The Role of High Density in Public Transportation-Oriented Development, (Study on the Application of Public Transportation-Oriented Development in the City of Nasiriyah)

ABSTRACT The research deals with one of the strategies related to transport planning in high-density cities through urban densification, where the concept of transit-oriented development is one of the most recent strategies for sustainable development. In its theoretical framework, the research dealt with the concept of transportation, the concept of urban densification, the relationship of transport with urban densification, the impact of transportation on urban land uses and the complementary relationship between them, and a set of common indicators between them was reached, which were represented by (density, diversity, ease of access, mix of land uses, the design ). These main indicators also include several other sub-indicators, as they can provide an appropriate basis for knowing the possibility of a shift towards sustainable transport. As for the practical aspect, it was represented by conducting field surveys for the study area (the city of Nasiriyah) in order to identify its planning characteristics, and after that the indicators that were deduced from the theoretical framework were applied to them. The research found that there is a great approach in three indicators, which were represented by (ease of access and diversity), as it achieved proportions appropriate to the required rate in the specifications of development directed to transit, while the density index and the mix of land uses index were partially achieved as it approached the minimum limits of the specified rates. Thus, it can be concluded that the high density, the method of distributing the uses of the land and the intensification of the area has imposed a great impact on the indicators, as this was reflected by encouraging a mixture of land uses in the region and thus proximity to activities and services, providing high accessibility, and creating diversity and vitality in the region.