Tikrit, about 130km north of Baghdad, is the hometown of former President Saddam Hussein and was one of the centers of the Sunni Muslim insurgency. In post conflict Iraq, the government’s most significant challenge is to gain the confidence and trust of the public, which in turn, reduces antigovernment insurgency, stabilizes security, and builds peace. Urban planning is a multi-purpose tool that helps the government builds this trust. It engages constructive dialogue with the public, technically analyzes problems, and builds government capacity. Crane Associates worked with the Salah ad Din Governorate to build the government’s urban planning capacity. We used the Tikrit City Master Planning process as a vehicle to teach best practices in community dialogue, urban planning, demand forecasting, capital infrastructure planning, and economic development. The Tikrit City Master Plan was adopted by the municipality in 2012.
