Sustainable urban regeneration of aging districts in Gulf region through GIS based diagnostics and scenario testing

This study develops and tests a GIS enabled framework for the regeneration of aging Gulf districts, demonstrated through two cases Al-Butina (Sharjah) and Al-Bustan (Ajman). Methodology involves Vector GIS modeling of road networks and land uses was built from recent satellite imagery and validated against Google Earth and OpenStreetMap; Artificial Intelligent (Architectural & Urban Design) assisted diagnostics and scenario testing then quantified gaps and evaluated interventions. In Al-Butina Sharjah site (200.4 ha) study has proposed, a 6.1-km walk/cycle lattice stitched through existing rights-of-way converts a car-oriented fabric into a permeable network supporting safe access and short trips. A structured land bank of under-utilized plots (68.2 ha; 34%) enables adaptive reuse and small-lot infill; consolidated parking (0.83 ha across 11 sites) unlocks curb reallocation to shade trees, wider sidewalks, and bicycle bays; ten pocket-green sites (1.68 ha) form “shade chains,” and a direct connector to the Sharjah Corniche channels visitor footfall into local circuits. In Al-Bustan (68 ha), study proposed a 6.40-km active grid reuses existing corridors to reduce embodied and operational emissions; a 63.81-ha land bank is positioned for repair/reuse hubs, maker spaces, micro-logistics, and mixed-use infill; parking consolidation (3.35 ha, 13 sites) and six green sites (5.47 ha) re-balance streets and open-space equity while linking eastward to Ajman Port/Free Zone to support proximity economies. Pareto analysis prioritized the highest-leverage assets (land bank and right-of-way), while Radar KPI benchmarking showed strong progress on connectivity and logistics, with greens and parking tracking toward targets and under-utilized land remaining the decisive gap. The results offer a replicable, no-greenfield pathway to low-carbon, people-first regeneration that delivers shorter trips, cooler streets, inclusive public realm, and long term local economic benefits.