| One-third of the world's land area is arid or semi-arid. Hot-arid areas, especially in developing countries, represent an important new frontier for urbanization, food-production and efficient utilization of energy. This frontier is particularly evident in the Middle East area, and, more specifically, oil-producing countries which are undergoing continuous processes of urbanization and development. The surplus income of oil-producing countries, during the relatively short period of oil production, can facilitate the establishment of a sustained economic base for future generations. This research proposes how the urban environment of this economic base can be planned and designed, in a way that productively utilizes renewable energy resources.;The same natural environment has significant potentials including the world's highest rate of incident solar energy, favorable conditions for wind energy utilization, sea water desalination and food-production through contemporary technology. The human environment also presents significant potentials including capital surplus and a cultural heritage providing important lessons on ways to overcome the problems and make use of the potentials.;To overcome the problems and utilize the potentials, this research has these objectives: (1) Integration of Selected Energy Systems; (2) Production of Food at Several Scales within the Urban Environment; (3) Secondary Objectives, based on the local culture and development process.;The proposed research contribution is a conceptual model showing how a contemporary urban community can be planned and designed for arid areas of the Middle East, in a way that solves the problems, utilizes the potentials and realizes the objectives previously mentioned. The model of the proposed urban community includes several proposed environmental design solutions, integrated into one structure. While the proposed solutions have not been applied yet, they are based on the integration of present successfully operating techniques. The design of the proposed environmental design solutions and their integration into one structure has been achieved through a systemic process. This process has been utilized as the core of a larger conceptual approach, which is developed for the realization of the research objectives.;Hot-arid areas of the Middle East are characterized by several natural environmental problems including high average temperature, strong winds frequently carrying dust or sand, water shortage and aeolian soil--high in salt content and low in organic nutrients. Most conventional physical design and planning solutions in these areas exacerbate existing natural problems.;The proposed environmental design solutions can be grouped under four major subsystems: (1) Food-Production--inside residential units, in small neighborhoods open spaces and in neighborhood greenhouses, including conventional agriculture and aquaculture. (2) Solar Energy Utilization--in saline water distillation, heating and cooling of buildings and greenhouses, actively and passively integrated. (3) Waste Recycling--for waste treatment, soil fertilization and irrigation, feeding aquatic algae and methane gas generation. (4) Wind Energy Utilization--for generating electricity while possibly screening dust and sand out of wind.;Finally, the research discusses basic issues of the proposed community implementation including the political context, economic aspects of the urban context, finance and ownership, and community organization. Proposed stages of implementation and their evaluation are also discussed. |
