The minute city model in suburbs: a critical analysis of accessibility in the gulf cooperation council

Using the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as a case study, this research situates contemporary Gulf urbanism within the broader transformation of Arab cities toward increasingly dispersed and suburbanized forms. This transformation provides the basis for evaluating the feasibility of applying the x-minute city model in suburban contexts by examining the morphology and pedestrian accessibility of 77 neighborhood samples from seven cities across three developmental phases: pre-suburban, early-suburban, and new-suburban. Urban form attributes, including plot and network metrics, were quantified, and Gravity values were calculated for 5- and 10-minute walking thresholds, corresponding to 400- and 800-meter radii, to assess neighborhood alignment with x-minute city principles. Through this approach, the research empirically examines a common criticism of the x-minute city concept: that its emphasis on proximity and pedestrian accessibility is impractical in suburban contexts. While proximity is shaped by multiple spatial factors, the study focuses on density and street network configuration, the two determinants that most directly influence walkability and are often constrained in suburban environments. The findings demonstrate declining accessibility across the GCC, critically questioning contemporary suburban patterns relative to earlier forms of urbanism. Morphological design iterations applied to low-performing suburbs show that even modest increases in density and street connectivity can more than double Gravity values at both radii. This finding highlights the practical potential of targeted morphological adjustments to support the x-minute city model in future suburban development.