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The Impact of Economic Factor on Transforming the Urban Form of Erbil in Kurdistan Region-Iraq

The aim of the paper is to provide an insight of how the economic factor has influenced the urban structure and the urban form of Erbil city in northern Iraq. The escalation of urbanization in the past few decades resulted in dramatic increase of population. Moreover, after the Iraq War in 2003, the oil revenue helped the economic growth in the country especially in Erbil which was in a high security situation that attracted investors and individuals. The growth of economy in the city associated with growth of population, and it influenced the transformation of land use, transportation and real estates. The economic force was behind the increase in demand for land, densities, building heights as well as the change in land uses. Thus, all these factors collectively shaped structure of the city in a way that reflect the change of the economic growth of the city. New highway roads, new residential neighbourhoods have been constructed and high-rise buildings can be seen almost every were in the city. Yet, a prosperous city is not the one with higher economic growth, but the one, alongside with economic growth, provides the inhabitants with a better place to live in. Without a clear planning vision and well-prepared regulations, the economic factor (cost-benefit) will take the control of transforming the urban area of the city without consideration to the sustainability aspects. Here comes the institutional role, regulations and municipalities, to guide the investments and future developments to the right direction that serve the prosperity of the city.