Hierarchy of urban agglomerations and attraction theory: case study of Laghouat

Based on the observation of the great imbalance in the development policies in the rural urban centers of the wilaya of Laghouat, which caused the exacerbation of the phenomenon of rural displacement towards the capital of the wilaya and the emergence of the unemployment crisis, and in addition to all this the gross lack of provision of necessary services and facilities that contribute to the stabilization and stability of the population, this study came as an attempt to determine the urban pattern ‘dysfunctional/balanced’. The study also seeks to determine whether the urban system of the network of urban centers in the wilaya of Laghouat takes the pattern of the first dominant city or takes the regular pattern. The aim is providing planners with the opportunity to control the direction and distribution of the development process in a regular and equiTable manner and reduce the intensity of urban dominance to break the population concentration confined to the state capital. The article is based on the latest statistical data issued by the Directorate of Planning and Programming of the wilaya of Laghouat ‘2023’ with a comprehensive sample of all municipalities of the region ‘24’. It also uses mathematical measurement models for urban growth and concentration ‘Lorenz’s curve and index, Hoover’s index, and Zipf ’s rank and size base,’ in addition to a comprehensive comparative study of groups of jobs as well as economic and service activities. The study showed strong variations in that the environmental frame does not correspond to human exploitation, as spatial boundaries reflect a spatial political organization that is inconsistent with ideal hierarchical relationships.