Residential visual privacy: Traditional and modern architecture and urban design

Abstract

Colonial rule in the early to mid 1900s brought to the Middle East, as to other non‐Western cultures, a deluge of Western values, new technology and urban design. This study examines residential visual privacy in two middle‐class neighbourhoods in Damascus, one, based on its architecture and urban design, considered to be ‘traditional’, and the other ‘modern’. Findings indicate that despite significant cultural changes and subcultural differences between the compared groups, the majority of women regard visual privacy at home from outsiders as extremely important. Women surveyed who live in the modern neighbourhood often modify the original design of their homes in order to increase the level of privacy. Thus, current urban design practices and ordinances resulting in the development of the modern sections of Damascus do not adequately meet women's desired level of visual privacy. This study concludes that urban designers need to understand and incorporate core values of the culture in which they are working, in order to meet the needs of a city's residents.

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