**1. Introduction**

This chapter contributes a novel approach to strengthen identity in diverse cities. Cities hold unique cultural, social characteristics and represent ideal places for the development of an urban related identity. In addition, a better understanding of urban identity formation and identification processes is essential to comprehend citizens' support or disapproval of current challenging local initiatives [1]. Cities respond differently to migration and their changing place identities. Some cities have been considered as super-diverse cities by defining migration and diversity as one of the drivers that support the economy and the global image [2–4]. Gulf cities show a culturally diverse demography, where international migration contributes to the diversification of urban and this has led to fundamental changes in identity.

Diversity can be considered as urban identity that provides strongly a shared sense of belonging. The diversity is likely to come together with multiculturalist or interculturalist policies towards the verities of culture background [2].

The argument between traditional and global ideas has been quite sharp in some countries and recently the resulting resentment gave rise to fundamentalist movements [5]. In globalization era, diverse cities are encountering great challenges. The term globalization was known during the second half of the 20th century and was not a popular until the second half of the 1980s [6]. The globalization has attracted a significant attention, yet the term is used in many different contexts, many different people and for many different purposes. Globalization as the intensification of worldwide social relations that link distant localities in such a way that local happenings are shaped by events occurring many miles away and vice versa [7]. In that sequence, globalization is considered a discourse of knowledge that elevates awareness of the links between various scales of lifestyle that reflects the diverse of population and cultural background. The Encyclopedia Britannica defines globalization as the process by which the experience of everyday life is becoming standardized around the world [8]. It is a contested discourse showing many variants, some of which are clearly more influential than others and a major force in altering the world's cultural landscapes [9].

The relation between the two trends "local and global architecture" has long existed, with two directions. The first direction seeks to protect and reinforce the traditional building elements in the urban, which aim at the continuity of the history and culture diversity to address identity. The second direction encourages the use of new building elements with the support of technology and developing new materials to meet the functional needs [10]. This chapter endorses Oliver theory [11] through the integration of traditional architecture that support the context of the local environment in Doha city. The theory discusses broad concepts, which is addressing vernacular architecture in diverse cities, such as symbolism, decoration, building materials…etc.

The integration of traditional elements into the contemporary architecture is a popular topic that addressed in many researches. This chapter is continuation of a previous published study by [12]. The study is focused on the theoretical part of the topic by studying the three variables of traditional architecture (Building components, landscape components and function/activities). The findings of this study can be used by the authorities, urban planning decision making and private sectors as a purpose of making the city urban more reflected to the tradition and to embrace modern urban elements in many forms including new construction, renovations and site planning.
