Journal of Advanced Social Research Vol.4 No.3, March 2014, 58-76 58 Urban Policy In Iraq For The Period 1970-2012, Evaluation Study Sabah Faihan College of Administration and Economics, University of Tikrit, Iraq sabah.fehan@gmail.com Article Info Received:25.12.2013 Accepted:20.01.2014 Published online:01.03.2014 ISSN: 2231-8275 ABSTRACT There are many urban policy alternatives; the most important one is the new town policy, and growth pole policy. Many countries depend upon these policies to decrease urban growth in their big regions, to develop slums areas and defused urban development process ,because they are good means for organize urban, regional and national growth . Iraq tried to apply more than one urban policy , industrial location policy , new towns policy were from these policies, but he failed, because there was not clear strategy for urbanization and urban policy in it . After the new situation in 2004, Iraq adopted again spatial planning policy which began in his five years plan 2010-2014, and spatial development plans for governorates 2012-2020. The aim of this paper is to present the principles of urban policy in Iraq .The main challenges facing it, and it's results impacted on the growth and development of the national urban system. Findings of this study indicate the lack of urban policy at the national level in Iraq; nevertheless, there was relative success in it represented with achieved important results in terms of the distribution of economic activities and population. This success belongs to the clear trend in Iraq, since the early 1960s and 1970s, emphasizing the necessity of spreading economic development and industry across all governorates. The paper provides information on the past status of the urban policy in Iraq and illustrate the new attitude that appeared after 2004 represented with the new principles of spatial planning . In conclusion, this research suggests a group of Proposals that could help to improve the urban policy to achieve urban development goals. Keywords: urban policy, evaluation study, new towns policy, industrial location policy, Iraq. 1. Introduction Urban policy is field of actions seeking to eliminate differences in the level of socio- economic development among cities or to solve their problems; it is a form of intervention of the public sector, or more precisely the national, regional and local authorities, in the ongoing processes and pre-formed situations. It is an effective tool to address the complex socio- economic problems, especially concentration of urban population and economic activities in a limited number of cities, regional inequalities, elimination of poverty in rural areas…etc. It has a significant role in directing socio- economic activities between urban and rural settlement , depending upon it the decision maker can choose the best locations for urban growth, economic activities and changing the urban and economic environment as a whole