Evaluating the urban structure of Al-Kut city according to sustainability

Abstract

The research attempts to assess the urban structure of Kut city - as a sample of Iraqi cities - according to the requirements of sustainability and the extent of their consistency or their distance from the requirements of achieving sustainable urban development. By studying the main urban components of Kut city, analyzing the spatial distribution of land uses, the nature of the neighbourhood, and the spatial distribution of population densities in it, road network and spatial distribution of urban land prices. The research concludes that the study area's urban spatial structure is ineffective and has many defects. The city is spread over a large area, and the population densities are distributed unorganized. Most of the population densities are far from the centre area; this leads to long, random and erratic trips. Traffic problems in the city are exacerbated by the absence of a hierarchy of roads and weak links between parts of the city as a result of the spread of the city between the two banks of the river and the lack of adequate bridges.