Walkability is an urban quality indicator that is gaining increased attention because of its relationship to sustainability. Walkability refers to the set of incentives an urban space offers to encourage walking. More incentives mean higher walkability, hence more sustainable urban planning. This paper presents a geospatial approach to quantify the walkability of an urban space, based on physical indicators that can be layered in a GIS system. Preliminary results show good performance of the approach on the global level. However, further research is recommended to enhance performance at the local level.

The Old Holy Al-Najaf is the third influential religious center for Shia Muslims in the whole Islamic world after Mecca and Madinah. This historical city embraces a rich tangible and intangible heritage that has long distinguished its architectural identity and enriched its spiritual experience. Along its history, since its establishment around the 8th century AD, the city has faced continues challenges defying its capacity to resist, preserve, and evolve based on the root causes of its formation (Islamic culture and climate requirements). However, since the mid of the 20th century, the city has been challenged with new cultural, economic, and political forces causing radical transformation in its deep organizational urban structures and architectural features. Thus, the paper will include analysing the current structure of the traditional urban morphology of the Old City of Al-Najaf highlighting the major problems that are threatening its unique inherited architectural and urban characteristics. Despite the dramatic heritage loss in the city, there are many trajectories to protect the still existing parts of the historical center. The proposed vision is not to refuse the modernization of the city, but rather to embrace a rational urban preservation.

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The development in science and technology in the building industry has proven that the use of traditional construction methods has become undesirable because of its adverse effects on the building itself in terms of weight and thermal performance, thus affecting the energy efficiency of the building. Reducing energy consumption is a high-priority issue at various societal and economic levels. Thermal performance is the extent to which the design of a building responds to the daily and seasonal changing in climatic conditions. Designing buildings that achieve thermal comfort in harmony with the external environment requires involving appropriate modern technologies. The present simulation-based research assesses thermal performances by testing different wall systems, which are Brick Wall (BW), Cellular Concrete Wall (CCW), Concrete Block Wall (CBW), and Izocrete Block Wall (IBW). The thermal performance of a wall system is characterized by its surface temperature when exposed to solar radiation. Preliminary results indicate that the new technology of wall systems plays a vital role in reducing temperature swings, which leads to reducing the internal temperature and thus promotes the building's energy efficiency. The IBW was found to be efficient and best during the test period, followed by CCW.

Due to rapid urbanization, developing countries have faced significant urban socio-economic challenges. The destruction and lack of planning are acute in countries, such as Iraq, that have suffered for several decades from wars and international sanctions, resulting in severe damage to the ecology sector, social utilities and the disruption of the economic sector. Many urban development projects are currently underway in Iraq, and labelled as a means to reform. However, most lack public participation. Hence, there is an urgent need to understand the public’s perception, especially of in urban areas with socio-economic challenges, and this represents a crucial concern for many planners, designers, and policy-makers seeking to develop effective policies. This study aims to investigate stakeholder perceptions of the urban challenges and their priorities in Iraqi cities. A nationwide survey was conducted (N = 643), using a 19-item structured questionnaire. PCA and statistical tests were applied to the collected responses, to investigate the relationships around such challenges. A high value of internal consistency and reliability was achieved (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.867) and five components were identified. The item ‘safety of public places’ was ranked as the most important. Results illustrate a link between deficiencies in the social and economic infrastructures.