On Monday, October 28, 2024, the doctoral thesis of the student (Nada Khalil Al-Ali) was discussed, titled "Management of External Spaces in the Historical Urban Context." The research focused on the management of heritage and historical areas, reviewing previous studies on the management of these regions that advocated for the sustainable preservation of urban external spaces.
The thesis presented an overview of the concept of change management, including its methodologies, approaches, levels, and models for engaging with individuals, institutions, and administrative structures. A model was developed that includes three sequential phases of change management: (1) unfreezing, followed by (2) changing, and finally (3) refreezing. The concept of "tars" was chosen as a key element in the studies because it addresses historical layers, which aligns well with the research on historical urban external spaces that consist of overlapping layers of cultural and natural values and characteristics. Therefore, it was necessary to explore this concept and its indicators in relation to change management for historical urban external spaces.
The research concluded with a model that relies on the three strategies of tars and their mechanisms, based on the change management model, to preserve the values of historical urban external spaces. Additionally, it explored the possibility of implementing and benefiting from this model at a local level, specifically in one of Baghdad's historical urban sites, represented by Al-Mutanabbi Street. The goal was to develop a comprehensive vision for how to achieve change management for historical urban external spaces at this site, through the strategies of tars within the change management model, and to understand how to achieve transitional urban change management across its four levels, including individuals, institutions, and organizational structures.
Finally, the thesis presented the concluding findings related to both the theoretical and practical frameworks, as well as final recommendations and the potential beneficiaries of the proposed future research.
The discussion committee consisted of esteemed professors:
- Prof. Dr. Ibrahim Jawad Kazem - Chair
- Prof. Dr. Widad Shukr Al-Hinkawi - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Dhurgham Mazhar Karim - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Mufeed Ihsan Al-Shouk - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Nada Abdul-Mu'een - Member
- Assist. Prof. Dr. Rawaa Fawzi Naoum - Supervising Member
We wish the researcher and all our graduate students success and achievement.
