Evaluating the Integration of King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism Values in Riyadh’s Public Open Spaces: The Urban Transformation Framework

Saudi Arabia’s built environment transformation under the Vision 2030 is safeguarded against generic placelessness through the King Salman Charter for Architecture and Urbanism, whose values promote local identity and spirit of place in a contemporary way. While much of the discourse has focused on architecture, the application of the Charter’s principles to public open spaces remains underexplored. To fill this gap, this paper evaluates the integration of the Charter values within public open spaces using the Urban Transformation framework. Three sites, Al Kindi Plaza, Salam Park and Wadi Hanifah, were assessed through on-site observation, following the three Urban Transformation objectives, Cultural Continuity, Community-Oriented and Sustainable Spaces. These objectives, combined in pairs, operationalised six Charter values, Authenticity and Continuity, Human-centric and Liveability, and Innovation and Sustainability, respectively. Findings reveal strong integration of Authenticity and Continuity but limited performance in Innovation and Sustainability. These insights can inform urban planning strategies and policies, to strengthen underachieved values to enhance the adaptability and activation of Saudi public spaces.