enhancing social interaction in residential … · 2016-11-05 · the rapid changes in the urban...

International Journal of Engineering Technology, Management and Applied Sciences

www.ijetmas.com August 2015, Volume 3, Issue 8, ISSN 2349-4476

9 Dr. Husein Ali Husein, Dr. Sahar Basil Mahmood

Enhancing Social Interaction in Residential Communities in

Erbil

Dr. Husein Ali Husein

Lecturer

Department of Architectural Engineering

Koya University, Erbil, Iraq

Dr. Sahar Basil Mahmood

Lecturer

Department of Architectural Engineering

Koya University, Erbil, Iraq

ABSTRACT This paper refers to the social interaction as one of the indicators to the success of the residential community, regarding

its importance in achieving the sense of belonging among the residents towards their communities. This paper focused on

the rapid changes in the urban configuration of residential communities during the past decade in Erbil the capital city

of Kurdistan Region in Iraq; and highlights the lessons learned from some current urban theories and traditional local

communities in order to enhance the social interaction among the residents in its contemporary residential communities.

Therefore, this paper analyzes the spatial configuration of a traditional community (Arab Neighborhood); and compares

it with a preplanned new one in (Ashti City II) in Erbil. The paper indicates some obstacles that are related to the spatial

enclosure and type of planning that affect negatively on the social interaction of the new residential communities in

Erbil.

Keywords

Spatial enclosure, social interaction, residential community, Erbil, Ashti City2, Arab Neighborhood, Koya, Kurdistan.

INTRODUCTION

Many studies have considered the social interaction in residential communities, as one of the crucial values,

especially those recent studies about sustainable communities that consider it as one of the main principles for

sustainable neighborhoods like the study of UN-Habitat [1].

During the last decade many residential projects were erected in Erbil the capital city of Kurdistan of Iraq with

different type of planning than the old neighborhoods. Regarding the high social interaction usually found in

the traditional neighborhoods, this paper discusses the lack of interaction in the new residential communities

by comparing the old and new communities, and focusing on the role of the spatial enclosure in enhancing the

social interaction among the residents.

1. LITERATURE REVIEW

1.1 Social Interaction

Social interaction refers to particular forms of externalities, in which the actions of a reference group affect an

individual’s preferences. The reference group depends on the context and is typically an individual’s family,

neighbors, friends or peers. [2]

Although early writers on the meaning of community assumed that attachment and social interaction occur

largely within geographically bounded areas, such territorial limitations may not be necessary in

contemporary society.

Barry Wellman argues that the existence of modern communication and transportation has freed social bonds

from a specific locale; as those who are capable of mobility will select social network members on the basis of

affinity, not proximity. Only those whose resources or mobility are limited, such as mothers with young

children at home, or the aged or sick, will limit their network ties to proximal choices. Wellman found that

certain helping relationships; such as providing aid in emergencies, did remain on a neighborhood level, and

suggested that neighborhood networks were "networks of necessity". [3]

1.2 Residential Community

McMillan and Chavis (1986) proposed a definition for a community with four elements. The first element is

membership. Membership is the feeling of belonging or of sharing a sense of personal relatedness. The second

element is influence; a sense of mattering, of making a difference to a group and of the group mattering to its

members. The third element is reinforcement; integration and fulfillment of needs. This is the feeling that




members' needs will be met by the resources received through their membership in the group. The last

element is shared emotional connection; the commitment and belief that members have shared and will share

history, common places, time together and similar experiences. They've stated that the strong communities are

those that offer members positive ways to interact, important events to share and ways to resolve them

positively, opportunities to honor members, opportunities to invest in the community, and opportunities to

experience a spiritual bond among members. [4] While, Riger and Lavrakas (1981) studied the sense of

community as reflected in neighborhood attachment and found two empirically distinct but correlated factors

they called social bonding and behavioral rootedness. The social bonding factor contained items concerning

the ability to identify neighbors, feeling part of the neighborhood, and number of neighborhood children

known to the respondent. Behavioral rootedness refers to years of community residency, whether one's home

is owned or rented, and expected length of residency. [3] The membership in a Community has five attributes:

boundaries, emotional safety, a sense of belonging and identification, personal investment, and a common

symbol system. These attributes work together and contribute to a sense of who is part of the community and

who is not. [4] (See Table1)

Table 1. Elements of Sense of Community and their Hypothesized Relationships. [4]

1.3 Spatial Enclosure

Hillier and Hanson (1988) referred to the fact of space that creates the spatial relation between function and

social meaning in buildings; as the ordering of space in buildings is really about the ordering of relations

between people. Therefore, society enters into the very nature and form of the buildings. They focused on the

architecture as a "social art" as through the ways in which buildings, individually and collectively, create and

order space, we are able to recognize society; that it exists and has a certain form. Buildings participate in a

larger system in two ways; first, in the obvious way they are spatially related to other buildings; and also, in

less obviously, by separation off systems of categories from the outside world -using spatial separation in

order to define and control that system of social categories- they can define a relation to others by conceptual

analogy, rather than spatial relations. [5] McMillan and Chavis explained that the (space) boundaries provide

the protection for intimacy; and that the emotional safety that is a consequence of secure boundaries allows

people to feel that there is a place for them in the community and that they belong to it. A sense of belonging

and identification facilitates the development of a common symbol system, which defines the community's




boundaries. They believed that feelings of belonging and emotional safety lead to self-investment in the

community, which has the consequence of giving a member the sense of having earned his or her

membership. [4] (See Table1)

Fig1: The Super Block, Clarence Stein [6]

Fig2: The Pedestrian Pocket, Peter Calthorpe [7]

Interior Courtyards; Sunnyside, Long Island

Cul-de-sac Clusters within Super Blocks; Radburn




Many theories have discussed the spatial enclosure setting for a better social interaction and achievement of a

sustainable community.

The Super Block by Clarence Stein (1971) as he believed that the iron-grid street pattern is not safe. His

concept was to separate the automobile from the pedestrians circulation. Each house has two entrances, the car

would enter from a side and another entrance that leads to the interior of the super block; where pedestrians

can have more chances for safe social interaction. [6] (Figure 1)

The Pedestrian Pocket, by Peter Calthorpe is another concept to achieve a better social interaction within a

sustainable community. It is defined as a balanced, mixed use area of 50-120 acres in size within 1/4 mile

walking radius of a light rail station. Its goal is to create a series of stops on a transit line and to blend the

convenience of automobile usage with the opportunity to walk. [7] (Figure 2)

While, the experiment of Poundbury by Leon Krier and Alan Baxter has witnessed a great success in UK, as

they defined clear urban boundaries. All but few of the houses have their front doors opening directly off the

street. Car parking is at the rear of the blocks and the narrow streets discourage cars from parking in the front

of these houses. [8] (Figure 3)

Fig3: Poundbury, Leon Krier and Alan Baxter [8]

2. CASE STUDY: ERBIL CITY IN KURDISTAN OF IRAQ

Erbil (also known as Hawler) is about 80 Km to the East-South of Mosul, between the two Rivers of (Zab). It

is well known for being the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world, as its name was mentioned in the

historic writings around the year 3000 B.C., as a Sumerian town. In 1919, Erbil became a Governorate under

the British mandate. Then, after the foundation of the State of Iraq, Erbil was detached from the County of

Kirkuk, and the Prefecture of Erbil was formed as one of the Governorates of Iraqi Kurdistan. Erbil is a

regional capital since 1974 and a capital of Federal Iraqi Kurdistan since 1992. [9] As part of Kurdistan

Region, Erbil had suffered from the previous Regime in 1980's. But, in 1991 the people in Kurdistan rise up




against the Iraqi government. Months later, the Iraqi Army and its administration had been withdrawn, and

impose an internal blockade on Kurdistan. [10]

After the liberation from the previous regime in 2003, Erbil has witnessed wide investments and a rapid urban

development, as many residential projects were erected with almost the same planning characteristics. Such

new type of residential communities needs to be studied and assessed in order to be improved. This paper,

therefore, intends to make a comparison between the traditional and contemporary residential communities

within Erbil Governorate.

2.1 Traditional Residential Community: Arab Neighborhood, Erbil

Arab Neighborhood is located in the center of Erbil adjacent to Erbil ancient Citadel. (Figure 4)

Their traditional houses are so old; as it is believed that this neighborhood is about 200 years old. It was

named after the 20 Arab families who lived there in the 1930's. This neighborhood was well known by the

high social interaction among its residents who used to share food, and live peacefully in spite of their

different nationalities and religions. [11] (Figure 5)

Fig4: Erbil City, the location of Arab Neighborhood and Ashti City II. [12]

Just like traditional Islamic cities; Arab neighborhood has winding streets. It’s alleys are narrow, and mostly

with mixed use (residential and commercial); so you can see little shops spread either within the same

residential alley, or within those little nodes in the intersection of two or more alleys. Each little or main node

used to witness mixed kind of social interaction; such as shopping, talking (chit-chatting), playing.. etc.

(Figure 6)




Fig5: Arab Neighborhood, layout. [9]

Fig6: Arab Neighborhood. [15] Figure 7 shows the spatial enclosure of a typical internal alley.

Because of the Covered Balconies (Shanshil), the alley here has two rates (width to height) for the spatial

enclosure, the 1st one with (1:1) which is the best ratio; the 2

nd one with (1:0.75) which is also good as these

ratios make people feel safely enclosed and within the human scale. Those balconies provide more shadow

and prevent the alley from the hot sun in summer and that encourage people to walk through them and have

more chances for contact with others.




Figure 8 shows another internal winding alley but this time without the Covered Balconies, the alley here has

only one rate (width to height) for the spatial enclosure which is with (1:2.5) which is a little bit tight and

makes you feel highly enclosed (which is sometimes has a negative psychological impact); however this ratio

is still considered within the human scale. The narrow width of the alley provides shadow in summer and

that’s comfortable and encourages people to walk through; in the same time provides privacy and doesn't

encourage car use.

Fig7: Arab Neighborhood. [15 edited by authors]

Fig8: Arab Neighborhood. [15 edited by authors]

2.2 Contemporary Residential Community: Ashti City II, Kasnazan, Erbil

One of the major real estate projects for Eskan Company is Ashti City II, The project consists of

1100 residential units with various types of houses which was implemented during (2010-2013) with

all facilities and services. [12]




This project is located in Erbil- Kasnazan Road, behind the Blue Sport Center. It has deferent types of housing

(Luxury & low cost housing) with deferent areas that vary between (204-500) m2. [13] (Figure 4& 9)

Figure 10 shows a typical internal alley in this community. It is strait, wide, and provide a good accessibility

for cars. The planning of the community depends and encourages the use of car. The high width of the street

prevents shadows, such an alley doesn’t encourage walking on hot days.

The alleys here have only one use which is residential. All other services are located in specific central

locations.

Fig9: Ashti City II, layout and main zones of houses. [14]

Fig10: Ashti City II, one of the internal alleys. (Authors, 2015)




Fig11: Ashti City II, one of the internal main streets that separate the luxury from the low cost housing.

(Authors, 2015)

Figure 11 shows one of the Internal Main Streets that separate the luxury from the Low Cost Housing units

where the street is very wide. But planting the U-turn fence makes the spatial enclosure a lot better. Which is

the same case represented in Figure 12 that shows another Internal Main Street which separate two types of

the Low Cost Housing units.

Fig12: Ashti City II, one of the internal main streets that separate two types of low cost housing.

(Authors, 2015)

Figure 13 shows the main supermarket in this community which is isolated totally from (but surrounded by)

the residential alleys. This type of organization residential units doesn’t provide shadow; and doesn’t

encourage walking.




Fig13: Ashti City II, Central Supermarket and its parking. (Authors, 2015)

Figures 14 and 15 show the low spatial enclosure of a typical internal alley as well as the main internal streets.

As in the Figure 14 the spatial enclosure ratio is 1:0.34 which is low ratio; and Figure 15 with a ratio of 1:0.24

which is even lower ratio!

Such low spatial enclosure ratio has a negative impact on pedestrians as they almost feel lost within such wide

roads, but the U-turns enhanced a little bit the feeling of being fairly enclosed.

Fig14: Ashti City II, typical internal alley. (Authors, 2015)

Fig15: Ashti City II, typical internal main street. (Authors, 2015)




While figures 16 and 17 show a deferent type of residential units grouping which is provided only for the

luxury type of houses; as these houses have been gathered in clusters around internal big gardens.

Though the spatial ratio is very low here, but the use of trees and bushes enhances a lot the feeling of being

comfortably enclosed; especially when those trees fully grows and could provide good shadow on summer

season.

Such internal gardens enhanced social interaction by providing areas for sitting and playing for the residents

of the surround houses. Such type of planning creates more chances for a high social interaction daily.

Fig16: Ashti City II, a cluster of luxury houses and the big green area inside the cluster. (Authors, 2015)

Fig17: Ashti City II, a group of luxury houses fronting the internal main street that separates the

luxury houses from the low cost houses. (Authors, 2015)




3. CONCLUSION

By comparing both communities, as shown in the attached figures, there was a big difference in the spatial

enclosure ratio between them accompanied with a different type of planning, that the authors believe, affect

negatively on the social interaction of the new community as shown below:

- The type of planning in the old community (the winding roads) allows more social interaction between the

residents of the same alley; as it offers more isolation from other alleys in comparison with the alleys of the

new community, since in the latter, the alley is more open, clearer and connected with other alleys and offers

less privacy for its residents. Therefore, the alley in the old community works as a semi-private space

connected to the individual houses around; while the alley in the new community works as a semi-public

space connected to the public space outside.

- Moreover, the spatial enclosure is a lot higher for the old community's alleys and internal main roads than in

the new community's alleys and internal main roads. Higher enclosure here offers more chances for social

interaction between the residents of the same alley, it offers more control of the space that provides the feeling

of safety and protection and results more intimacy as it is also more related to human scale that allows people

to feel that there is a place for them which they belong to. (As shown in 1.3)

- The old community has shops in the main internal roads and also in some little nodes that are spread in the

junctions of the alleys; such type of planning and the shopping activity in these junctions allow more

interaction between residents. While in the new community the shopping activity is kind of isolated from the

alleys, and the junctions don't define nodes that offer good chances for social interaction.

- The old community's narrow winding alleys, and nearby services encourage walking rather than using cars;

in contrary with the new community's wide strait alleys that are designed to ease the use of cars.

- Open and green areas that were designed in the new community to allow social interaction are kind of

isolated from the residential alleys especially in the low cost housing side (zone4 &5), while there is a

different kind of grouping houses in some of the residential parts of the luxury housing side that could offer

more chances for social interaction among the residents of the group of houses (zone1, 2 &3). (Figure 9, 16

&17)

4. RECOMMENDATIONS

In order to learn some lessons from the recent theories and old community that could be applied in a new way

to the new communities and offer higher social interaction, this study recommends:

- Using specific types of trees (tall and provide wide coverage) to have the feeling of higher enclosure for the

internal wide paths. (This was already used in Ashti City II, but the types of trees are decided by the residents

themselves and they don't offer a good enclosure because they either were only little bushes or tall trees with

limited coverage that don't have the proper shape needed for such enclosure).

- Reducing the width of the internal alleys and adjusting the ratio of spatial enclosure to reach 1:1.

- Make more defined nodes that offer chances for interaction between residents.

- Make more small shops within the residential alleys and secondary nodes.

- Encouraging residents to walk rather than using cars inside the community will offer more chances for

social interaction.

- Using the types of planning that separate the cars from pedestrian circulation and offer more green areas

within each group of houses; such as Clarence Stein Super Block and Leon Krier concept of the neighborhood

(Figure 1 &3). The cluster type of grouping houses; such as in the concept of pedestrian pockets, is another

good option to have higher social interaction among residents. (Figure 2)

- As social interaction rather grows by common interests rather than proximity, it is highly recommended to

make some places that could enhance and evoke some common interests among residents, such as coffee

shops, social clubs, and/or sport center..etc. (As shown in 1.1) Of course in this case, the communities for

those who work in a specific profession, or for the same company, or even enjoy the relatives gathering as in

the old communities, used to have a lot more social interaction but this is kind of difficult and not always

available.




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