An Article "The Role of Civil Law in Promoting Urban Sustainability" By: Montathar Hussein

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As urban expansion accelerates in modern cities, achieving urban sustainability has become essential for preserving quality of life, reducing environmental impacts, and ensuring a balance between urban development and the needs of future generations. In this regard, civil law plays a crucial role in regulating legal relationships that help maintain this balance.<br /><br />As the primary legal framework governing civil transactions between individuals and institutions, civil law contributes to urban sustainability through various legal tools. These include regulations on property rights, easements, construction codes, and land use—all of which provide clear rules for the responsible use of urban and real estate resources.<br /><br />Civil law can require developers to adopt eco-friendly materials, design energy-efficient buildings, and preserve green spaces. Sustainability principles can also be embedded in contracts, such as obligations for environmental preservation or sustainable construction clauses.<br /><br />These functions are directly linked to Sustainable Development Goal 11 (SDG 11): Sustainable Cities and Communities, which calls for making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. To achieve this goal, the civil legal framework must support and steer urban development toward a more balanced and environmentally conscious future.<br /><br />Thus, empowering civil law in this domain is not merely a legal necessity—it is a foundational pillar for building urban environments that respect ecological limits, promote social equity, and protect the rights of future generations.<br /><br />Al-Mustaqbal University the first university of Iraq .