Topos Journal: Desert Sprawl

Aurel writes in Topos, the International Review of Landscape, Architecture and Urban Design about landscape destruction in Oman due to rapid urbanization. The essay is accompagnied by a photo series and appears in two versions online 2014 and in print 2015.

Desert Sprawl - Cities like Dubai have become synonyms for development in the Persian Gulf region. The Sultanate of Oman has been subject to great changes as well as a result of its rapid urbanisation. But even though Oman is following a different path than the countries surrounding it, it has yet to become a model of sustainable spatial development.

von Richthofen, Aurel. 2014. “Vanishing Omani Landscapes.” Topos, the International Review of Landscape, Architecture and Urban Design, September. http://www.toposmagazine.com/vanishing-omani-landscapes/.

von Richthofen, Aurel. 2015. “Desert Sprawl. Rapid Urbanisation: The Transformation of the Desert in Oman.” Topos, the International Review of Landscape, Architecture and Urban Design 93 (December): 96–101.

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Baumeister Journal: Oman - the Anti-Dubai?

Aurel writes about urbanisation trends and sustainability in Oman in Germany's oldest architecture magazine - Baumeister. The conservative development in Muscat is seen in contrast to fast paced Dubai. The specificities of urban sprawl, land allocation system, destruction of landscape are descrtibed as well as typical modern villas and sub-urban settlement patterns. The article concludes with a manifesto for sustainable urbanism adapted to Oman.

Scitech TV - City

Scitech TV documents the research project sponsored by the Research Council Oman "Towards Sustainable Patterns of Urbanisation in Oman" conducted by GUtech and SQU a second time, featuring Aurel von Richthofen, Maryam Zargar Yaghoubi and Sebastian Langer as well as GUtech students.

ISU, Braunschweig

Aurel von Richthofen speaks on the topic of Urbanisation Patterns at the Gulf of Arabia. Guest lecture at the Institute for Sustainable Urbanism [ISU] in Braunschweig, Dec. 2012, lecture in German.

Urban Oman Exhibition

Exhibition on Urbanisation Patterns in Oman on display at GUtech, Hablan Campus from March 23rd to June 12th 2014.