Aesthetics ‘must not come before access’

Eng Tarrada warns against design that ignores daily use

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

“A mistake on

paper is much

cheaper to fix.”

                            - Saleh Tarrada

                            (Chairman of the Capital Trustees Board)

Major development projects should be designed around how people actually use them, not just how they look on paper, Capital Trustees Board chairman Eng. Saleh Tarrada has said.

Tarrada called for municipal councils to be involved from the early planning stages of major projects, rather than being consulted when plans are nearly complete.

“If you come to me when everything is almost finished and ask for my opinion, then it becomes a checkbox,” he said.

He said councils hear directly from residents, traders and investors about practical concerns such as parking, loading areas, road access and blocked entrances.

Tarrada said the approach should apply to major projects including metro and railway plans, solar facilities, electric-vehicle charging stations and large developments.

He warned that technical drawings may overlook simple details that affect daily use, such as access points, door openings or the positioning of charging bays.

“A mistake on paper is much cheaper to fix than a mistake after you have built it,” he said.

Tarrada also urged planners to give councils enough time to study proposals and consult specialists, stressing that development should balance aesthetics with functionality and community needs.