Prospecting the Fine Morphological Characteristics of Urban Streets: How Constitutedness and Permeability Can Sustain Opposite Edges Case Study Approach, Baghdad, Iraq

Prospecting the Fine Morphological Characteristics of Urban Streets: How Constitutedness and Permeability Can Sustain Opposite Edges Case Study Approach, Baghdad, Iraq | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Prospecting the Fine Morphological Characteristics of Urban Streets: How Constitutedness and Permeability Can Sustain Opposite Edges Case Study Approach, Baghdad, Iraq Haider Jasim Essa Al-Saaidy This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719679/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The primary benefit of studying urban morphology is to identify more precise criteria for analysing various street edge levels. A fundamental policy is to characterise urban form through its components, such as plot, block, building, and street pattern. Nonetheless, the arrangement of these components and their interconnections remains a complex and significant issue. This paper primarily aims to perform a micro-scale morphological assessment at the street level. The street features two contrasting edges that create an enclosure for its users. These two edges largely manage and regulate the varying demands and desires of people. This paper discusses the parameters of street edges through two concepts: constitutedness and permeability. The research methodology focuses on the street edge and uses a case study approach to explore a specific neighbourhood. The case study is located within the oldest and most traditional pattern of the urban context of Baghdad city, Iraq, and examines the micro characteristics and parameters of its street edges. The study quantifies and measures a number of variables to determine the potential of the street to formulate the two opposite edges, and its ability to attract people for different reasons. To trace its characteristics, micromorphological techniques of analysing the street edge are applied as key research methods, which include Multiple Centrality Assessment (MCA) and plot(s)-based analysis. The street edge is then examined according to two measures (equations): constitutedness and permeability. The result of applying these equations will be discussed and correlated with constitutedness and permeability and with the value of centrality (MCA). A key contribution to this paper is its emphasis on the quantitative characteristics of the neighbouring street edge, as well as the betweenness centrality. It is a significant approach to address the street-level edge, where most people tend to benefit from the adjacent edge for various demands and purposes. Street edge Constitutedness Permeability Metric depth Morphology Baghdad Iraq Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9 Figure 10 Figure 11 Figure 12 Figure 13 Figure 14 Figure 15 Figure 16 Figure 17 Figure 18 Figure 19 Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Tables 1 to 7 are available in the Supplementary Files section. Supplementary Files 11PRManuscriptNoFigWithOUTAuthorTables.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8719679","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":587887287,"identity":"a6050ad8-9455-4987-8679-cd299234877a","order_by":0,"name":"Haider Jasim Essa Al-Saaidy","email":"data:image/png;base64,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","orcid":"","institution":"University of Technology","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Haider","middleName":"Jasim Essa","lastName":"Al-Saaidy","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-01-28 10:57:03","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719679/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719679/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":102214873,"identity":"b761d5b4-b95e-4a4a-86e0-58f9589f36f8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:21","extension":"jpg","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":133671,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure01.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/d88f9b7ee9a5e6e0bdfd6a09.jpg"},{"id":102214881,"identity":"bee99ab0-a5f2-4e2e-af84-452a848267d3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:22","extension":"jpg","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":130257,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure02.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/f9b2a89ffaf9b3953b81e943.jpg"},{"id":102296853,"identity":"320da8ff-501e-4931-af39-23d9a73256f7","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:22:19","extension":"jpg","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":1038454,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure03.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/7e0058734456dbe3fee5f1d3.jpg"},{"id":102297410,"identity":"2de55221-c259-42af-a3b6-5b94ebf391b8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:27:21","extension":"jpg","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":236834,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure04.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/300ef1076517d0594c8a965b.jpg"},{"id":102296949,"identity":"daec80f0-4809-4bd5-bde0-70770b9c30a5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:23:14","extension":"jpg","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":197548,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure05.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/75ab7fbbd4462c39e7f96238.jpg"},{"id":102297157,"identity":"268f83da-6f23-4071-bd66-c1dc800bbc1c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:26:09","extension":"jpg","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":388311,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure06.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/76a76688b5f67394804efe67.jpg"},{"id":102297109,"identity":"043ae3ca-5b7e-43fe-8ca5-385f8f82f46f","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:25:53","extension":"jpg","order_by":7,"title":"Figure 7","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":337490,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure07.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/6221dde92396b85a8132756a.jpg"},{"id":102214887,"identity":"9473b1f9-aeb5-4779-8fa5-14f84eba9fc5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:22","extension":"jpg","order_by":8,"title":"Figure 8","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":219171,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure08.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/27017f46b16c10d1fcac9e6a.jpg"},{"id":102214876,"identity":"6bc96552-e8e5-4943-8e3a-c73209b11b14","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:21","extension":"jpg","order_by":9,"title":"Figure 9","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":345535,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure09.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/42b71b08b4a9569d55f77daa.jpg"},{"id":102214882,"identity":"083c2fe6-6db3-4830-952d-f8c320ec53ec","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:22","extension":"jpg","order_by":10,"title":"Figure 10","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":275874,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure10.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/2a2749cd4f22a1df4fbeb17e.jpg"},{"id":102296817,"identity":"4eac605c-12ce-4a8c-a85c-dd500a458398","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:21:59","extension":"jpg","order_by":11,"title":"Figure 11","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":345875,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure11.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/0c58c0eef9c78f483ff35f4b.jpg"},{"id":102296915,"identity":"45a7d985-7166-4bb7-a1b3-85ef0036b9f1","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:22:44","extension":"jpg","order_by":12,"title":"Figure 12","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":219735,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure12.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/d2b717222833b8ca01258381.jpg"},{"id":102296942,"identity":"5c5f9711-f5fb-418d-8dac-2b0e25a66879","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:23:04","extension":"jpg","order_by":13,"title":"Figure 13","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":364239,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure13.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/de1e8279fd49ca99c04fce02.jpg"},{"id":102214884,"identity":"9262180f-68ed-4e8a-b207-5ad7c38ba6f3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:22","extension":"jpg","order_by":14,"title":"Figure 14","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":241503,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure14.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/d15d2cc416256cf1cfd0a24d.jpg"},{"id":102214880,"identity":"a8f04a43-eee0-4ef1-ac46-e05ede202578","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:21","extension":"jpg","order_by":15,"title":"Figure 15","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":330682,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure15.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/8e5190de2bbf595429bc4186.jpg"},{"id":102214878,"identity":"aae2bd78-1fba-43e2-ac59-bc9b08b1fa9b","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-09 12:47:21","extension":"jpg","order_by":16,"title":"Figure 16","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":208646,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure16.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/a5a6cab8436d0189895734a3.jpg"},{"id":102297070,"identity":"4895855b-4fd8-4e6c-9335-617ae2c3b1a3","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:25:28","extension":"jpg","order_by":17,"title":"Figure 17","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":421656,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure17.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/9fd94a59e0366caf6cd135e9.jpg"},{"id":102297063,"identity":"82935ec2-8351-4668-a6a5-816a0b265982","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:25:26","extension":"jpg","order_by":18,"title":"Figure 18","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":192689,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure18.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/2f5d5a8e18648393ba81a334.jpg"},{"id":102962361,"identity":"d3749f97-4325-40d4-8667-14e5fc064712","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-19 04:07:28","extension":"jpg","order_by":19,"title":"Figure 19","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":264632,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003eSee image above for figure legend.\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"Figure19.jpg","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/08ae046b1e66fe417d56e72f.jpg"},{"id":103504325,"identity":"f8ec8eff-c450-4c55-934c-23ab200ce709","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-26 13:19:13","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":6470518,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"11PRManuscriptNoFigWithOUTAuthor.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1_covered_2abb7216-6d09-4c0e-ab9d-b0d7d076c6f2.pdf"},{"id":102297416,"identity":"b107fd73-415a-4d16-9d8e-6632f2babedb","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-02-10 10:27:23","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":320987,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"11PRManuscriptNoFigWithOUTAuthorTables.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-8719679/v1/477dbf89a2ac27e7668e36d5.docx"}],"financialInterests":"\u003cp\u003eNo competing interests reported.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTables 1 to 7 are available in the Supplementary Files section.\u003c/p\u003e","formattedTitle":"Prospecting the Fine Morphological Characteristics of Urban Streets: How Constitutedness and Permeability Can Sustain Opposite Edges Case Study Approach, Baghdad, Iraq","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Street edge, Constitutedness, Permeability, Metric depth, Morphology, Baghdad, Iraq","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719679/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719679/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eThe primary benefit of studying urban morphology is to identify more precise criteria for analysing various street edge levels. A fundamental policy is to characterise urban form through its components, such as plot, block, building, and street pattern. Nonetheless, the arrangement of these components and their interconnections remains a complex and significant issue. This paper primarily aims to perform a micro-scale morphological assessment at the street level. The street features two contrasting edges that create an enclosure for its users. These two edges largely manage and regulate the varying demands and desires of people. This paper discusses the parameters of street edges through two concepts: constitutedness and permeability. The research methodology focuses on the street edge and uses a case study approach to explore a specific neighbourhood. The case study is located within the oldest and most traditional pattern of the urban context of Baghdad city, Iraq, and examines the micro characteristics and parameters of its street edges. The study quantifies and measures a number of variables to determine the potential of the street to formulate the two opposite edges, and its ability to attract people for different reasons. To trace its characteristics, micromorphological techniques of analysing the street edge are applied as key research methods, which include Multiple Centrality Assessment (MCA) and plot(s)-based analysis. The street edge is then examined according to two measures (equations): constitutedness and permeability. The result of applying these equations will be discussed and correlated with constitutedness and permeability and with the value of centrality (MCA). A key contribution to this paper is its emphasis on the quantitative characteristics of the neighbouring street edge, as well as the betweenness centrality. It is a significant approach to address the street-level edge, where most people tend to benefit from the adjacent edge for various demands and purposes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Prospecting the Fine Morphological Characteristics of Urban Streets: How Constitutedness and Permeability Can Sustain Opposite Edges Case Study Approach, Baghdad, Iraq","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-02-09 12:47:16","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8719679/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"86ae0109-5601-4860-a831-0005aa7ecf94","owner":[],"postedDate":"February 9th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-20T02:54:25+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-02-09 12:47:16","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8719679","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8719679","identity":"rs-8719679","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}