From Mobility to Urbanism: An Ontological Sequential Model of the Formation of Urban Systems with an Explanatory Application to the Saudi Case

Abstract

Urban theory suffers from an epistemological limitation rooted in its assumption of territorial stability as a starting point for analysis, leading to the neglect of the foundational stage in which spatial systems transition from mobility to territorial anchoring. This study aims to reconceptualize the structural foundations of urban theory by developing a sequential ontological model that explains urban formation through four interrelated stages: mobility, territorial anchoring, hierarchical differentiation, and network integration.
The study adopts a conceptual–theoretical, descriptive–analytical approach, supported by a documentary analysis of the Saudi case as an illustrative application. Empirical indicators show that the urban population in Saudi Arabia exceeded 86% in 2023, with more than 20,000 villages and settlements recorded since the early 2000s, reflecting a structural transition from mobility-based systems to territorial anchoring.
The findings demonstrate that mobility constitutes a distinct spatial order, and that territorial anchoring represents the key structural turning point enabling hierarchical differentiation and network integration. The results further indicate that urban transformation may emerge from the reorganization of the relationship between population and territory, rather than from industrialization alone.
The study contributes to urban theory by repositioning mobility as an analytical starting point and by offering a conceptual framework applicable to non-Western contexts, thereby enhancing the potential for comparative urban analysis.