The Urban Planning and Design of Eco-Industrial Parks Case of Asfan, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

How does the eco-industrial park (EIP) differ from the conventional industrial area, particularly in urban planning and design terms?” is one of the questions currently posed among those concerned with the planning of industrial areas in Egypt. This is understood when considering the scarcity of local research in the field, the lack of international research and the lack of consideration of the ecological dimension in the Egyptian industrial experience, despite its relatively long history. This documentary research contributes to answering this question through presenting a case study of which the authors were assigned the task of preparing its technical studies and urban plans. This case is an EIP located in the Asfan administrative center (AAC) in the Al-Jumum governorate, Saudi Arabia. To prepare the required study, the authors first reviewed available relevant literature looking for different concepts associated with industrial ecology and, more importantly, their physical/urban connotations. The authors also studied the AAC in terms of its locational and natural potentials/limits, the interregional supply and demand, the potentially competitive/integrative regional industrial peers, and the industrial national strategy in the Kingdom as a whole. In light of these studies, a general planning concept for the EIP in the AAC was prepared, followed by the preparation of detailed plans and urban design schemes for a selected area of 300 ha of the EIP’s first implementation phase. The authors hope that this documentation serves as a reference for academics and practitioners to contribute to the discussion on the urban dimension of EIPs, stimulate further research to build knowledge internationally and, more importantly, raise local awareness  towards more sustainable industrial development in Egypt.