The Center of Urban and Regional Planning for Postgraduate Studies at the University of Baghdad witnessed the discussion of a master’s thesis entitled (The Spatial Dimension in the Development of Administrative Units) by the student Haider Jassim Muhammad, and under the supervision of Professor Dr. Mustafa Abdul Jaleel Ibrahim. The thesis aimed to link the development of administrative units to the planning dimension of region and within the development potential of the spatial dimension that has a clear impact on the possibility of developing criteria for targeting current administrative units.
The thesis concluded that the quality of human settlements, including districts, varies in their spatial characteristics in terms of their area, development potential, natural resources, and economic and social factors, as well as the number of people living there. Administrative units differ from one place to another and between urban and rural areas, and accordingly the capabilities within them change. The districts differ greatly in the level of capabilities, job opportunities, social services, and infrastructure that qualify them to create a stable spatial environment suitable for living and seek to achieve spatial equality among their residents.
The study recommended the need to pay attention to the planning aspects in addition to the administrative laws when implementing the establishment of administrative units, and to pay attention to developing the spatially available resources within the newly created administrative units in the districts. It was also recommended to develop current and future plans to develop the resources available in the administrative units by the planning authorities to reduce the manifestations of spread in distribution of development activities, after creating investment opportunities and activating the work of administrative institutions in addition to planning and implementation, in light of developing future development strategies to achieve a balance between activities.
