التلوث البصري للمظهر العمراني في مدينة الحويجة

Abstract

     Al-Hawija city faces numerous challenges that have significantly affected its urban structure, reflecting the nature of the lifestyle of its inhabitants. Manifestations of visual pollution have spread across all neighborhoods, streets, squares, and public spaces within the city. The impact of these issues has resulted in the absence of the required balance in the urban fabric, exceeding the appropriate capacity for each component of the city. Consequently, this has led to the distortion of the urban landscape and the loss of its aesthetic value. The manifestations of visual pollution in Al-Hawija City were analyzed in terms of their various forms and types, with the aim of identifying the areas where such phenomena are most concentrated. These manifestations are particularly evident in residential neighborhoods and urban streets. This analysis was conducted through the examination of questionnaire results and field studies. Accordingly, the main indicators of visual pollution were identified. Several indicators contribute to the distortion of the city's urban appearance and create a sense of visual discomfort for observers. Among the most prominent of these indicators are the variation in building heights and their lack of adherence to a unified architectural style, in addition to the inconsistency between building facades. The results also revealed that informal housing areas, overlapping land uses, and the fragmentation of the skyline collectively constitute more than 50% of the total indicators of urban visual pollution in the city which necessitates urgent planning intervention to rehabilitate the urban landscape