Measuring Geometric Properties of Urban Blocks in Baghdad: A Comparative Approach

Abstract

Due to their essential role in forming good quality urban life, urban structures need to be comprehensively understood. The use of quantitative methods and measures to analyze the urban fabric metrics is crucial to understand the physical and spatial properties at multiple scales. This research aims to study the structures of urban blocks by using computational and metric methods. Three essential variables of urban blocks - perimeter, size, and dimension - are selected to measure the blocks’ features and differences formed in Baghdad, Iraq. The analysis used various statistical methods combined with computation techniques and a geographical information system (GIS) to measure and compare the correlations between the block properties of four selected urban areas. The results revealed a differentiation among the geometric potentials found in urban block structures; moreover, this helped to provide a precise basis and principal guidelines for urban design models and planning practices. The research concluded that a better understanding of the block’s role in urban fabric helps to improve the formation and transformation processes within the built environment.

Keywords

• Urban block
• Blocks
• Urban form
• Streets
• Baghdad