Volumetric Urbanism at the Neighbourhood Scale: Evidence from Duhok City, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.

Urban studies have long examined urbanism through economic, locational, and land-use perspectives, while more recent work has focused on morphological aspects such as centrality, connectivity, and development patterns. The concept of volumetric urbanism, which addresses density, functional mixing, and multi-level urban systems, has received limited empirical attention, particularly in Middle Eastern cities. This study aims to examine the applicability of volumetric urbanism to Duhok city, a rapidly growing urban area located within a constrained valley in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. An indicators-based framework was developed, focusing on key volumetric constituents, including vertical profile, ground-level redefinition, podium configuration, land-use patterns, multi-level activities, and multi-modal mobility. Elevation data were extracted from Google Earth and analysed through AutoCAD. Land-use and spatial network performance were evaluated using Urban Network Analysis (UNA) indicators (Reach, Gravity, and Betweenness) across four selected sites in the historic city core. The results show clear variation in elevation, mixed land-use patterns, and multi-level mobility across the study area. Spatial performance differs between the selected sites, with Site 4 demonstrating higher accessibility and centrality, indicating strong volumetric potential. The study confirms that volumetric urbanism can be applied in a practical framework in Duhok. It also provides a basis for understanding and guiding urban development in medium-sized, topographically constrained cities.