Assessing the Influence of Urban Street Network on Land Use Distribution in Historic Urban Cores

Historic urban cores are complex spatial systems where street network configuration is key to land use distribution and urban functions. In cities like Baghdad, understanding these spatial relationships is vital to balancing heritage preservation with urban needs. This research examines the impact of street network configuration on ground floor land use in the Old Rusafa historic core. Despite its cultural and historical importance, Old Rusafa faces problems of uncontrolled urban development and the decline of traditional urban forms. The study investigates how spatial accessibility, as indicated by street network morphology, is related to ground floor land use. Using a case study approach, the research analyzed two areas in Old Rusafa—one with an organic street network and the other with a geometric layout. Spatial configuration was analyzed using Space Syntax techniques, specifically segment analysis in DepthmapX, to measure integration and connectivity at multiple scales. Ground floor land use was mapped and classified into residential, commercial, mixed-use, industrial, and public categories. Results show that higher integration and connectivity values are positively correlated with commercial land use, especially in the geometric street network, while residential uses dominate in less integrated areas.