At its recent meeting, the Riyadh Development Authority approved amendments to the regulations governing the consolidation and subdivision of land located on commercial streets, In a statement, the Authority noted that the amendment includes regulations for merging commercial land with adjacent residential lots as shown in approved zoning plans, as well as regulations for subdividing commercial lots in approved zoning plans into commercial and residential lots.

The regulations will be enforced through the “Office of Development Planning and Investment Promotion at the High Commission,” which, in coordination with the Riyadh Region Secretariat, will be responsible for preparing detailed plans for development areas designated for public transportation, in accordance with a phased plan that takes into account priority areas for development.

The new regulations aim to keep pace with the rapid population, urban, and economic growth the city is experiencing, and to limit the negative effects of population density and the number of residential units exceeding the estimates on which the regulatory plans for residential neighborhoods were based.

Furthermore, it has been approved to designate areas within an 800-meter radius of public transportation stations “public transit-oriented development zones,” supervised by the Riyadh Development Authority and subject to specific regulations and controls.

The Authority noted that public transit-oriented development aims to increase the number of public transit users and enhance its efficiency, as well as achieve integration between transit and land uses by creating high-density, mixed-use areas (residential, office, commercial, service, and recreational), around train and bus stations, in accordance with an attractive, people-centered urban environment that enhances the quality of public spaces and features pedestrian walkways to improve access to public transit stations.