Modernity and Tradition in the Design of New Towns: Sadat City, Egypt and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia

New towns built in North Africa and the Middle East incorporate modern elements into their built environments unprecedented in the traditional city of the region. This thesis addresses the questions: Do these new built environments respond to the prevalent culture? What modern and traditional design qualities enable new towns to maintain cultural integrity? The new towns Sadat City, Egypt and Yanbu, Saudi Arabia are the central focus of this analysis. In Part I, a model of the traditional city of the region is set forth. Qualities of three elements in the city, the street, the building and the urban space are examined and provide a framework for comparison to the same elements in Sadat City and Yanbu, in Parts Il and III, respectively. Through this analysis, a framework for the design of new towns is presented--an approach that incorporates modern elements with responsive traditional qualities. Thesis Supervisor: Gary Hack Title: Professor of Urban Design & Development