A future vision for the housing situation in the city of Tobruk

Abstract

The study aims to anticipate the future housing reality in the city of Tobruk by analyzing population growth, households, and housing units. The city’s population increased from 4,995 in 1954 to 181,233 in 2022, reflecting rapid urban growth. The district of Shaher Rouha witnessed the largest urban expansion, accommodating more than half of the city’s population by 2022. Housing units rose from 5,913 in 1973 to 18,235 in 2015, and are expected to reach 37,625 in 2025. The concentration of population and housing in a single district creates urban pressure and leads to an imbalance in service distribution. The study confirms the existence of a projected housing deficit if the current situation continues without balanced urban expansion. The solution lies in adopting comprehensive urban planning and distributing population growth across different districts to avoid a future housing crisis.