Analysing formal transformations in sustainable urban structures in Kufa City, Iraq

The research discusses the formal transformation in urban structure, all the cities around the world have undergone a series of formal transformations, resulting in radical transformations to their functions. And to calculate this transformation the descriptive analytical method was applied to this research. First, local urban management data and Landsat-9 visual data were used after processing by GIS. Then, the data were processed mathematically based on their engineering sequences. The aims of this research were as follows: to explore the formal transformations in cities, their dimensions and their consequences and impacts; to identify the underlying causes of their occurrence by deriving realistic results from trends in such degrees of transformation; and to reduce the adverse effects and to establish a sustainable urban structure by taking Kufa City as a model. The research covered the following two time periods: 2002-2012 and 2012-2022, as they represent the time during which Kufa City experienced remarkable formal transformation in urban structure as a result of urbanisation and random growth. Different forms of land use were identified, and formal transformations were analysed. The results showed that the largest transformation occurred when the agricultural land transformed into construction land; which was used in different ways than the original intent. The land uses were visualised digitally at high resolution. The transformation in land use led to formal transformations in the city structure, both planned and randomly implemented. The other objective of this research is to address misuse of the city’s infrastructure; however, sustainability was not considered for several reasons. The agricultural land represents the nutritional value of the city as it provides Kufa and nearby cities with agricultural products. It also represents the green barrier as the environmental conduit for the city. This research recommends managing population growth by using basic city schemes of planning and predicting formal transformations. This approach is the basis for transforming city structures by identifying future structural features in sustainable ways.