Rethinking Vertical Cities: The Influence of Public Perception on Design, Form, and Socio-Cultural Integration

Ghaida Al Sulaimani, Muhammad Mashhood Arif (), Ahmad Adeel, Muhammad Aamir Basheer and Nida Batool Sheikh
Additional contact information
Ghaida Al Sulaimani: Urban Planning and Architectural Design Department, German University of Technology in Oman, P.O. Box 1816, Muscat 130, Oman
Muhammad Mashhood Arif: Department of Architecture, KU Leuven, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Ahmad Adeel: Urban Planning and Architectural Design Department, German University of Technology in Oman, P.O. Box 1816, Muscat 130, Oman
Muhammad Aamir Basheer: Department of Architecture and City Design, King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Nida Batool Sheikh: Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Societies, 2025, vol. 15, issue 9, 1-28

Abstract: This study examines the multiple determinants of public satisfaction with high-rise urban forms in Muscat, Oman, in the context of rapid urbanization and the need to protect and conserve culture. Based on a conceptual framework that included six latent variables—Cultural Harmony, Economic Benefit, Environmental Experience, Social Perception, Urban Connectivity, and Visual Appeal—data collected from city residents were analyzed using the quantitative technique of Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The model results showed that all relationships were supported, with Urban Connectivity, Cultural Harmony, and Visual Appeal having the strongest effects on satisfaction. These findings indicate that public satisfaction with high-rise developments is influenced by the perceived integration of infrastructure, harmony with local architectural traditions, and coherently attractive views. Environmental Experience, Social Perception, and Economic Benefit had smaller, though still significant, effects, confirming the multidimensional nature of urban appraisal. This study therefore calls for a development approach that balances technical, environmental, cultural and tourism-oriented objectives. As such, this work contributes to the existing literature on urban and societal studies by examining a multifaceted model of urban satisfaction and providing beneficial recommendations to enhance the continuing debate on sustainable and contextual urbanism in the Gulf states.

Keywords: high-rise urban development; urban equity; social inclusion; urban connectivity; tourism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A13 A14 P P0 P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 Z1 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/9/250/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4698/15/9/250/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsoctx:v:15:y:2025:i:9:p:250-:d:1745535

Access Statistics for this article

Societies is currently edited by Ms. Farrah Sun

More articles in Societies from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().