Nature of urban interventions in changing the old center of a globalizing Doha

Doha, Qatar is continuously positioning itself at the forefront of international urbanism with different qualities of expression in terms of economy, culture, and global outlook, and is characterized by fast-tracked urban development process with large-scale urban interventions in the old center. Although the unprecedented urban growth of this city continues to be a subject of discussion, little attention has been given to investigate the new interventions and the resulting effects they have on the old center. This study aims to examine three important urban interventions, namely, the Museum of Islamic Art, the reconstruction of the traditional market called Souq Waqif, and the Msheireb urban regeneration project. It examines local and global issues, universal standard practices, and traditional knowledge. This study employs a descriptive analysis of these interventions to explore the impact of change in the old center, exemplified by socio-spatial and typo-morphological aspects. Reference is made to a number of empirical studies, including behavioral mapping, GIS population statistics, and analysis of historical maps. Results analytically narrate the reactions of these interventions to the possibility of simultaneously adopting universal practices with local knowledge, and whether prioritizing local influences would represent narrow-mindedness in shaping the city.

Housing Policies in Turkey： Evolution of TOKI （Governmental Mass Housing Administration） as an Urban Design Tool

With the mission of absorption of the capital through urban renovation, AKP （the Justice and Welfare Party） took over the metropolitan municipality administrations in big cities in 1995, and the Government of the Republic of Turkey in 2002. Together with the 2003 Mass Housing Act, 14 legal regulations were enacted between 2002 and 2008 to expand the field of activity and increase the funds of TOKI （Governmental Mass Housing Administration） which was already established during ANAP （the Motherland Party） Government in 1980s. As a result of those regulations, TOKI, as the ＂latest goddess of the construction myth＂, became the only authorized organization in the field of housing and land production in AKP＇s cities. It acquired new duties from generating profit-oriented projects to protecting historical texture, and it was authorized to make and approve zoning plans for the lands and plots handed over to TOKI of the last government （the Justice and Welfare Party） created as an investor-entrepreneur-contractor-performer group. This paper＇s aim is to indicate the transformation of TOKI foundation during the last twenty years, and also to prove that TOKI, as a governmental profit-oriented design tool, has demolished the unique DNA/morphological textures of the contemporary Turkish big cities by producing low profiled similar architecture and urbanity in the recent past.

Supporting and strengthening research on urban health interventions for the prevention and control of vector-borne and other infectious diseases of poverty:scoping reviews and research gap analysis

Background:More than half of the world’s population currently lives in urban settlements that grow both in size and number.By 2050,approximately 70%of the global population will be living in urban conglomerations,mainly in low-and middle-income countries.Mobility,poverty,different layers of inequalities as well as climate variability and change are some of the social and environmental factors that influence the exposure of human populations in urban settings to vector-borne diseases,which pose eminent public health threats.Accurate,consistent,and evidencebased interventions for prevention and control of vector-borne and other infectious diseases of poverty in urban settings are needed to implement innovative and cost-effective public policy and to promote inclusive and equitable urban health services.Main body:While there is growing awareness of vector-borne diseases epidemiology at the urban level,there is still a paucity of research and action being undertaken in this area,hindering evidence-based public health policy decisions and practice and strategies for active community engagement.This paper describes the collaboration and partnership of the Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases(TDR)hosted by the World Health Organization(WHO)and the“VEctor boRne DiseAses Scoping reviews”(VERDAS)Research Consortium as they joined efforts in response to filling this gap in knowledge and evidence by supporting the development of a series of scoping reviews that highlight priority research gaps and policy implications to address vector-borne and other infectious diseases at the urban level.Conclusions:The set of scoping reviews proposed in this special issue presents a critical analysis of the state-of-the-art of research on urban health interventions for the prevention and control of vector-borne and other infectious diseases of poverty.The authors of the 6 reviews highlighted severe gaps in knowledge and identified organizational and theoretical limitations that need to be urgently tackled to improve cities preparedness and vector control response.The more pressing need at present is to ensure that more implementation research on vector-borne diseases in urban settings is conducted,addressing policy and practice implications and calling for more political commitment and social mobilization through adequate citizen engagement strategies.