The Role of Modernity in the Development of Urban and Social Aspects in the City of Erbil

Abstract

This study intends to identify the role of urban modernization represented by vertical housing and villas on the nature of social relations in terms of cooperation and a sense of pleasure and safety among the residents of those modern neighborhoods. Fifty families from four neighborhoods participated and were asked to fill out questionnaires for this purpose. The results showed that 86% of the respondents reported that the social relationship between the population ranges from reasonable to good, while a significant number of participants mentioned that regular visits occur among them as well. Modernity played a transformative role in shaping urban landscapes, fundamentally reshaping how cities were conceived, constructed, and experienced. The emergence of modernity roughly spans from the late 19th to mid-20th centuries. Contemporary Implications: Modern urban development continues to influence current city designs, with ongoing negotiations between technological efficiency, social inclusivity, and environmental sustainability. The role of modernity in urban development was not merely a technical transformation but a comprehensive reimagining of human spatial and social experiences. Cities became laboratories of human potential, reflecting profound technological, social, and cultural shifts of the modern era. The current research also systematically addresses the role of modernity in developing the urban and social aspect, living in vertical housing within modern residential neighborhoods in the city of Erbil, and the role of this modernity in the nature of social relations between these residents, families, and children, and the nature of their interaction with each other.