Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study the inner city of Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia, to identify the causes of its persistent condition and its urban characteristics, as well as to propose appropriate solutions for upgrading them. The researcher conducted field and analytical studies of the inner city of Al-Baha in order to propose guidelines for upgrading Al-Baha inner city, despite the apparent disparities in the built environment. A geographic information systems (GIS) map was created for the study site, which included the urban structure. The study’s findings include the current land use, building heights, building conditions, built area, and unbuilt areas of the study area. Based on the study’s findings, the appearance of the buildings and the materials used in their facades should be improved. The public sector could contribute by providing incentives to improve and maintain building facades throughout the inner city and promote the rehabilitation and maintenance of essential buildings to enhance its physical characteristics. The spaces and heights in the study area could be regularized by formulating a general policy to determine building heights that ensure the clarity of the skyline and comfortable visual sightlines, especially on the main streets. It is necessary to unify the levels of sidewalks and pedestrian paths so that differences in levels caused by the personal interests of shop owners are eliminated to facilitate the movement of pedestrians. Furthermore, monitoring the levels of entrances should be a priority for the municipality, because its role should not be limited to monitoring construction on property lines, which is currently the case.