Mass housing planning and environmental considerations: case studies of post-war urban redevelopment in Erbil city, Kurdistan

Major Kurdish cities, particularly Erbil, are experiencing rapid growth in population and territory. However, the housing development practices in Iraq since the 2003 war have led to a decline in local environmental quality, despite a burgeoning demand for urban housing. This study examines how environmental considerations are integrated into mass housing planning in post-war Erbil, focusing on the differences between government-led and private-sector developments. Data were collected and analysed from eight housing case studies through a triangulation of site analyses, document reviews, and semi-structured interviews with key professional stakeholders. Findings show that, despite Erbil’s rapid expansion since 2003, environmental concerns have not been sufficiently incorporated into housing planning processes. Government-led cases neglect environmental requirements, while private-led cases struggle to find a balance between delivering public services, environmental protection, and affordable housing. The study contributes to existing research on housing practices in the emerging world by offering a pioneering empirical examination of recent housing planning in Erbil. It also addresses the socio-cultural and geographical gaps in the literature on urban housing development within a Kurdish context. The findings highlight the urgent need for comprehensive environmental impact assessments and data-driven decision-making in housing planning, particularly in rapidly developing post-conflict urban contexts.