Study and analysis of the challenges of urban space sustainability in Al-Helleh

Abstract:

The present study aims to investigate and analyze the status of urban sustainability in the city of Hilla and explain the challenges in the four dimensions of economic, socio-cultural, physical and environmental. This study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature and attempts to present a comprehensive picture of the status of urban sustainability at the level of citizens' perception. The statistical population of the study includes all citizens of the city of Hilla. The sample size was 400 people and the required data was collected through a standard questionnaire. The validity of the research tool was confirmed by a number of university professors and its reliability was also confirmed using Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which indicates appropriate internal consistency of the items. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, one-sample t-test at the item level, pooled one-sample t-test (overall), and Pearson correlation test between dimensions. In the descriptive section, the results showed that the average of all dimensions of urban sustainability was less than the criterion value (3) and were at a level below the average. Among the dimensions studied, the physical dimension had the most unfavorable situation with an average of 2.275, followed by the socio-cultural dimensions with an average of 2.323, the economic dimension with an average of 2.383, and the environmental dimension with an average of 2.410, respectively. The results of the one-sample t-test at the item level showed that all the indicators studied in all four dimensions had negative t-values and a significance level of less than 0.05 (p = 0.000), which indicates a significant difference between the current situation and the desired situation.The results of the pooled t-test also confirmed that the total average of all four dimensions was significantly lower than the criterion value and was in an unfavorable situation; so that the t-value for the economic dimension was -11.226, the socio-cultural dimension was -12.827, the physical dimension was -14.448, and the environmental dimension was -11.182. On the other hand, the results of the correlation test showed that there are positive, significant, and relatively strong relationships between different dimensions of urban sustainability; so that the correlation coefficient between the economic and socio-cultural dimensions was 0.807, the economic and physical dimension was 0.792, the economic and environmental dimension was 0.710, and the other relationships were in the range of 0.697 to 0.769. These results indicate that the dimensions of urban sustainability are systemic and interconnected in nature, and changes in each dimension can affect the other dimensions. Overall, the research findings show that the sustainability status of urban space in the city of Hillah is at an undesirable level in all four dimensions studied and requires fundamental interventions and comprehensive planning. Improving this situation requires adopting an integrated approach in urban policy-making and simultaneously focusing on improving the economic, socio-cultural, physical, and environmental dimensions to provide the basis for achieving sustainable urban development in this city.