Functional efficiency of religious, health and recreational services in the suburbs of cities (Fallujah as a model)

Abstract

This research addresses the efficiency and adequacy of community services (religious and recreational) in ten suburban neighborhoods of Fallujah city. These neighborhoods vary in population, area, and proximity to the city center, which results in varying levels of demand for community services among the residents.

Objectives: The research aims to identify community services (religious, health, and recreational) in the city's suburban neighborhoods and evaluate their efficiency and adequacy through statistical and spatial methods to reach optimal solutions and recommendations.

Methodology: The study adopts a descriptive approach. It also employs an analytical approach through statistical analysis and a survey method, using 608 questionnaires distributed to heads of households in the study area, calculated according to Thompson’s formula.

Results: The research found that religious services are adequate for the population but require proper spatial distribution across the study area. Conversely, the study area lacks health services, such as health centers and public or private clinics, relying instead on pharmacies that suffer from a severe shortage compared to the planning standard of one facility per 10,000 people, particularly in the Al-Mukhtar, Al-Jughaifi, and Al-Azrakiya neighborhoods.

Conclusion: The study area, across its ten neighborhoods, requires the establishment of  football in the Al-Jughaifi and Al-Mukhtar neighborhoods due to their high population density. Additionally, the area needs parks and recreational spaces, especially in the Al-Jughaifi and Al-Mukhtar neighborhoods, by utilizing the buffer zones (right-of-ways) of the railway and the international highway.