The Role of Urban Planning in Fostering the Safety of Public Places of Worship

Urban safety is vital for sustainable, livable communities, recognized globally as a human right by UN-Habitat and Sustainable Development Goal 11, which promotes inclusive, safe, and resilient cities. Terrorism, a rising urban threat, targets crowded public spaces like worship places, causing significant casualties, property damage, and trauma. In Saudi Arabia, a strategic Middle Eastern hub and home to Islam’s holiest sites, recent terrorist attacks have increasingly struck religious institutions, necessitating innovative countermeasures beyond traditional security. This study investigates urban planning’s role in mitigating terrorist risks at Saudi places of worship, addressing a research gap in developing contexts. Using a mixed-methods approach, it combines thematic content analysis of peer-reviewed literature, official reports, and media with geospatial mapping of seven attack sites since 2015, using Google Earth and QGIS. These cases, representing the deadliest incidents, account for 86% of fatalities (61/71) and 88% of injuries (197/223) from such attacks. Findings highlight urban design vulnerabilities—direct vehicular access, multiple entry points, and poor sightlines—that facilitated attacks. The study proposes urban planning guidelines, including limiting access points, creating buffer zones, enhancing visibility, and applying defensible space principles to deter attacks and boost resilience. Practically, the guidelines provide planners with tools to retrofit sites, such as narrowing roads and minimizing entries. Socially, they reduce fear, promote equitable access for women and children, and support tourism and community engagement by mitigating terrorism’s impact on inequalities. These measures balance security with livability, fostering safer, inclusive urban environments. This research contributes the first Saudi-specific analysis integrating geospatial tools with counter-terrorism urbanism, offering neighborhood-scale solutions aligned with Saudi Vision 2030’s safety goals.