Consensus-based urban sustainability framework for Iraqi cities: A case study in Baghdad.

Area of Science:

• Urban Planning and Development
• Environmental Sustainability
• Developing Economies

Background:

• Developing regions, particularly those with hot, dry climates like Iraq, face significant urban challenges including population growth, traffic congestion, pollution, water scarcity, and high energy consumption.
• Iraq's unique socio-cultural context, compounded by decades of war and sanctions, necessitates tailored solutions for sustainable urban development.
• Existing urban development projects in Iraq, especially in cities like Baghdad, lack adequate attention to sustainability principles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a comprehensive sustainability framework specifically designed for urban development projects in hot, dry, developing regions, with a focus on Iraq.
• To address critical issues such as housing deficits, traffic congestion, environmental pollution, and energy consumption in war-affected urban areas.
• To enhance the quality of services and human well-being through the application of sustainable urban development factors.

Main Methods:

• Expert consultations were employed to achieve consensus on the framework's core dimensions.
• The framework incorporates satellite cities, green belts, criteria for domestic energy projects (including minimum energy requirements and on-site renewables like solar energy), and urban sustainable development factors.
• Validation was conducted through semi-structured interviews with 15 local intra-organizational leaders from relevant ministries and organizations.

Main Results:

• The developed sustainability framework received a high recommendation for adoption from 12 out of 15 interviewed leaders, indicating perceived understanding, acceptance, and feasibility.
• Leaders from the Mayoralty of Baghdad emphasized the framework's potential to mitigate current and future challenges in the capital, such as housing deficits, traffic, economic issues, and pollution.
• The framework's validation demonstrated its relevance and potential for enhancing the quality of life at the city scale in post-conflict environments.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a novel, comprehensive sustainability framework tailored for the specific context of war-torn developing countries like Iraq.
• The framework's validation confirms its practical applicability and the strong support from local leadership for its implementation.
• Adoption of this framework is crucial for addressing multifaceted urban challenges and improving living standards in affected cities.