Towards Sustainable Residential Developments: Al-Ghadir Village and Al-Amirat in Najaf in Iraq

Abstract

The idea of sustainability has emerged as a solution to many problems faced by cities and has become a mandatory practice in various fields and sectors, especially in the housing sector, given its significant economic and social importance. Therefore, it is essential to understand the concept of sustainability and how to achieve it in the planning of residential complexes. This research examines the problem of the varying levels of environmental sustainability in residential complexes, which has negatively affected the provision of suitable living conditions in many communities. It hypothesizes that indicators play a role in creating residential projects that are suitable from all social, economic, and environmental aspects. The aim of this study is to assess the level of urban sustainability in two residential complexes by measuring residents' satisfaction through self-determined indicators. The study relied on a descriptive approach and statistical methods, utilizing the Mann-Whitney U test to identify significant differences between the two complexes. The study found that most indicators showed significant differences. Among the notable findings were that most urban criteria related to the residential environments in the study area complied with national standards, except for the criteria related to the adequacy of educational, healthcare, and commercial services concerning the population size. Residents were dissatisfied with social indicators related to privacy, the scarcity of green and open spaces, play areas for children, and the lack of public transportation within the residential complex.