Investigating the Applicability of Sustainable Urban Form and Design to Traditional Cities, Case Study: The Old City of Sana'a

Traditional urban layouts, exemplified by the Old City of Sana'a, demonstrate superior sustainability compared to modern designs. A study applying principles of form and density, walkability and connectivity, and building energy found that traditional cities excel in compactness, intersection rates, and solar access. Using GIS, ECOTECT, and Space Syntax modeling, researchers confirmed that older urban forms provide higher integration, fewer angular changes, and optimal solar exposure year-round. These findings underscore the potential of historical urban planning as a model for sustainable development.

Ali, H. H., Al-Hashimi, I. A., & Al-Samman, F. (2018). INVESTIGATING THE APPLICABILITY OF SUSTAINABLE URBAN FORM AND DESIGN TO TRADITIONAL CITIES, CASE STUDY: THE OLD CITY OF SANA’A. International Journal of Architectural Research: ArchNet-IJAR, 12(2), 57. https://doi.org/10.26687/archnet-ijar.v12i2.1391