The Government of Qatar is investing considerable resources in the development of integrated transport infrastructure as a solution to traffic congestion and environmental degradation. Autonomous vehicles are expected to be one of the methodologies for enhancing the quality of the built environment and fostering a more sustainable and environmentally conscious urban milieu. While autonomous cars have the potential to address urban difficulties and be utilized for personal, group, and public transit purposes, their implementation in the specific context of Doha has not been thoroughly analyzed. This research explores the potential impacts that autonomous vehicles are expected to have on travel demands, parking needs, and urban planning. It discusses the benefits and challenges associated with autonomous vehicles and predicts their likely implementation and development based on the different precedents. In addition, it explores how it will affect planning decisions such as drop-off and pick-up areas, parking and public transit. The research utilizes a qualitative approach through literature content analysis, field observations, and mobility analysis. Several case studies are analyzed to explore how autonomous vehicles can operate within a limited zone. The study uncovers the issue of ownership and mode of operation as essential factors that can affect the impact of autonomous vehicles (AVs). In addition, implementing AVs may create complex environmental concerns when greener and more sustainable transportation models are not integrated. It is recommended that Doha adopt integrated planning and implementation of AV technologies to ensure that AVs align harmoniously with the environmental stewardship requirement. The research study also presents urban design frameworks for how existing urban spaces can accommodate autonomous vehicles.

The fields of urban design and public health play an important role in the success and failure of the city. Research combining the two fields to improve citizens’ lives is rare, particularly in a rapidly developing city like Doha. This study highlights the urban planning efforts of the municipality of Doha city to improve the mental health of its citizens and aims to understand the impact of urban design elements on mental health by analyzing the physical form and characteristics of green urban areas in Doha. The methods employed include an observational study and a structured survey interview, where visitors’ responses to selected green urban areas are analyzed. The results show how Doha officials are working to improve the mental health of its citizens by providing accessible, child-friendly, older citizen-friendly, and equitable green urban spaces and suggesting policies that could provide more opportunities for people and the government to provide a healthier environment in Doha. The implications encompass shaping urban design strategies, raising public awareness, enhancing healthcare initiatives, and ultimately emphasizing the positive impact of well-designed green spaces for mental well-being in Doha and other Gulf countries.

After the oil and economic boom of the 20th century, Doha experienced significant development in terms of the architectural scene, design, function, and sociocultural transformations. The advancements in global architecture have facilitated innovative and streamlined construction processes, while creating a paradigm shift in the overall architecture of dwellings and how people navigate around the house. In this context, this research aims to study the impact of globalization on housing typologies and the factors influencing their evolution, focusing on the city of Doha as a case study. This study is based on a qualitative research approach that centers its investigation on Doha while exploring strategies for preserving Arabic-Islamic identity. The research investigation used a content analysis methodology to analyze three additional case studies within the MENA region. The results indicate that new housing typologies have emerged in cities due to globalization and changes in physical and sociocultural dimensions. In addition, preserving older neighborhoods and housing typologies through a bottom-up approach is essential for design creativity and climatic and sociocultural sensitivity while exchanging knowledge and sharing experiences between generations. Furthermore, this article promotes heritage awareness and encourages local authorities to preserve Doha’s surviving historic neighborhoods and architectural language to restore the city’s urban identity. The findings of this research can provide helpful guidance to architects and urban planners on how Doha’s housing has developed until the contemporary period.

Qatar FIFA 2022 was the first FIFA Football World Cup to be hosted by an Arab state and was predicted by some to fail. However, it did not only succeed but also showed a new display of destination sustainability upon hosting mega-sport events and linked tourism. Yet, some impacts tend to be long-term and need further analysis. The study aims to understand both positive and negative impacts on destination sustainability resulting from hosting mega-sport events, using bibliometric analysis of published literature during the last forty-seven years, and reflecting on the recent World Cup 2022 tournament in Qatar. A total of 2519 sources containing 665 open-access articles with 10,523 citations were found using the keywords “sport tourism” and “mega-sport”. The study found various literature researching the economic impacts in-depth, less on environmental impacts, and much less on social and cultural impacts on host communities. Debates exist in the literature concerning presumed economic benefits and motivations for hosting, and less on actual results achieved. Although World Cup 2022 is considered the most expensive among previous versions, destination sustainability seems to have benefited from the event’s hosting. Socio-cultural impacts of hosting mega-sport events seem to be addressed to an extent in the Qatar version of the World Cup, as well as environmental impacts while creating a unique image for FIFA 2022 and the destination itself. FIFA showcased this as using carbon-neutral technologies to create the micro-climate including perforated walls in the eight state-of-the-art stadiums, with the incorporation of a circular modular design for energy and water efficiency and zero-waste deconstruction post-event. The global event also drew attention and respect to the local community and underprivileged groups such as people with disabilities. Further research is needed to understand the demand-side perspective including the local community of Qatar and the event’s participants, and to analyze the long-term impacts and lessons learned from the Qatari experience.