The Administrative Strategy of the Urban System in Al-Anbar Governorate

The administrative strategy constitutes an important factor in organizing the structure of the urban system through the creation of administrative units and the distribution of services.After 2003, Al-Anbar Governorate witnessed administrative transformations that led to the reshaping of the urban system.The study aims to analyze the administrative strategy followed in managing the urban system in Al-Anbar Governorate and to determine its impact on the development and distribution of urban centers.The governorate has recently undergone significant changes as a result of administrative decisions, including the creation of new districts and sub-districts.The descriptive approach was adopted to analyze the nature of the administrative strategy, along with the quantitative and spatial analytical approach using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to study the changes in the distribution of urban centers and to evaluate the effectiveness of administrative decisions in guiding urban growth.Additionally, the historical method was used to trace the chronological development of administrative units.The study results showed that most of the transformations in the urban system were the result of the administrative plan, where new districts and sub-districts were created, and some villages and rural settlements were transformed into urban centers.This contributed to improving infrastructure and diversifying economic and service activities in the governorate, with a clear disparity observed among urban areas.Studying the administrative strategy played a clear role in reshaping the urban map of the governorate, as it contributed to directing urban growth, expanding urban areas, and achieving a kind of spatial balance in some cities while posing challenges in others.The aim of the study is to analyze the strategy and identify the most prominent factors that contributed to shaping the features of the governorate's urban system.