Spatial analysis of Private school sites in Al-Jihad neighborhood in Baghdad-Iraq by using geographic information systems

Abstract

High rates of population growth of Al-Jihad neighborhood in Baghdad-Iraq, and the urban expansion accompanying this increase, as well as internal migration due to the recent circumstances in Iraq led to a great pressure on educational services and their ability to meet the needs of the growing population, all that led to the establishment of private schools and as a result, the number of private schools has increased significantly in the past years, The selection of the locations of these private schools was random and with no consideration of planning criteria. This paper examines the issue of selecting the sites of private schools without relying on the special planning criteria and determinants. The research methodology is based on the analysis of spatial sites of private secondary schools in Al Jihad neighborhood in Baghdad-Iraq to determine spatial distribution patterns of private secondary schools in the study area as well as the distance between secondary school sites in neighborhoods. Evaluate the application of planning and design standards to locate school sites. Clarify the adequacy of the location of private secondary schools with the population’s needs for educational services, analyze spatial distribution of schools and finally identify appropriate locations for these schools. by use of geographic information systems (GIS) in analyzing spatial distribution of the schools and determining the suitable locations for these schools, the research found that the private secondary schools within the study area are distributed randomly and are not subject to any planning criteria in their spatial signature. The research suggest a number of proposals and planning solutions to solve the problem of not appropriate spatial signature of private secondary schools in Al-Jihad neighborhood.