Many cities along the Persian Gulf have expanded rapidly in recent decades, encouraged by abundant desert land and cheap oil. This combination has fostered an urban model dominated by single-family homes and car-based travel between distant destinations. This sprawling approach is proving increasingly unsustainable — socially, environmentally, and economically.

In a new open-access article published in Journal of Urbanism, Dorina Pojani and her co-authors examine how Muscat, the capital of Oman, could transition toward a denser and more efficient urban form. Using detailed spatial data and stepwise regression analysis, the study evaluates different strategies for increasing residential density.

The findings reveal that infill development in currently vacant areas, greater housing diversity, higher building intensity, and higher plot coverage are the most effective tools for densification. In contrast, reducing plot sizes or shrinking open spaces offers limited benefits.

To cite:

de Siqueira, G., Pojani, D., & Adeel, A. (2025). What is the best strategy to densify a sprawling city? Evidence from the Arabian Peninsula. Journal of Urbanism: International Research on Placemaking and Urban Sustainability, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/17549175.2025.2574073