Ethnicity-based political decision making in urbanization using intelligent techniques by integrating GIS with remote sensing: A case study Kirkuk City, Iraq

In most developing countries, political instability, along with fast urbanization and expansion, has resulted in an increase in spontaneous and informal settlements. These settlements have had a negative impact on society’s social and environmental elements, but they have also sown seeds of animosity and created antagonism between people, particularly in multiethnic countries. This research applies intelligent tools to investigate spatial and temporal anomalies in urban development and land-use changes by merging GIS and remote sensing. Between 1984 and 2013, this research also examines the impact of political instability, particularly in a multiethnic metropolis such as Kirkuk in Iraq. As a result, two distinct patterns of urban growth were observed. The first alteration occurred in the 1980s, while the second occurred during the 2003 governmental transition. As a result, two distinct patterns of urban growth were seen in Kirkuk City. Numerous informal settlements spread as a result of a failure to adhere to the master plan without updating it, which resulted in significant modifications to the master plan’s layout. The generated map depicts four classes, and highlights the area’s losses and gains for each class across the research period. City planners and others who influence housing decisions may find these findings fascinating since they demonstrate that socio-political variables matter more than physical aspects in multiethnic cities, particularly when revising Kirkuk’s Master Plan.