Riyadh’s rapid urban growth subsumed the 1446 Najdi settlement of Diriyah & crossed the 120km Wadi Hanifah, exploiting the Wadi valley with impermeable surfaces & poor stormwater management. With serious flooding issues mainly addressed, adjacent farmlands needed open space amenities for existing & planned communities.
In the past, the city fabric connected to the wadis, open space & farmlands, but these characteristics slowly disappeared impacting the open space network. Meanwhile Diriyah’s distinctive Najdi vernacular eroded when inhabitants left in the 60s/70s oil boom; effects of modern agriculture & climate change accelerated degradation of the fragile, historic materials. At-Turaif’s designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Diriyah in 2010 was of particular cultural & touristic interest, bringing additional value & protection to the assets & adjacent spaces as well as increased footfall where this project is focused.
With the aim of restoring & developing the Wadi corridor as an environmental, recreation & tourism resource, an open space network was proposed to preserve the historic farm patchwork, provide an open space for the masterplanned Diriyah communities & settings for cultural assets aimed at educating visitors on the areas’ values & traditions. As city & regional level destinations, the open spaces would underpin cultural pride, provide residents with spacious green amenities, demonstrate ecological harmony & provide floodwater management & improved quality of life. A key goal was to stop the erosion of cultural heritage & instead utilise it as an economic driver.
The creation of a public, linear, heritage park along 7km of Wadi Hanifah was the landscape solution, celebrating the site’s cultural & historic roots. 5 guiding principles informed the design:
A network of pedestrian, cycling & horse-riding routes promote active landscape immersion & engagement, as well as interfacing with Saudi Vision 2030’s 135km Sports Boulevard project which promotes healthy living & links the city’s east & west. Planting palettes & materiality reflect the historic & natural landscape to preserve sense of place & local character.
The restoration masterplan provides an integrated open space network to protect, improve, & relink blue-green infrastructure (BGI) along the Wadi as a nature-based, water management solution creating a regional scale park. Key BGI components are:
Greening the Wadi – Replanting/Restoring Farms & Palm Groves – Connecting agricultural land with the urban fabric, integrating natural & built elements inc. exhibition of traditional farming.
Developing Water Retention Areas – Designing retention ponds to regulate flow during heavy rainfall, especially from Diriyah’s new developments, to minimise additional storm water reaching Wadi Hanifah which would otherwise worsen seasonal flood events, thus helping to manage flood risk.
Accessibility & Connectivity – Connecting At-Turaif across the Wadi via escarpment access & linking to other modes of transport & Sports Boulevard.
Buffer Zones & Setbacks – Creating a revived landscape setting in the At-Turaif Gardens to protect Najdi & other cultural assets & maintain ecological processes while managing varied land uses.
The design was underpinned by extensive reference to environment & flood studies. Strategically located retention ponds collect water from adjacent communities creating opportunities for sustainable reuse & storm water management. Given increasingly saline groundwater supply & shortages of water for irrigation, continued use of traditional Falaj wasn’t viable; so a sustainable modern irrigation system was designed, operated by automatic electric solenoid valves & controllers ensuring maximum efficiency.
An infrastructure framework of tree corridors, palm groves, xeriscape, berms, channels, & retention ponds provide thermal comfort, habitat restoration & soil stabilisation. Parks & streetscapes extend as buffers to protect cultural assets, while bringing ecological & economic value to the surrounding neighbourhood.
The Wadi Hanifah project represents a resilient approach to restoring city identity exemplified by an intimate relationship between landscape, natural resources, & human efforts to settle the land. By closely integrating urban development with BGI, the design balances natural environment conservation with social-economic development. In addressing the compounded effects of rapid urbanisation & climate change, the project shows how landscape restoration & management can bring social & ecological benefit through sensitive infrastructure planning.
Sub-consultancy offices involved in the design:
Infrastructure & Transport: WSP
Art Strategy Consultant: UAP
Architecture, Mechanical & Structural Engineering: Dar Al Omran
Signage & Wayfinding: DezignTechnic
Client: Diriyah Gate Company Limited
Location: Diriyah, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Design year: 2019
Year Completed: 2023 Wadi Hanifah streetscapes and parks. (Additional parks design ongoing.)
