Urban Policy In Iraq For The Period 1970-2012, Evaluation Study

Abstract

There are many urban policy alternatives; the most important one is the new town policy, and growth pole policy. Many countries depend upon these policies to decrease urban growth in their big regions, to develop slums areas and defused urban development process ,because they are good means for organize urban, regional and national growth . Iraq tried to apply more than one urban policy , industrial location policy , new towns policy were from these policies, but he failed, because there was not clear strategy for urbanization and urban policy in it . After the new situation in 2004, Iraq adopted again spatial planning policy which began in his five years plan 2010-2014, and spatial development plans for governorates 2012-2020. The aim of this paper is to present the principles of urban policy in Iraq .The main challenges facing it, and it's results impacted on the growth and development of the national urban system. Findings of this study indicate the lack of urban policy at the national level in Iraq; nevertheless, there was relative success in it represented with achieved important results in terms of the distribution of economic activities and population. This success belongs to the clear trend in Iraq, since the early 1960s and 1970s, emphasizing the necessity of spreading economic development and industry across all governorates.