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AN
INTERVIEW WITH YOUTH OBSERVER, PROFESSOR
ENGINEER ROLF WESTERHEIDE
 MUSCAT
The Oman-German University of Technology
(OGTech) will introduce urban planning and
architectural design as one of their four
study programmes. The programme will be
conducted exclusively in English and is
divided into two sections: a foundation
year, starting in October this year and a
second advanced phase in the following three
years. The last year of the programme
concludes with the Bachelor of Science
thesis. Teaching methods will include
lectures, seminars, workshops, laboratories
and excursions. A trip to the German
partner-university, RWTH Aachen, during the
summer holidays will be included in the
tuition fees.
In an interview with Youth Observer,
Professor Engineer Rolf Westerheide, head of
the urban planning and architectural design
studies at OGTech, explains the OGTech
programme.
Why is urban planning so important for
the Sultanate?
There are great job perspectives for
urban planners in the Gulf and especially
here in the Sultanate. The urban structure
of Omani cities has changed dramatically in
the past 30 years. Currently, the Sultanate
is changing very fast and urban planners who
have a vision are needed. At present many
urban planners come from ouside the
Sultanate or have been trained abroad.
However with OGTech we would like to
establish a department for urban planning
and architectural design like at RWTH
University in Aachen. At OGTech we will
start first with a BsC and later on
introduce a Master programme.
The high dynamic of the current development
of the country and the cities in Oman along
with its consequences on the lives and
economical situation, needs a careful and
forsighted handling of the urban, cultural
and environmental aspects of Oman.
An uncareful overformation of the current
urban districts, according to western
standards, would enhance longterm
destabilizing structures of the region.
In this context, urban planning should not
prevent the develpment of a modern society
and always according to the potential of the
cultural heritage of a country. Therefore, I
believe there should be accordingly a common
language or code for future urban districts
and the architecture in the Sultanate. The
interactation of transport infrastructure,
the lanscape and topographic circumstances
and the realization of urban, architectural
and social spaces parts will have a big
importance for the future urban planning.
Why do you like urban planning and
architectural design?
We are developing space like an
architect. However, compared to classical
architecture, urban design creates a link
between the public space and the community
in Europe or in Oman. For the design of the
society, culture and the religion are
important for the organisation and creation
of our environment. Therefore, I believe,
urban planning is an integrated task which
can only be handled together with the whole
society.
What are the skills needed to become an
urban planner?
Urban planners must be able to
explicitly present urban goals along with
their effects explicitly. People becoming
urban planners should have manifold
interests: creativity, high social
competences and the ability to think
conceptionally. Urban planners need to write
reports and interact with different other
divisions. They need to be able to work
within a team. Most of the time they are the
main actors and developers of complex
inquiries. Besides, a sensitivity for other
disciplines as well as social compentence
are basic skills needed to be successful as
an urban planner. By the way, urban planners
are recognized internationally and receive
high respect within the society.
How do you prospect ideal future urban
planners?
Usually urban planners work in different
fields. They are responsible as well for the
situation of our basic lives and the
interaction between the society and the
architecture. Urban planners designing
spaces for cities, districts or villages.
Depending on the sustainability and the
environmental friendly aspects of the
creation of the city, the architecture,
transportation and the free spaces in
between are harmonious and give enough free
space for its inhabitants. You see, I would
like to emphasize the big responsibilty of a
city planner for the inhabitants and the
environment.
What are the fields of activity and
career opportunities for urban planners and
architectural designers?
The OGTech degree course is designed to
prepare graduates to work in major
international fields and in particular in
Arabic speaking regions to enable
progressive and sustainable urban and
regional development.
The focus of graduates of OGTech will be in
administrative and institutional sections of
the municipality, the administration and
other governmental organizations as well as
in private project development companies,
housing construction companies and as
freelancers in teams. Together with
architects, engineers, traffic planners,
geographers and economists urban planners
and architectural designers are involved in
one of the illustrated diverse fields of
activity.
How would you describe the structure of
Omani cities?
First there are the Omani villages such
as Al Hamra. Those villages include old
houses built with traditionally used
construction material sarooj and an oasis
with date palm trees or papaya, mango,
banana and other plants. I believe the so
called fingerprint of a village is very
important and should not be deleted. Besides
that you also find big cities with an old
city center such as Nizwa, the first capital
of the Sultanate. Those cities were
modernized during the past twenty years.
Many new houses were built outside the old
parts. At last you find the so called global
world such as the Wave project, that has an
international flair.
I think as well that the whole coast of the
Sultanate is very precious and sensitive. We
should work together with biologists and
geologists. The coast is like skin; if you
do not take care you will have ulcers after
a while.
I could imagine that for example wadis could
become a new form of oasis or special
designed parks for urban quarters nearby.
However, our priority should always be to
involve the Omani society and culture in all
our urban plans.
So urban planners need to interact with
other fields?
Yes, decisions taken for the structure
of a city are long term decisions that need
to be sustainable for the city, the
environment and the people who live there.
In Europe a building lasts in average
approximately 50 years. However a whole
city, a district with all electrical cables,
streets, buildings, parcs and open spaces
usually last longer than a human being. You
can see this phonomenon in the old parts of
the cities here in the Sultanate as well as
in Europe. Buildings and architectural
styles have changed. The so called „finger
print“ lasts sometimes more than one
generation and up to even one thousand
years. I have to say, I really enjoy being
an urban planner. Due to the different
tasks, an urban planner always needs to
interact with other specialists and guide or
manage the processes that lead to the design
of a new city, a region or smaller
districts.
What do you think are the future tasks
and challenges for urban planners in the
Sultanate?
I think the main issues in the future
will be security and transport. For example
I think the image of public bus needs to be
changed so that it is rather chic than poor
to take the bus instead of a car. I could
imagine to have bus stops where newspapers
and snacks are sold and have very spacious
and luxurious buses. Besides that I believe
inside the Omani cities more pavements are
needed and more small neighborhood centers
should be created including a central market
place, a parc and an oasis with agriculture
including palm trees. Today everybody drives
a car in Oman whereas in former times
everybody had to walk. According to
international statistics everybody drives
his car up to three times per day. If people
drive more cars traffic gets more dense and
the highway would need to become broader.
Could you describe the features of the
programme urban planning and architectural
design at OGTech?
The integrated projects will be the core
of the study programme. They are the
training field for the knowledge aquired
during the courses. We always choose
locations and tasks that are reality
focused. Therefore students will already get
a good insight into the reality of the every
day work of an urban planner and they should
be motivated to solve problems by
themselves. The best locations for that
field work is Muscat and the Batinah Coast.
It should be possible for the students to do
some research and to talk to inhabitants of
the cities or villages. You realize, we do
not only study inside the university. We
want them to see the reality of the problems
and to try and solve it though a concept, an
exercise or on the computer.
Studying urban planning at OGTech will be
like studying urban planning at RWTH
University in Aachen/ Germany?
The bachelor programme at OGTech will
reflect the distinct features of the
programmes at the Faculty of Architecture at
RWTH Aachen
Traditionally, part of the special profile
of the Aachen architecture education is a
focus on urban design, which allows
graduates to enter the profession of urban
planner. The Aachen Master’s course in Urban
Planning continues this tradition: building
on the Bachelor of Science architecture
course, the educational program is closely
linked with the Master’s Architecture course
and also includes modules from related
disciplines such as construction engineering
and geography to provide a degree program
which covers the broad-ranging content
demanded by the profession. This also
results in an independent profile which
clearly differentiates Aachen from numerous
similar degree courses.
The teaching and research competences of
RWTH’s staff and their interest in new
research activities will enable students of
OGTech’s Bachelor of Science in Urban
Planning and Architectural Design to
participate in up-to-date real-life projects
and to gain experience not only in design
issues but also in the collaboration with
foreigners and other professionals.
The Bachelor course at OGTech prepares
future urban planners and designers for
their core fields of activity while the
Master’s course entails a more in-depth
examination of these fields. This includes
the conceptualization and design of urban
development plans, their legal and
procedural implementation, balancing
differing public and private needs, project
management and the supervision and
moderation of public participation
(participation procedures). Key emphasis is
placed on design planning on different
scales, urban development planning and
framework plans, sustainable urban
development and process design. This
offering is supplemented and embedded within
the analysis of the development and design
of city and landscapes and intensive study
of historical aspects and theoretical
issues. It is the combination of the latter
which give the Aachen course its special
profile.
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