Developing Place-Based Health Indicators: Toward Healthy Neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia

In the past two decades or so, interest in studying the relationship between neighborhood and health has grown dramatically. Place-based health is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon that has subjective as well as objective dimensions, thus it requires and multi-method research approach. Although cities and urban centers in Saudi Arabia had grown dramatically over the past 60 years or so, the Kingdom lags behind in developing indicators and metrics to assess/measure the quality of the developed urban built environment. This research project aims to develop a set of unique indicators appropriate to assess/measure the impact of place, residential neighborhoods in the Saudi context, on health and well-being. Developing a set of indicators to assess/measure place-based health requires a multi-method approach and a cohesive and logical framework that incorporate relevant theory and practical issues. As part of developing the place-based health indicators for Saudi Arabia, an in-depth analysis of relevant indicator-based assessment tools will be conducted in three related areas: place-based health, neighborhood sustainability and urban quality of life. Based on this in-depth analysis, the research team will propose a unique set of indicators and the framework that relate them that are appropriate for Saudi Arabia context and its particularities. Pertinent local and international experts will review, validate and verify the selected set of potential indicators through questionnaire survey, Delphi technique, semi-structured interviews, and survey for pair-wise comparison. Local experts and stakeholders will include a wide-range of stakeholders such as policy makers, governmental agencies, planners, health professionals, construction firms, architecture and engineering design firms, among others. The research project will contribute to bring awareness to health aspects of designing urban neighborhoods in Saudi Arabia. It will also increase understanding and adoption of place-based metrics and solutions in the Kingdom. The research team proposes a total duration of two years to accomplish the goals of the project. The proposed budget is one hundred fifty-one thousands and two hundred (151,200) SAR.