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While there arepeople with disability live in Kurdish parts of Iraq, a very limited number of buildings are properlydesigned toserve these people. Considering the challenges that people with disability facein public buildings, the United Nations has recommended the implementation of theUniversal Design (UD) principles in public buildingsin Iraqto ensure that all people could have access to the public buildings regardless of their abilities and backgrounds. Hence, there is a need to gather pertinent data by assessing the adherence of shopping malls in this part of Iraq to theUniversal Design (UD) principlesgiven the role of the facilities to the locals. The present study aims to develop a tool for assessing whether the shopping malls in Sulaymaniyahcityadhere to Universal Design principles. An analytical tool, which was abbreviated as SM-UD, was developed using a wide range of shopping mall design elements. The tool was tested for reliability and validity through several statistical tests. Besides, the tool was tested for practicality and communicability in six different shopping malls of Sulaymaniyah. The reliability and validity test indicatethat the majority of items showed good to excellent reliability and fair to excellent validity. The results of using the tool show that it is capable of identifying the drawbacks of shopping mallsin terms of their universality of design. The proposed tool appears ready to be used by shopping malls’ managers and researchers.

Universal design (UD) is a design style that promotes the design for all people regardless of their abilities and sociodemographic features. The UD is also viewed as an element of social sustainability. Shopping complexes, as one of the main places for leisure activities, can be designed and assessed based on UD to enhance the usability for all shoppers. At present, no clear definition of UD is available in shopping complex design criteria. Consequently, a very limited number of design and assessment guidelines are based on UD. The present study remedied this shortcoming in knowledge through translating and defining the conceptual components of features of UD for shopping complexes. The contribution of shopping complexes&rsquo, design elements also was identified. The aforesaid objectives were achieved through a comprehensive literature review. The findings of this review contributed to the development of conceptual models to define UD in shopping mall design. This study administrated a questionnaire to collect data, and the data were tested for model fitness using structural equation modeling. The UD translation can help practitioners and researchers to design and assess the shopping complexes to ensure all shoppers are served on an equal basis.

This novel study explores the driving forces and dynamics of rapid urbanization, highlighting the main causes and effects of urban explosion, environmental disruption, and city pattern transformation. This study was carried out that how urbanization and urban sprawl have influenced the structure of the city of Sulaymaniah in Kurdistan region of Iraq. This is because over the years many urban areas have experienced dramatic growth and population explosion that has resulted in the exhaustion of social amenities in the concerned communities. For this purpose, a qualitative method is used based on in-depth face-to-face interviews with local authority, including planners, architects, and experts of master planning, as well as professors in the academic institutions. This study also utilizes extensive document analysis to present the evolution of urban growth. The findings reveal that the autonomy, political conflict, non-implementation of master plans, and economic prosperity are the driving forces which are accelerating this urbanization process. It is proposed that the practical policies and strategic urban development plans are urgent requirement to control the unplanned urban growth and stimulate the desired sustainable future urban development.