. One example is Souq Waqif which is basically the celebration of the local culture and building traditions as opposed to the Pearl project which is really just a cheap copy of western architecture taken totally out of context.
Neither the compounds nor the malls will make cities like Doha more attractive. Even the new high rise buildings in the Dafna don't serve to enhance the quality of this city, it could be anywhere. I know this might not be in your line of work MoeJoe nor under your scope of influence, but if you could convey this message to more of the local people, Qatar might be able to really make something out of the oppurtunities that have opened up and make it a true hub of attraction both financially and culturally within the region and worldwide. Just take Yemen as a prime example of what I am talking about and add some modern technology to its infrastructure and planning system and you have it.
Sorry folks for the academic lecture, but this is really the basis of what defines the quality of life in our built environment.
Cheers.