Spatial Analysis of the Informal Housing Problem in the Al-Ghadeer Municipal Unit-Baghdad city

Jameel, Aqeel Jabbar

doi:10.32894/1992-1179.2026.167774.1306

	Spatial Analysis of the Informal Housing Problem in the Al-Ghadeer Municipal Unit-Baghdad city
Kirkuk University Journal: Humanity Studies
Volume 21, Issue 1, March 2026, Pages 379-415 PDF (1.15 M)
Document Type: Research Paper
DOI: 10.32894/1992-1179.2026.167774.1306
Author
Aqeel Jabbar Jameel^*
College of Education / Al-Mustansiriyah University / Department of Geography
Abstract
Informal settlements are among the most prominent urban challenges facing Baghdad, particularly within the Al-Ghadir municipality. Demographic and economic shifts after 2003 have contributed to the expansion of these informal settlements due to weak planning oversight and increased internal migration. This research aims to analyze the causes and factors that led to the emergence of informal settlements within the municipality, as well as to study the spatial distribution of these informal settlements and interpret their concentration patterns at the neighborhood level. The results of the analysis reveal a clear spatial variation in the size and spread of these informal settlements. The 9th of April neighborhood recorded (1,289) units, while the Akd neighborhood represented the highest concentration with (31,179) units, while the Al-Muthanna and Sumer neighborhoods were free of any informal housing due to their advanced urban nature and stable infrastructure. This confirms that informal housing is a multi-dimensional phenomenon linked to social, economic and geographical conditions, which calls for the adoption of balanced urban strategies that combine regulating growth, improving services and addressing the root causes of the phenomenon to reduce its impact on the urban landscape.
Keywords
Problem Analysis; Informal Housing; Al-Ghadeer Municipality Unit

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