Abstract

Establishing an appropriate urban indicators system: The case of Sultanate of Oman

The present article will consider explaining and discussing urban indicators system in the context of urban policy processes. Urban indicators are seen as a tool to enhance urban management and special attention is given to their role in providing assistance in monitoring municipal development and performance. The paper will present desirable features of useful indicators from the city perspective, as well as framework to include these indicators in urban policy and management successfully. Formulation of proper indicator system requires a good understanding of the utilization, diffusion and dissemination of information in policy processes, so the paper will consider basic constraints related to these requirements such as existing knowledge gaps within the indicator developer community vs. their theoretical limitations, communication concerns, human and technical capacities, policy issues etc. This article will focus on ongoing Omani experience in developing urban indicator system and lessons learned will be used as guidelines in making illustrative proposal for Oman cities. In addition, this article will try to define particular environmental, economic and governance variables/indices that should be adopted as urban indicators, taking in account the Oman setting. The article will consider addressing future challenges related to integration of urban indicators system within urban policy in the country