2. Population Density

Jeddah has grown during the implementation of five different master plans formulated during different periods by different planners, each of whom arrived at different population densities for the city's neighborhoods (Table 1).

3. Housing Policy

The government lacks control over private sector real estate developers, but, in addition, the developers cater primarily to the more affluent classes and do not perceive middle and low-cost housing projects as being sufficiently profitable.

4. Legal Framework

The shortage of housing is also linked to the legal framework, which provides insufficient protection to landlords and lenders whose tenants or borrowers default.

5. Financing Economics Problem

In 2008, the average cost of 100 m2 of raw (undeveloped) land in Jeddah was 2.24 times higher than the average family income, and the cost of 100 m2 of serviced land (land with electricity, roads, and water) was, on average, 19.4 times higher than the average family income [9]. This is one of the main factors accounting for the increased number of twogeneration houses (approximately 80,000 households).

#### *2.3. Population Density in Residential Districts*

The low population density within Jeddah's structural plans (Table 1) has resulted in an average lot area of 500–1000 m2 in villa-type neighborhoods. This is a limiting factor with regard to the increasing rate of villas in such neighborhoods compared with apartmenttype neighborhoods, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, with households whose incomes are medium-low or low finding it difficult to buy and own villas.

Figure 7 shows the relationship between the change in population density (at four time points) and the percentage of park area from 2007 to 2012 for each district, in terms of the two housing types, Villa type and Apartment type, and Unplanned Settlement. It shows that park area has not increased while population density has increased for 5 years, which is in line with the WHO recommendation of park area per capita. This indicates that the living environment and quality of life is declining and that villa-type housing may also fall below the WHO standard in the future.

**Figure 7.** Population density and park ratio by districts in 2007, 2008, 2009, and 2012 in Jeddah.

#### **3. New Villa-Type Neighborhood Development**

#### *3.1. Procedure Manual for Preparing of Residential Land Subdivision (PMPRLS)*

During Jeddah's urbanization process, areas outside the boundaries of each urbanized area afforded attractive investment opportunities for businesses. Consequently, large areas of land have been bought and sold and then subdivided into residential lots to create neighborhoods in line with the PMPRLS.

The PMPRLS comprises several regulations on public spaces, such as streets, parks, mosques, and parking areas, and private spaces, such as residential lot areas, and their dimensions. Regulations relating to public spaces are as follows. First, land allotted for local mosques must have a service distance that does not exceed 200 m. Second, land for elementary and intermediate schools must be provided at a service distance that does not exceed 550 m (the ratio is not mentioned). Third, the total street must not exceed 20% of the total area. Fourth, the maximum total street length based on the average area of the villa lot is shown in Table 2. Fifth, one children's playground, having a minimum area of 400 m2, should serve 20 villas. Finally, the total area of public facilities, such as parks, the parking areas of amenities, pedestrian corridors, and the central square, should be 13% of the total area.

**Table 2.** Average areas of lots and total street length in the New Development Plan for villa-type neighborhoods (according to the Procedure Manual for Preparing of Residential Land Subdivision).


Private space-related regulations are as follows. First, the minimum land lot area for a villa is 300 m2 or, if a lot is subdivided, 200 m2, and the minimum width of a residential lot should be 15 m. As noted in the manual, an average household size of five persons is assumed for calculating the population and population density. Figure 8 shows the composition of the villa-type neighborhood as per the PMPRLS.
