Bioclimatic Xeriscaping as a Strategy for Landscape Transformation in Hot and Humid Cities: Reflection on Jeddah, KSA

Climate and water are intricately intertwined, and both influences how people live in cities. Landscape has traditionally been thought of as a way to improve air quality, add aesthetic value, and offer shade when exposed to strong sunlight. Recent studies focus on the role of landscape design in controlling harsh climate conditions and conserving the irrigation water consumed by conventional landscapes. This research advocates the adoption of a combined landscape design strategy that employs bioclimatic theory and the xeriscaping concept of landscape design. The aim is to develop a strategy that contributes to both climatic improvement and conserving irrigation water for Jeddah, which endures a hot and humid climate in addition to lacking resources for irrigation. The research reviews the available strategies for bioclimatic and xeriscaping approaches and conducts an empirical study on Jeddah landscaping and spatial structure A desktop analysis has been used to synthesise the collected data and extract strategies that fit the local context of Jeddah.