THE ROLE OF PUBLIC SPACES IN SAUDI CITIES DURING COVID-19: THE CASE OF THREE CITIES IN SAUDI ARABIA

This paper examines how social life in public spaces are being affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to identify the changing roles of public spaces in three cities of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Makkah, and Al-Baha) during the COVID-19 pandemic due to social distancing and restrictions imposed on the users of public spaces. The study assessed the resilience of public spaces in the three cities during the pandemic lockdown, the willingness of these places to respond and adapt to other uses, and the side effects of the lockdown on social life. The paper highlights these cities' physical and social attributes, and findings from a comprehensive survey (n = 698) reveal an opportunity for urban designers, planners, and landscape architects to experiment with alternatives for the provision, use, and design principle of public spaces. A new set of isolation and social exclusion seems to occur due to social distancing in the fight against the pandemic. The new physical distance necessary to keep people safe directly impacts intimate personal relationships, which will magnify social isolation and exclusion in urban areas.