Sustainable urban transitions in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era: insights from Saudi urban leaders

Diverse strategies are needed to ensure sustainable urban transition, especially in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Several research studies have embraced participatory methods to envision sustainable urban transition. Yet, limited studies have employed such an approach to envisage such trends in the post-COVID-19 era, particularly in the Arab context. This research utilized the Social Ecological Model as a theoretical basis to understand how urban decision-makers foresee post-pandemic urban transitions. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 urban leaders from three different provinces of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Thematic analysis conducted through QSR NVivo 12 helped reveal six possible transition trends for post-pandemic urban areas. Findings suggest a need for urban areas to be equipped with innovative technology, adopt a new urbanism agenda that advocates for walkability, mixed-use development, and high-quality public spaces, be economically resilient and self-sufficient, imagine a competent leadership and efficient municipal management, and be able to change without neglecting climate change issues, urban livability or distinctive cultural characteristics. This study claims that competing objectives within the sustainability discourse, which may be viewed as spatial conflicts, will accompany urban transition processes. The research findings also offer valuable insights for policymakers to advance sustainable urban transitions in the post-pandemic times.