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Caught between the poles of remembering and forgetting, glorification and neglect, the abandoned mudbrick settlements (ḥārāt) of Oman are a vital object of conflicting processes of interpretation and negotiation. Adopting a diachronic perspective, the multi-disciplinary book’s chapters examine their past, present and future. The book presents approaches and results of archaeological, ethnographic, historical and sociological research on abandoned ḥārāt. Oman’s landscape is dotted with abandoned mudbrick settlements and quarters, known as ḥārāt, either isolated in the countryside or surrounded by vibrant, modern urban centres. Most of them were abandoned during the economic upturn and opening of the country after Sultan Qaboos bin Said came to power in 1970. People’s move from traditional mudbrick to modern concrete houses led to the deterioration and decay of the physical substance of the mudbrick buildings. In the face of these conditions, various Omani and international actors have repeatedly warned against the uncontrolled loss of this valuable cultural heritage. The former inhabitants of the mudbrick houses and their descendants have also repeatedly emphasised their emotional attachment to these abandoned places and their personal significance to them. At the same time, others, especially tourists, have glorified the dilapidated state of the ruins as an aesthetically beautiful backdrop for a romanticised vision of the past. This was the starting point for the interdisciplinary research project “The abandoned mudbrick settlements of central Oman: Between romanticisation and neglect”, funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation as part of the “Lost Cities” programme between 2020 and 2022, and conducted by the editors of the present volume. It constitutes the proceedings of the closing conference of the project, in which team members present their results and leading experts give their input on inhabited, abandoned and re(dis)covered mudbrick settlements in the Sultanate of Oman.

Rapid urbanization poses significant challenges that can transform the physical and socio-economic environment of a city. Oman, a coastal country, has experienced a rapid increase in urbanization over the past decades. As statistical data show, the population increased significantly from 1955 to 2023, ranging from 2.5 % to 88 %. Similarly, the population in Al Buraimi Governorate has doubled since 1993, with an estimated population of 121,802 (NCSI, 2021) Al Buraimi City facing significant challenges. The city’s rapid growth in population burdening its infrastructure, traffic, municipal, education and public health capacity. This paper investigates the transformation of Land Use (LU) / Land Cover (LC) change from 2003 to 2023 in relation to population growth, employing both spatial and non-spatial methods to analyze the urban sprawl. The study focuses on the four main objectives: 1. To identify distinct types of sprawls (e.g., continuous, leapfrog, ribbon) and their spatial distribution proximity areas. 2. To examine the factors driving urban sprawl, including population growth, industrial development, socio-economic and educational opportunities. 3. To assess LU/LC changes over the study period using geospatial methods. 4. To forecast urban sprawl pattern using statistical models, providing insights into potential future developments. Given the limited understanding of urban sprawl in the study area, this research aims to address the complex challenges of urbanization and recommends sustainable resource development strategies. The results show that between 2003 to 2023, built-up areas increase from 13.14 % to 14.88 %, roads and other areas from 9.92 % to 11.23 % and vegetation cover decline from 3.93 % to 3.37%. Population, road and built-up area densities show significant increase. The population density rose from 27.72 % to 44.12 %, road density surged from 13.86 % to 47.04 %, built-up area density grew from 25.68 % to 41.92 %. Depending on the forecast results of urban sprawl, the low sprawl (45 %-55 %) with higher density and less probability, medium sprawl (55 %-65 %) with moderate expansion probability, high sprawl (65 %-75 %) with increased probability of expansion and very high sprawl (> 75 %) with lower density, high probability of expansion. The areas with a high population, road or built-up area density are less likely to sprawl in the city of Al Burami. Additionally, three sprawl patterns, continuous, leapfrog and ribbon pattern in the study area were identified, helping in further solutions to urbanization.

Abstract Rapid growth coupled with the prevailing land allocation system in Oman led to a shift from compact dwellings typologies to detached single-family houses, arranged in monofunctional zoning systems that exclusively rely on cars. Due to the sprawled transformation, authorities are unable to provide new neighborhoods with basic infrastructure and attractive open spaces. Consequently, the level of non-communicable diseases is increasing, making urban regeneration programs promoting active lifestyles in built environments a matter of public health. In our research we explore participative-planning strategies to enhance pedestrian activity within existing neighborhoods and regenerate public spaces. We conducted a quantitative survey using a standard walkability scale and physical maps to identify barriers to pedestrian activity. Subsequently, we employed the data to frame culturally sensitive co-creation workshops, gaining in-depth knowledge to guide future redesign proposals. We found that mosques are walking magnets yet engender contrasting views with regard to walkability; finding solutions to the spatial problems could develop them into walkable cores. We also observed that residents were aware of health problems caused by lack of physical activity and how that links with the built environment they inhabit. They were eager to discuss solutions, including alternative governance models, as long as the process was short and produced immediate small interventions with high-level impact on their surroundings. We employed a fine-grained combination of methods to address site-specific challenges. Its quantitative data allows the insertion in a broader discourse and the linkage to a large body of research in walkability. Co-creation workshops, especially city games, proved to be a powerful tool to initiate dialogue on complex spatial negotiation, even in societies where participatory approaches do not have a well-established tradition.

En 1970, Qābūs devient sultan d’Oman par un coup d’Etat qui renverse son père avec l’appui des Britanniques, principalement en vue de moderniser le pays : cette politique est qualifiée de « renaissance bienheureuse » ou « Nahḍa ». La politique du logement est le levier majeur de cette action, et prend la forme principale de la promotion de la maison individuelle sur parcelle de terrain octroyée par le souverain. Ce choix est au cœur de la redistribution de la manne pétrolière et de l’objectif de justice sociale qui légitime le pouvoir royal. S’il a des points communs avec ceux des pays voisins, le dispositif omanais se distingue en ciblant l’ensemble de la population de nationalité omanaise. Cette politique du logement a permis de faire accéder la population à une vie urbaine moderne, mais elle n’est pas sans poser de nombreuses questions aujourd’hui, en particulier sur le plan de la cohésion sociale ou d’un étalement urbain problématique face à l’objectif de développement durable.

Since 1970, Oman has taken up the challenge of shaping an "imagined community" and unifying an ancient territory that was torn apart in the past by secession or civil wars. Spatial planning has been at the heart of its policy, guided by a carefully defined national identity to broadly integrate the physical and human components of the country. With the integration into globalization and the emphasis on tourism to diversify the economy too dependent on hydrocarbons, the "national narrative" becomes a brand. What are the reciprocal effects of branding and spatial planning? Tourism particularly reveals these interactions but also the effects on the governance of the sultanate, while heritage plays a complex role, anchoring branding in a deep political project. The image of tolerance, a true "brand" of Oman in a regional environment of religious divisions, is clearly part of the country's territory, strongly associating branding and spatial planning.