This research sheds light on the physical environment role in creating the place attachment, by discussing one of the important factors in the attachment creation, it is the concept place dependence, consisting of two important dimensions: the place quality and the place expectation; they contain a number of the supporter physical environment sub-indicators for place attachment. Eight physical indicators were reached; they were found to have a close relationship to the place attachment, including: the open and green spaces existence, land use diversity, diversity of housing types, dwelling / population density, accessibility, transport network development degree, transport multiple modes, and continuity of place over time. The presence of these indicators has been tested in the center of Nasiriyah city in the South of Iraq.

Iraq includes several traditional Islamic cities, and they share many spatial and social characteristics. A question has often been raised about these cities' ability to achieve spatial justice for their current residents. Therefore, the research aims to answer this question by following a specific methodology based on the derivation of factors and indices of spatial justice through previous literature, then measuring the indices derived in the ancient Najaf city as an example of traditional Islamic cities. The research found that there are five main factors for spatial justice, which are: spatial diversity, spatial connectivity, spatial resilience, spatial security, and spatial empowerment, which in turn are divided into ten indices. These indices were measured in Najaf city. It became clear that the mixed land use index, spatial connectivity indices, and spatial security indices were well achieved, while the mixed residential patterns and spatial empowerment indices did not achieve well. As for spatial resilience, changes occurred in the land uses. However, these changes were not the result of social and cultural changes or according to the city residents' needs. Instead, they occurred due to economic changes that primarily serve the visitors and arrivals to the city.

The topic of urban transformations has attracted the attention of researchers as it is one of the basic issues through which cities can be transformed towards sustainability. A specific level of transformation levels according to a philosophical concept known as a crossing. This article has relied on a specific methodology that aims to find a new approach for urban transformation based on the crossing concept. This concept derives from philosophical entrances based on the concepts of (being, process, becoming, and integration). Four levels have been for the crossing are (normal, ascending, leap, and descending). Each of these levels includes specific characteristics that distinguish it. The results showed that there is no descending crossing in the study area and that four indicators that have achieved leap crossing are: (coverage ratio, compactness, Effectiveness of the pedestrian and bicycle movement, and proximity. As for ascending crossing achieved in three indicators are: mix land use, blocks' length, and connectivity, as for normal crossing achieved in three indicators are: diversity of building heights, population density, and housing density. These results help in making the planning decision to transform traditional Karbala city into a sustainable city, by giving priority in development to the indicators that have achieved ascending crossing because it takes less time and effort to reach the leap crossing in comparison with indicators that have achieved normal crossing.

This paper focuses on the concept of cognition and its clarification in the light of Islamic epistemology. Knowledge passes through two essential parts: conception and assent. Conception explains simple knowledge, while assent explains knowledge involving a judgment. The paper proceeded with the identification of the problem of relationship blurring between cognition and knowledge. The external and inner senses have explained the relationship between the stages of knowledge and cognition. The external senses receive stimuli and form primary conceptions. These conceptions transfer to the first part of the inner senses, which is common sense; it collects the sensations and transmits them to pictorial power. Secondary conceptions are formed, accompanied by feeling. Then, the estimative power role emerges in imparting meaning to be stored in memory, here knowledge is suspicion, and the perception is achieved. Finally, the images reach the thinking power to impart the specific meaning of the image, which constitutes cognition. Using the Hagia Sophia Case Study, the paper reached important indices in clarifying the cognition stages and understanding of planning and architectural production. These indices were represented by: color, scale, lighting, the harmony of the building with its surroundings, and the meanings associated with cultural, social, and civilized values. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091715 Full Text: PDF

The research attempts to shed light on how to invest the philosophical and intellectual concept of the event in preparing the development plans for the city. Based on it, there are three strategies to read the event (Explanation, Interpretation, and Deconstruction) that are regularly responded to it with three strategies represented by (Revitilaization, Renewal, and Reform). Through the use of reading and response strategies, and the corresponding planning policies represented by: preservation, rehabilitation, and redevelopment. The research adopted an analytical and descriptive methodology for some world experiences for the eventful cities, such as Warsaw, which reflects (Explanation - Revitilaization) and used preservation, Bilbao, which reflects (Interpretation - Renewal) and used rehabilitation, and Tianjin, which reflects (Deconstruction - Reform) and used redevelopment. In an attempt to benefit from these experiences and derive some indicators for each strategy. By applying the derived indicators to the traditional Mosul city, it concluded that the most appropriate strategy for the reconstruction of this city is the strategy of Explanation – Revitalization, which represents preservation because the destruction of the city was intending to crush the historical and cultural value of the city and destroy the local and national identity. Doi: 10.28991/cej-2021-03091763 Full Text: PDF

The research deals with the concept of a safe city and the impact of security on cities, in an attempt to identify the most important physical characteristics and indicators necessary to achieve safety in cities. The research identified seven characteristics (access and movement, structure, control, ownership, protection, activity, management and maintenance). From these seven characteristics, eighteen indicators were derived that directly affected the achievement of safety in urban environments. These indicators were applied to the study area, An-Najaf traditional city in Iraq. By adopting the analysis of indicators using field survey, observation and analysis using geographic information systems and mathematical models. The indicators that contributed to achieving a number of characteristics of safe cities in An-Najaf traditional city were identified: the structure of the city, the homogeneity of society, as well as the activity characteristic, as it was characterized by religious and tourism activity.

Biophilic planning is one of the important trends in achieving sustainability and nature conservation, especially in areas that contain natural elements. Since in the case of climate change and urban encroachment on natural habitats, taking care of nature and investing its components properly is a necessity, not a choice. As well as the agreement among many researchers about the social, economic and environmental benefits provided by biophilic planning, which is based mainly on the idea of connecting people with nature. This study aims to provide a guide to planners, urban designers, and decision-makers, including how to deal with residential neighborhoods that contain natural elements such as rivers by depending on a specific methodology based on previous literature and deriving effective indicators in this type of neighborhood. The results of the theoretical framework showed that there are eleven effective indicators, some of which are measured by descriptive methods and some by quantitative methods. These indicators have been applied in one of the neighborhoods of the Iraqi Kufa City overlooking the Euphrates River. The results showed that the study area lacks standards and indicators of biophilic planning. Doi: 10.28991/CEJ-2022-08-01-03 Full Text: PDF