Temporal urbanism and intangible heritage as a framework for analyzing the sustainability of historic bazaars: an applied study in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad

Studies of the urban conservation of historic markets often focus on the physical dimension, neglecting temporal dynamics and intangible heritage, thus limiting the understanding of their sustainability as living urban systems. This research aims to bridge this gap by employing a temporal urban framework to analyze the sustainability of historic markets in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad. The study adopted a mixed-methods approach, combining longitudinal analysis (1920–2025), a questionnaire administered to a sample of 60 participants, qualitative interviews with 12 participants, and spatial analysis using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and unified urban network analysis. The results showed a high level of heritage identity and spatial belonging (4.3/5), compared to a moderate level of operational sustainability (3.6/5) and high urban challenges (4.02/5), with an inverse relationship between urban challenges and spatial belonging. This research contributes to the development of a participatory temporal sustainability model for historic markets.