ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Sustain. Cities
Sec. Urban Energy End-Use
Bridging Policy and Practice: Urban Design Governance Pathways for Vision 2030– Driven Energy Sustainability in Riyadh
Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Abstract
Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 (V2030) represents a comprehensive national transformation agenda that places sustainability, energy transition, and quality of life at the center of urban development. As the capital city and primary engine of national growth, Riyadh plays a pivotal role in translating these strategic ambitions into urban planning and design practices. Despite strong governmental commitment, a persistent gap remains between the sustainability and energy objectives articulated in Vision 2030 and their practical implementation in everyday urban development. This study examines how Vision 2030 sustainable development values particularly energy efficiency and urban livability are integrated into urban design practices in Riyadh, while identifying systemic barriers and enabling factors influencing this process. A qualitative, interpretive methodology based on the General Inductive Approach (GIA) was employed. Primary data were collected through open-ended questionnaires and semi-structured interviews with 70 stakeholders, including residents, urban professionals, and academics. Thematic analysis was used to generate policy-relevant insights grounded in stakeholder perspectives. The findings indicate that institutional fragmentation, outdated and prescriptive construction regulations, limited public awareness, and insufficient financial incentives are the main obstacles to energy-responsive urban design. In contrast, strong political commitment, large-scale Public Investment Fund (PIF) mega-projects, and substantial national financial capacity act as key enablers Overall.
Summary
Keywords
Energy sustainability, Policy implementation, policy integration, Riyadh, Saudi Vision 2030, urban design, Urban design governance
Received
08 January 2026
Accepted
14 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Elhassan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Zeinab Elhassan
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