Strategies For Designing Public Open Spaces in Baghdad City

Abstract

Urban design has a significant impact on residents' quality of life and overall well-being. With the rapid expansion of urban areas, it has become imperative to meticulously plan and provide open areas. Implementing sustainable urban design strategies can bolster environmental sustainability, foster social fairness, and boost public health. Iraq faces numerous challenges that impede the creation of safe, accessible, and attractive public spaces for its residents. The aim of this study is to enhance a sustainable urban design plan that will enhance the functioning, accessibility, and visual appeal of open spaces in Baghdad. The researcher uses a questionnaire to collect data from specific respondents with the aim of identifying the limitations that exist in the urban design of open spaces in Baghdad. The study results demonstrate evident limitations from urban, transportation, economic, environmental, cultural, and social perspectives. The survey's findings indicate that the most prominent issues are the intricate arrangements resulting from the addition of new nodes, the diversity of pathways, unfavorable traffic conditions, inadequate land usage, and insufficient distribution of green spaces. The researcher utilizes Kevin Lynch's design concepts to analyze the urban characteristics of the studied region. These principles address the major existing urban issues that need to be considered in the urban design concept to improve the features of the urban landscape in the research region. According to the findings, the researcher suggests several alternatives, such as redistributing land use, developing the wave front area, building new nodes and open spaces, increasing green spaces, and developing the Metro, LRT Train, and BRT.