Chapter 3 of "Urban Design in the Arab World: Reconceptualizing Boundaries," titled "The Cultural Discourse: On Regionalism in Urban Design and the Role of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture," by Omar Abdulaziz Hallaj, explores the complex dynamics of urban design in post-colonial Arab-Muslim societies. The chapter delves into how urban design has evolved from a collaborative and imaginative process to one deeply intertwined with the demarcation of public versus private spaces and the delineation of center versus margins in urban settings.

Mr. Hallaj discusses how post-colonial urban design largely continued the paradigms set during colonial times, focusing on formalistic and idealistic concerns rather than local needs and experiences. The modern parts of cities became symbols of belonging to the wider world, yet they lacked local agency and were often disconnected from local socio-political contexts.

A significant trend in Arab-Muslim territories is the replacement of iconic urban forms with those representing idealized Arab or Muslim identities, often funded by national governments or wealthy Gulf patrons. This trend reflects a homogenization of Islamic representation, sometimes at the expense of traditional architectural forms, as seen in the city of Al-Hajarayn in Yemen.

The chapter emphasizes the tension between national and ethno-religious identities in urban design. These identities have often dominated the discourse, overshadowing other collective social contracts. The result is a complex negotiation of urban space, where the physical form of cities becomes a battleground for different ideological and aesthetic values.

Mr. Hallaj critiques the Aga Khan Award for Architecture for inadvertently creating a new form of centralization by focusing on local social practices of space-making. The Award tends to favor innovative and unique projects, often overlooking the importance of replicable systems and broader public engagement in urban design. This approach has led to a normative view of the built environment as a result of small-scale collective action, rather than inclusive, community-wide efforts.

The deliberations of the Aga Khan Award jury are also discussed, highlighting the challenges in selecting projects that truly represent the diversity of the Muslim world. The Award often gravitates towards projects that fit a certain stereotype, overlooking those that address systemic issues or offer innovative solutions in urban design.

Mr. Hallaj notes the efforts to expand the outreach of the Aga Khan Award and to diversify its nominations. However, he points out that the expansion often lacks depth in addressing the diverse issues faced in urban design. The published shortlist of nominees aims to stimulate public discourse and encourage more varied nominations, but still faces challenges in truly capturing the complexity of regional urban design issues.

In conclusion, the chapter argues that contemporary urban design in the Muslim world is often trapped in a cycle of normative symbolism and superficial Islamic references. This trend risks reducing the rich architectural heritage of the Muslim world to mere stylistic add-ons, failing to address the deeper socio-cultural and urban realities of these communities.