ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an exploratory analysis of the urban evolution of the city. It describes the different stages of economic transformations that have had a significant impact on the structure of the city's society as well as its built environment. The chapter analyses the pre-oil settlement of Doha, encompassing the socio-economic context, the historical roots of the settlement, and the major features of its traditional built environment. It surveys the oil-city of Doha, analysing its early modernisation period, including the introduction of central planning and administration, and the impact of this growth on its urban structure. The chapter explores the city as an emerging service hub as a result of post-oil diversification strategies. It includes a contextual background of post-oil urbanism in the city, recent urban transformation, and the consequences of post-oil urbanism. The chapter concludes with the future urban development of Doha, relating the evolutionary process of the city to the key challenges facing its future urban environment.
