Volume 11, Issue 42. by Motaleate Shahri
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - The expression knowledge city has been considered as an umbrella term for other phra... more Highlights - The expression knowledge city has been considered as an umbrella term for other phrases such as place of knowledge, city of learning, and smart city. - Knowledge-based spaces have shifted from a focus on the limited concept of science and technology to an emphasis on the broader social concept of knowledge. - The current model for planning knowledge-based spaces involves capacity-building for long-term learning and political and cultural influence. - Knowledge-based spaces range from technology-oriented to knowledge-oriented and from non-spatial to spatial. Introduction Different types of concept have been formed gradually under the title of knowledge-based spaces with different goals and functions due to the need to use effective, open, participatory innovative solutions and employ ICT capabilities to create sustainable life in cities and respond to the wills and needs of citizens. An understanding of the dimensions and characteristics and a capability of differentiating these concepts will help policymakers and city managers to choose strategies and policies and invest in these areas. This is realized through prevention of mental confusion, emergence of internal contradictions, and incoherent eclecticism of the concepts. On the other hand, the sustainable development of cities has been challenged by global trends such as the increasing urbanization, transformation of cities into places of mass-energy consumption, and production of various environmental pollutants. However, there has been an increase in the need to use effective, open, participatory innovative solutions to create sustainable life in cities and the concern for knowledge-based spaces as a result of the efforts made by cities to attract skilled, entrepreneurial, creative people. Theoretical Framework The existence of different concepts concerning knowledge-based spaces, such as digital city, information city, smart city, wired city, learning city, and knowledge city has led to confusion in attempts to distinguish their meanings. This conceptual confusion is due to the lack of understanding of the dimensions, characteristics, and instances of these concepts, and is a major obstacle against the efforts to persuade policy-makers and city managers to invest in these areas. This ambiguity causes planning strategies and policies to be inconsistent with the institutional environment and governance system or strategies and policies to be fraught with internal contradictions and incoherent eclecticism. In the attempts to address this issue, typology and comparative studies based on specific criteria and components contribute greatly to a better understanding of different types of knowledge-based space. So far, various types of knowledge-based space have been proposed (Castells & Hall, 1994; Dodge et al., 1998; Shiud, 2001; Nam & Pardo, 2011; Nikina et al., 2016; Carvalho et al.; Wenden, 2017; and Lara et al., 2016). Moreover, some researchers have compared two or more knowledge spaces (either directly or implicitly) (Strategy, 2012; Jojaru & Peso, 2013; Yigitjanlar & Lee, 2014; Koch, 2017; Chang et al., 2018; and Yigitjanlar & Inkinen, 2019). However, no integrated comparative study has been performed so far for all concepts of knowledge-based spaces to provide a clear, comprehensive image and a deep, coherent understanding of these spaces. Therefore, the present study seeks to develop a coherent framework to provide a new typology for a better understanding of the types of knowledge-based space. Thus, the aspects and features of distinguishing concepts, trends, and paradigm shifts in knowledge-based spaces become apparent through identification and classification of the main sources pertaining to each space and examination of the definitions and the process of formation and conceptual evolution of each concept and feature and the dimensions and instances thereof. Methodology The present meta-combined systematic qualitative review is conducted to pursue a descriptive-exploratory purpose. In addition to creating a new theory, meta-composition can be used to develop conceptual models or expand understanding of existing knowledge, especially to discover similarities and differences concerning concepts and ideas about a phenomenon. It can involve seven steps, including examination of research questions, systematic review of texts, exploration and selection of appropriate texts, extraction of textual information, analysis and composition of qualitative findings, and quality control and presentation. In the present study, the seven stages proposed by Sandlowski and Barroso (2007) are considered. Results and Discussion This study comparatively examines the concepts of knowledge-based spaces based on the six components of development discourse, type of knowledge required for development, location, key stakeholders, management model, and historical period. Moreover, the typology of knowledge-based spaces is based on the two components of spatiality and type of knowledge required for development. Accordingly, four types of knowledge space are identified: 1- technology-based non-spatial, 2- technology-based spatial, 3- knowledge-based non-spatial, and 4- knowledge-based spatial. The research findings demonstrate that concepts such as smart city and knowledge city (due to semantic inclusion) have largely replaced concepts such as digital city and virtual city, and are currently used more widely in policy-making and planning knowledge-based spaces. Conclusion The expression knowledge city has been considered as an umbrella term for other phrases such as knowledge place, learning city, and smart city. Moreover, the findings of the present comparative study of knowledge-based spaces based on the above seven components indicate that that knowledge-based spaces have gone through paradigm changes over time, such as the transition from a focus on the limited concept of science and technology to an emphasis on the broader social concept of knowledge, the transition from the discourse of economic development to sustainable, integrated development in various economic, social, environmental, and institutional dimensions, the transition from citizens’ passive role to their active participation in the creation, development, and management of knowledge-based spaces, the transition from government and centralized management of a limited number of stakeholders with specific guidelines and frameworks to government of networks based on the interaction of a wide range of stakeholders, the transition from a hardware, capital-based perspective involving tangible infrastructure networks to a software perspective based on intangible intellectual capital and knowledge innovation systems, and the transition from management and planning models aimed at increasing livability standards and complexity management to citizen engagement grounding and capacity-building for long-term learning and political and cultural influence. These trends and paradigm shifts represent a kind of conceptual convergence among the features and components of knowledge-based spaces. In addition, the results demonstrate that the typology of knowledge-based spaces is based on the two components of location and type of knowledge required for development, given the significant roles of these components in the differentiation of various knowledge spaces,–calling for a deeper, more expressive understanding of these spaces.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - Social interactions, among other things, affect peoples’ attraction to public spaces... more Highlights - Social interactions, among other things, affect peoples’ attraction to public spaces. - Permeability, flexibility, and accessibility are the spatial structural factors that directly impact social interactions in public spaces. - The main goal of the formation of the Space Syntax Theory is to describe the social rationale behind the basic layers of spatial configuration. - The spatial plan has a direct impact on interactions in the space. Introduction Man is intrinsically a social being whose surrounding space constitutes his social relations. The extent to which the environment affects man’s performance has always been a major concern for environmental designers. Marketplaces are highly important in this regard as thriving, bustling public places. The urban space combines social relations and the structural context, which meets man’s collective functions and conveys a semantic load. It is not made simply for being seen and walked through, as it also helps form social relations among various people in the community. The urban space involves the pleasure and enjoyment of various social groups and their active, continued social presence therein. The marketplace structure has served as the heart of Islamic-era cities in the attempt to meet man’s basic needs, including economic, religious, social, and tourism-pilgrimage needs. It provides a good example for investigation of the reasons for high social interaction and how these interactions are affected by the architectural context. This article seeks to answer the following questions: How does structure impact the social interactions in the historical bazaar of the city of Tabriz, Iran? How does the bazaar structure contribute to the improvement of social interactions in Saray-e-Amir? How does the bazaar structure reduce social interactions in Saray-e-Dodari? Theoretical Framework This research aims to identify the structural components affecting the interactions in the marketplace and investigate the role of Tabriz’s bazaar as a living, dynamic example of traditional Iranian marketplaces in the interactions occurring there. A review of the literature indicates that Space Syntax can help examine these issues, and an investigation of the components obtained from previous research may serve to help investigate the relevant factors. The components include permeability, flexibility, accessibility in the space syntax, flooring, furniture, spaces for stopping and sitting, visibility, etc. These are structural factors affecting social interactions, which can be investigated with various spatial techniques. As suggested in the literature, the term syntax bears contextual meanings; in other words, it is defined in association with relevant terms. If a building is considered as an object composed of a spatial-communication system, this system will be represented by a plan that manifests the function of syntax in the architectural space. Methodology This research uses both descriptive-analytical and survey methods to investigate social interactions and the effects of structure thereon. Upon specification of the components of the marketplace space syntax and social interactions, the study investigates the impacts of the marketplace on the interactions. It provides a comparative examination of various activities of a set using particular space syntax (depth map) software to select and control the three components of permeability, accessibility, and flexibility in the form of integration. Then, the study uses a questionnaire to examine the effects of the structure on the interactions in the marketplace. In this method, each of the components extracted from previous research is investigated separately in the two bazaar spaces using a valid, reliable questionnaire. As mentioned above, the bazaars include Saray-e-Amir and Saray-e-Dodari, which differ in terms of function and geometric characteristics, and experience different interactions. Results and Discussion Research findings on space syntax suggest that the extent of each selection, integration, and relationship component in Saray-e-Dodari covers a broader spectrum than those in Saray-e-Amir, demonstrating the greater relationship between the former bazaar and other parts of the marketplace. This relationship is poorer in the latter bazaar. This is because Saray-e-Amir is situated at the beginning of the marketplace, while Saray-e-Dodari is located in the middle between various parts. It is demonstrated that the higher the rates of relationship, selection, and interaction in Saray-e-Dodari, the greater the spatial accessibility, permeability, and flexibility. The questionnaire results based on the space users’ views also indicate higher social interaction rates in Saray-e-Amir than in Saray-e-Dodari. Conclusion It is concluded based on the results that the three components of relationship, interaction, and control, which constitute factors improving social interactions from a space syntax perspective, directly impact accessibility, permeability, and flexibility. An investigation of all the three main components of space syntax suggests that centralized spaces and entrances impact the improvement of traffic, concentration of the users, centrality of these two in the decrease in user attraction, and creation of reclusive spaces for social interactions. Furthermore, a review of the structural factors indicates the positive effects of appropriate flooring, visibility, readability, and use of natural elements on the extent of social interactions, as the components of appropriate furniture, accessibility, and pause space differ in the two bazaars, which indicates the changing level of interaction there.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights- Citizens’ environmental literacy greatly affected their environmental awareness and k... more Highlights- Citizens’ environmental literacy greatly affected their environmental awareness and knowledge.- The collective environmental behavior of men was greater than women’s.- There was a significant relationship between awareness, knowledge of concern, and environmental behavior.- There was no relationship between the indicators of environmental literacy and age.- There was a significant relationship between academic degree and environmental awareness. IntroductionThe issue of social responsibility for the protection of the environment at all levels of the society is explicitly emphasized in Article 14 of the General Environmental Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The city of Mashhad is the second most populated city in Iran after Tehran. A city like Mashhad, with a population of nearly five million people, is typically faced with environmental problems such as extremely high temperature, demanding waste management, noise and air pollution, traffic congestion, water shortage, and drought. Expression of environmental problems is a concern, and requires the cooperation of experts and the public to find solutions. Researchers have come up with a variety of solutions to environmental problems, most of which are technological, but they are interested in changing people’s lifestyles and behavioral solutions today due to the high cost of these projects, because environmental hazards result from human intervention. The present issues can be overcome only through changes in human attitudes and behaviors. Citizens with pro-environmental behaviors feel most responsible for the urban environment and the preservation of its natural, historical, and cultural values. The aim of this study was to investigate environmental literacy and its relationship with background variables and the aspects of citizens’ environmental literacy in Mashhad. MethodologyThis cross-sectional survey adopted an individual unit of analysis. The population involved the citizens of Mashhad in 2021. A sample of size 689 containing residents in the thirteen municipal districts of Mashhad was selected using the systematic random sampling method, and parameters such as citizens’ awareness, knowledge, concern, and environmental behavior were measured as dimensions of environmental literacy. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, which was completed with reference to the respondents. For assessment of its reliability, a pre-test questionnaire was completed by a sample of fifty people for elimination of probable defects and calculation of reliability. A Cronbach’s alpha coefficient between 0.70 and 0.84 indicated the proper reliability of the questionnaire. Moreover, formal validity was used in this study. The hypotheses were tested once the data were analyzed using correlation and comparison methods in the SPSS software.FindingsThe results of this study indicated the high level of citizens’ environmental literacy in terms of awareness and knowledge, while the respondents’ score in environmental concern and behavior was only slightly above average. The respondents’ individual environmental behavior ranged between moderate and high. Their environmental behaviors in the public sphere were significantly lower than average and close to low levels. The collective environmental behaviors of men are greater than those of women, but individual environmental behaviors are greater in women than in men. None of the indicators of environmental literacy was related to age except environmental behaviors. The average environmental behavior index was 3.17 for the 18-24 age group, 3.29 for the 25-44 age group, and 3.31 for the 45-64 age group, and the average environmental behavior index for people aged sixty-five years and older was reported to be 3.32. This indicated that the environmental behavior index increased slightly as age rose. The chi-squared test results demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between citizens’ academic degrees and the environmental knowledge index in Mashhad. In other words, environmental concerns increased as academic degree rose. Finally, there was a significant direct relationship with low intensity between environmental awareness, knowledge, and concern and environmental behavior.DiscussionThe results of the study indicated a relatively poor tendency among the citizens towards environment-friendly behaviors, especially in the public sphere. Although the examined population was mentally concerned about the environment, the concern did not provide them with enough energy and motivation to take an action, for whatever reason. Environmental awareness can change only individual environmental behaviors, which is possible in a small space such as a family and impossible or trivial beyond that. Citizens consider the responsibility of protecting the environment outside their personal spaces, such as a house, car, or workplace, as a responsibility of the relevant municipal institutions, and hardly participate in voluntary activities aimed to protect the urban environment. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase citizens’ environmental literacy, and environmental education should be different for different age, occupation, academic, and gender groups. The capacity of non-governmental institutions to attract participation and cooperation among organizations should be used to promote responsibility in environmental behavior.AcknowledgmentThis article is taken from the doctoral dissertation entitled “Designing and validating a model for attracting public participation in the development of environmental literacy of the citizens of Mashhad”, which down in Payame Noor University of Tehran.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights- The e-empowerment process is effective in the promotion of citizen participation an... more Highlights- The e-empowerment process is effective in the promotion of citizen participation and urban regeneration of neighborhoods in the city of Isfahan, Iran suffering urban decline.- The use case diagram of the e-empowerment process of Isfahan residents in areas suffering urban decline shows the relationship between users and their activities.- Requirements engineering was used for provision of the use case diagram of Isfahan urban decline e-empowerment. IntroductionAreas suffering urban decline are involved with an intertwined combination of physical, social, and economic problems that intensify various dimensions of urban decline (including economic decline, social decline, physical decline, and environmental decline) and reduce the quality of life for residents.Thus, sufficient motivation is provided for urban management and planning systems to intervene in these areas. A new method of intervention is to apply the urban regeneration approach.Based on public-private partnership, this approach leads to regeneration of dynamic urban spaces, in order to sustain and improve the quality of urban life. Accordingly, urban regeneration has put the community empowerment process on the agenda in order to increase the level of citizen participation of the residents of these areas so that they can solve their problems.The community empowerment follows to increase the residents’ shares in decision-making for the living environment in interaction with decision-makers and politicians. With the development of the information and communication technology (ICT), the interaction between politicians and residents is facilitated. Therefore, this article seeks to provide the e-empowerment use case diagram for implementation of cybernetic space for residents of areas suffering urban decline in Isfahan.Theoretical frameworkThis article introduces the following three concepts.A: Areas suffering urban declineThese areas are places with worn-out urban infrastructure, service, and access, unable to meet the needs of their residents. Due to the low income of the residents of these areas and the insufficient motivation for investors, improvement and renovation is difficult to achieve in these areas. The decline in these areas includes economic, social, physical, and environmental aspects.B: Community empowerment in cybernetic spaceThe process of community empowerment seeks to increase residents’ control and the resulting collective gains.This process follows from the decentralization of power, and attempts to upgrade residents’ power of decision-making about their living environment. The capabilities of cybernetic space facilitate the implementation of community empowerment in this field, which is known as e-empowerment. It facilitates communication between citizens and decision-makers for participation with awareness.C: Use case diagramThe diagram of communication between users and their activities in cyberspace is based on the information and communication technology (ICT). This template is a visual representation of the process implementation using the actions, tasks, and activities of the users of that process, which shows the hierarchy of activities in order to solve a problem, produce a product, or provide a type of service to a target population.MethodologyThis research is conducted in four stages, as follows.A. Analysis of the severity of urban decline in its four types in Isfahan, using the text analysis method (involving texts derived from programs and reports concerning the approvals of areas suffering urban decline).B. Requirements elicitation, including the following:a) analysis of the stakeholders involved in the regeneration of areas suffering urban decline in Isfahan, using the power-benefit matrix method, which utilizes a structured questionnaire for professionals.b) introduction of a community e-empowerment process particular to residents of areas suffering urban decline in Isfahan and use of the social survey method based on behavior measurement and Likert scale measurement, utilizing a structured questionnaire for residents.c) introduction of the implementation mechanism of the community e-empowerment process for residents of areas suffering urban decline in Isfahan using expert panel methods and interviews (involving questionnaires without a special structure for experts).C. Requirements analysis using expert panel methods and interviews (involving questionnaires without a special structure for experts).D. Presentation of the use case diagram’s process of community e-empowerment, dedicated to residents of areas suffering urban decline in Isfahan using the visual paradigm software.Discussion and findingsThe findings demonstrate that an appropriate e-empowerment process for residents of areas suffering urban decline in Isfahan involves the steps of e- education) with the characteristics of e-empowerment(, e-learning, awareness, e-consultation, and e-involvement. The effective users in this process include residents, facilitating experts, technical experts, instructors, support experts, and decision-makers.ConclusionUsers of the e-empowerment process (including residents, facilitating experts, technical experts, instructors, support experts, and decision-makers) communicate with each other in cybernetic space within the framework of a use Case diagram by performing the following activities and processes:A- participation and membership in virtual groups and communitiesB- going through the stages of community e-empowerment (teaching the empowerment process, assessing the skills of citizens, holding awareness-raising sessions, establishing and enhancing communications and interactions, creating a spirit of demand, and undertaking responsibility)C- information and mutual opinion announcement D- provision of decision-making skills and fundamentals.AcknowledgmentThis article is Retrieved from the Ph.D. Thesis in the field of urban planning entitled "The application of cybernetic space capacities to design community empowerment model urban decay areas Isfahan " by the first author with the guidance of the second author and the third author The fourth and fifth have been defended in the Islamic Azad University Isfahan (khorasgan) Branch.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - Iran has been going through one of the fastest-growing urbanization processes in the... more Highlights - Iran has been going through one of the fastest-growing urbanization processes in the world, where about 75% of the population lives in urban areas today. - The variation in urbanization rate in the provinces of Iran has fluctuated from about 48% to 95%. - Agriculture and industrialization are the most important variables explaining urbanization in Iran. Introduction In the recent decades, the proportion of the world’s urban population has increased. Since the beginning of the twentieth century, the proportion of the world’s population residing in urban areas has risen from about 14 percent in 1901 to about 50 percent in 2000. The rapid growth of urbanization in the world began after the Industrial Revolution in European countries, and was then observed in developed and developing countries. In Iran, the process of urbanization and urban population growth was faster than in developing countries. During a period of about 50 years (1970-2020), the urban population in Iran grew by about 37%. There are a wide range of factors and reasons for explanation of the rapid urbanization in Iran. A reason for the growth of urbanization in Iran is the migration of rural population to urban areas, which has resulted from industrial policies, agricultural sector growth, wage gap between urban and rural areas, and employment opportunities in services and industry in urban areas. Theoretical Framework Urbanization began during the Industrial Revolution, and the term is used to refer to the growing number of people living in urban areas. It is not simply about an increase in the number of urban dwellers, but also about a change in the structure from rural to urban in terms of industry, employment, living conditions, and public social services. On the other hand, urbanization refers to the process of population expansion on urban scale, and includes economic, social, and geographic changes. Rapid urbanization is one of the most prominent features of global development today. In general, urbanization can be defined as a process of transition from a dominant world of rural and agricultural activities to a dominant urban world based on non-agricultural activities. Depending on their orientations, social scientists point out different explanations for the existence of cities. Developments in industry, agriculture, and services provide the main explanations for the rate of urbanization in the literature on urban economics. Moreover, wage differences between urban and rural areas, the general rate of prices in urban areas, and educational expenditures have been factors affecting the rate of urbanization in theoretical and experimental studies. Methodology In this study, the spatial econometric approach was used for analysis of the model. Spatial econometrics is a subfield of econometrics that deals with the interactions between geographic units. Units can include postal code, city, municipality, district, province, government, judiciary, country, etc., depending on the nature of the study. Spatial econometric models can also be used to explain the behavior of economic agents and other geographic entities, such as individuals, companies, and governments, if they are interconnected through a network. Given the advantages of the spatial econometric method, this study aimed to investigate the effects of factors affecting urbanization in thirty provinces of Iran during the 2006-2017 period using a spatial econometric panel data method. Results and Discussion In this study, the Eviews and Stata software was used for analysis of the data. The results of the stationary test indicated that the model variables were stationary. Based on the Moran test results, there was a positive spatial autocorrelation in the study data. Other results also confirmed the the spatial Durbin model compared with other models. The results of the Chow and Hausman test also confirmed the superiority of the panel data to the pool data and of the fixed effects to the random effects. Other results demonstrated that the added value of agriculture, industry, and service had significant positive effects on the rate of urbanization in each province and the neighboring provinces. These results indicated that the development of the agricultural sector and the use of new technologies, and thus the increase in the productivity of the agricultural sector, led to the release of part of the labor force working in the agricultural sector in rural areas and their transfer to urban areas and employment in the service sector. The higher wage rates in the service and industry sectors also functions as a recruitment factor, attracting the liberated labor force from the rural sector to the urban sector, which was also demonstrated in this study. In contrast, the increase in the price index of the urban sector, which increased the costs of migration from rural to urban areas, could function as a repellent factor with adverse effects on migration from urban to rural areas. This was similar to the increase in the area of agricultural land in rural areas, which could hinder or delay the transfer of rural population to urban areas. Another factor that played a key role in urban-to-rural migration was the rural unemployment rate, which could encourage the unemployed to migrate to urban areas. Conclusion The results of this research demonstrated that the variation in urbanization rate cannot be analyzed in one dimension, and a set of factors effective in the process of urbanization development in Iran need to be considered in the analysis, including a range of economic and geographic factors. In recent years, the focus on cities and regions has been resumed, but this focus on the role of cities and regions does not necessarily resemble the prevailing belief in the early twentieth century that the benefits of aggregation are driving growth in large cities and rich countries. Today, the driving forces of urbanization are different in different countries and even different regions of a country. The results of this study demonstrate that the Iranian economy needs a planned urbanization with a powerful policy for development of the agricultural and industrial sectors for the overall development of urbanization in Iran. Another proposal is to set the government as the main policymaker. In the first place, the government, the most important player in the society, must adhere to the rules in which it plays an important role. Secondly, the government’s policy orientation must be clear to all economic actors.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - The highest weight concerned the indicator of building quality, and the lowest perta... more Highlights - The highest weight concerned the indicator of building quality, and the lowest pertained to the area covered by sewage. - The rate of livability is higher in the old part of the city of Urmia, Iran than in the new part. - The rate of livability is in better conditions in the old part than in the new part based on the indicators of access to the main thoroughfares, average land price, population density, access to sports and recreational use, access to medical use, access to academic and cultural use, access to commercial use, number of literate people, and number of employees. - The rate of livability in the new part is in good conditions compared to that in the old part based on the indicators of building quality, area covered by sewage, and access to green spaces. Introduction The increase in the development of urban population and replacement of concern for quantitative standards by consideration of qualitative approaches has led to a rise in the quality of urban life and urban livability, where the role of officials and urban management is important, along with the need for a comprehensive study of various dimensions in the city. Following the rapid population growth as a result of migration and the unplanned expansion of the city of Urmia, Iran, the capital of West Azerbaijan Province, and the consequent problems, the need for a comprehensive effort to save the city and improve the quality of life therein has been highlighted more than ever. In response to these problems, various theories and approaches have been proposed, one of which is the livable city approach. Given that livability is a complex, multidimensional concept, and its patterns are completely different from one region to another, no comprehensive model has been presented so far of the effects of livability indicators in the old and new parts of cities in the current conditions and the relationships between them. Therefore, this comparative study was intended to investigate the extent of livability in the old and new parts of Urmia based on the relevant indicators. Theoretical Framework Livability is defined as the quality of life experienced by the inhabitants of a city or region. Kennedy and Bai believe that the concept of livability is defined by terms such as the well-being of the society, and represents the characteristics that turn a place into one where people always want to live. Methodology In this descriptive-analytical applied research, data collection was conducted through library studies, available articles, field studies, and census information released in 2016 by the Statistical Center of Iran. Thus, after the resources relevant to livability were studied, twelve indicators were selected from among various effective factors to obtain the research output, given the availability of data on Urmia. These indicators include access to medical use, access to commercial use, access to sports and recreational use, access to green space use, quality of buildings, area covered by sewage, access to academic and cultural use, number of literate people, population density, average land price, number of employees, and access to the main thoroughfares. Given that each of the indicators effective in specification of livability has a different coefficient of importance (weight), the opinions of the elite were used in this article to determine the weights of the indicators. To weigh the indicators according to the BWM method, thirty questionnaires were developed with contents based on their pairwise comparison in terms of the preference of the best indicator over the others and the preference of the other indicators over the worst. In the next step, the questionnaire data were entered into the GAMS software and calculated and analyzed. A weight of 0.081 was calculated with the value of lε obtained for the thirty questionnaires, which indicates the stability and consistency of the calculated weights due to its proximity to zero. For a spatial analysis, the information layers of the indicators were first digitized and edited in the GIS software, and the significance coefficient calculated by the BWM method was multiplied by each of the indicators through conversion of the information layers into a raster and their classification. Using the weighted sum, the indicators were then combined for measurement of livability in the old and new parts of Urmia. Results and Discussion The calculations of the weights of the twelve indicators in the Gomez software indicates that the highest weight concerns the average land price indicator, with a significance coefficient of 0.169, and the lowest weight pertains to the area covered by sewage, with 0.015. The average value of λε obtained for the thirty questionnaires was 0.081, which indicates the stability and consistency of the calculated weights due to its proximity to zero. Conclusion The results of combining the twelve livability indicators for the old part of Urmia show that 2% of this part lies in the zone with very low livability, 13% in low livability, 32% in medium livability, 35% in high livability, and 18% is in very high livability. In the new part of Urmia, 7% lie in the zone with very low livability, 21% in low livability, 39% in medium livability, 29% in high livability, and 4% in very high livability. Furthermore, livability is better in the old part than in the new part based on the indicators of access to the main thoroughfares, average land price, population density, access to sports and recreational use, access to medical use, access to academic and cultural use, access to commercial use, number of literate people, and number of employees. On the other hand, livability in the new part is in good conditions compared to that in the old part based on the indicators of building quality, area covered by sewage, and access to green space use.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights -The street geometry index (H/W) is highly effective on the thermal performance of res... more Highlights -The street geometry index (H/W) is highly effective on the thermal performance of residential buildings. -The lower the value of the index (H/W) on the streets of a cold-climate city, the lower the energy consumption of the building. -Changing the pattern of occupancy level of an urban building, to reduce the level of shadow and increase the level of solar radiation wall, improves thermal performance. -Increasing the depth of the yard in the southern pattern of the city of Hamadan, Iran reduces the consumption of thermal energy in a building. Introduction The relationship between building density and energy consumption involves a complex interaction between climate factors, location patterns, the way urban open spaces are located, and the adjacency of the buildings of which they are composed. Therefore, this study investigated the thermal performance of residential buildings based on the patterns of residential blocks in Hamadan Province, Iran using the concept of minor climate and thermal islands influenced by density regulations. It aimed to evaluate the effect of these regulations on energy consumption. A comprehensive collection of thermal simulations were conducted based on the climate of Hamadan and a statistical analysis for examination of the effect of height on the energy consumption resulting from increased urban density. Theoretical Framework A criterion used for measurement of the energy consumption of buildings is the micro-urban climate resulting from the density regulations (H/W). These regulations can affect the access of buildings to sunlight and, thus, the energy performance of buildings. Density regulation indices include two categories: middle-scale and micro-scale. The middle-scale category involves an H/W criterion for measurement of the impact of the outdoor environment. The micro-scale category involves criteria for changes in the building volume geometry, including the surface-to-volume ratio (S/V), ratio of surface exposed to direct sunlight to total surface (Ssn/Ssh), shadow area (Ssu/Ssh), substructure (Ssu/A), volume (Ssu/V), and ratio of window surface to the total wall surface (WSR), which changes as height varies. Methodology The methodology involved a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. In the simulation stage, two modes were considered to specify the effect of H/W on energy consumption. First, fixed height and variable street width were considered in the modeling for examination of the effect of the street width index, and fixed street width and variable height were then considered for examination of the height index. For analysis of the findings of the statistical methods, correlation, analysis of variance, and multiple regression were used. The relationships between energy consumption and the variable of street width and each of the indicators of the variable of height were investigated with the Pearson correlation coefficient. For investigation of the simultaneous effect of all the indices of the independent variable on the dependent variable (energy consumption), multiple regression analysis was used to specify which geometric factor exhibited the greatest impact on energy consumption. Analysis of variance was used for comparison and evaluation of the mean differences between the groups. For validation, two methods were used: experimental (involving field measurements) and comparative (involving a comparison of the results of different software). Results and Discussion The results obtained from the correlation analysis revealed that there is a close direct relationship in all residential blocks of northern patterns between H(fix)/W(6m-36m) and annual energy consumption, while there is no correlation in southern patterns. The relationship between H(4f-10f)/W(fix) and annual energy is direct in northern patterns but inverse and slightly effective in southern patterns. As the H(fix)/W(6m-36m) ratio decreases, cooling energy consumption increases sharply (inverse correlation), and heating and total energy consumption decrease sharply (direct correlation). In this analysis, energy savings are greater on a wider street than on a narrower street, and fixed-height buildings exhibit lower annual energy consumption on a wider street. Positive correlation (high intensity) and negative correlation with heating energy (low intensity) is established between the geometric characteristics of residential parts (S/V, Ssu/S, Ssu/V, Ssu/Ssh, and Ssn/A) and cooling energy consumption. Wider streets receive more sunlight than narrower ones, so those with lower geometric indices exhibit better thermal performance and greater reduction of heating energy consumption. Conclusion Building density and its indices are influential in northern patterns, and increase in height and pathway width contributes to the reduction of energy consumption. Therefore, the geometric index of an urban street is effective in northern patterns, and a rise in height through an increase in the horizontal distance between buildings affects the reduction of energy consumption. However, the value of the index (H/W) is lower on the urban passages of the cold climate of Hamadan (deep urban valleys), and the energy consumption of the building decreases as the absorption of solar radiation increases. Multiple regression analysis showed that the most indicative energy consumption factors in the patterns included the geometric index (H/W), the number of sunny surfaces (Ssu), the ratio of shadow (Ssh) to the substructure (A), and total surface area (S) . The proposed model (involving a change in the occupancy level of the initial model) exhibited the most optimal thermal performance with decreases by 42.9% in cooling energy and by 4.73% in total energy. Acknowledgment The article has been derived from the Ph.D. thesis entitled "Determination of housing deployment pattern considering the influence of climate factors on the inside thermal comfort whit an energy management approach (case study Hamedan)", which has been defended by the first author under the second author’s supervision and the third author’s advisory at the Qazvin Branch, Islamic Azad University.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - The development of the Internet and electronic services contributes to the sustainab... more Highlights - The development of the Internet and electronic services contributes to the sustainability and resilience of cities against epidemics. - Provision of neighborhood-scale land uses, especially green spaces and sports, is the first priority in the city of Kermanshah, Iran in the face of epidemics. - The approaches of integrated urban management, digital cities, orientation toward the neighborhood, and social capital have a key role in promotion of resilience in Kermanshah. Introduction The worldwide outbreak of Covid-19 since the end of 2019 can be considered as one of the biggest challenges in recent decades, which has caused the issue of epidemic diseases to assume a prominent position in the atlas of natural and artificial hazards. The high rate of spread, high mortality rates, and severe damage to various economic and social sectors of societies indicates the importance of considering this key issue. According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus epidemic is a global crisis that is unique in contemporary history in terms of spatial extent, onset rate, and complexity. Therefore, the present study has sought to answer the following question: which urban resilience variables are associated with higher priority in the struggle against epidemic diseases in the city of Kermanshah, Iran? Theoretical Framework A community’s resilience to potential contingencies is determined by the degree to which it can access the required resources and its capability of organizing itself both in advance and when needed. Accordingly, a resilient community is one that functions prudently in reduction of risk, preparation for the various effects of risk, and acceleration of recovery from hazardous events. Following the outbreak of Covid-19, it became clear that urban resilience extends beyond climate, landscape, ecology, and natural disasters. To raise the capability of an urban environment, therefore, such shocks need to be absorbed without significant changes in its structure or function. Hence, urban planners must seek to answer such questions as why urban planning has been inactive in control of the coronavirus epidemic crisis, and whether the concentration and distribution of population and activity has made city dwellers more vulnerable to diseases, terrorist attacks, and artificial and natural disasters. The answers to these questions are essential because there is ample evidence about the influence of urban form and design on the prevalence of epidemics. Methodology The present applied research involved interpretive description. The required information was collected in two ways: through library studies and questionnaires. For collection of data and identification of the initial variables through a review of various study sources, nineteen variables were finally selected for evaluation. After the variables were compiled, the studied sample was analyzed by the elite. Since the Micmac software was used to analyze the data, the questionnaire involved a matrix of cross-adjustment effects, and was validated by experts. The data input to Micmac were obtained using the Delphi method and a questionnaire distributed among fifteen experts familiar with the conditions in Kermanshah (ten people with doctorate degrees and five with master’s degrees). In order to increase the validity of the data, prerequisites were considered such as explanation of the conceptual model based on the latest scientific research, the experts’ acquaintance with the case study, reception of the experts’ feedback about the final results, and independency of the experts. Results and Discussion The present study analyzed the influence of urban resilience against epidemics on the basis of nineteen variables. The findings demonstrated that the following variables had the greatest direct and indirect impacts on the other variables involved in resilience in Kermanshah in the face of Covid-19: the infrastructure for remote provision of professional, administrative, academic, and medical services, access to green and open spaces and recreation-and-sports land uses, access to services and neighborhood scale uses, capacity of urban facilities and equipment such as the electricity network and Internet, and unified, integrated management in crisis conditions. Moreover, the two variables capacity of neighborhoods for walking and cycling and enhancement of local communities’ public participation and social capital exhibited a two-dimensional nature in the issue of resilience in Kermanshah. This means that these variables are affected by others while greatly influencing them. Conclusion Based on the factors identified as drivers, suggestions should be made for their promotion. Therefore, four macro approaches were mentioned as priority plans through adaption of the driving factors to what had been proposed in previous studies, including integrated urban management, the digital city, orientation toward the neighborhood, and social capital. In fact, one can implicitly achieve urban resilience against epidemic diseases by placing such approaches at the forefront of the urban planning system. The four proposed approaches are important because the synergy of measures taken in the public and private sectors is expected to improve and prevent waste of time and financial and human resources, aided by integrated urban management. Enhancement of the role of the digital city is important not only for provision of tools for identification and control of carriers of disease but also for better reduction of physical contact through telecommuting capacity, e-learning, online shopping, etc. Orientation toward the neighborhood is also considered significant as it reduces long inter-neighborhood commute by meeting citizens’ daily and weekly needs on a neighborhood scale. In addition, if urban neighborhoods are properly designed, achievements such as pedestrianization and access to green and open spaces will be realized, which will play a key role in residents’ mental and physical health during quarantine. The impact of social capital is also important because epidemics can be managed only through the people’s empathy and collective will. In fact, as the disease spreads among the people, their support and participation can undeniably help to control it.
Volume 11, Issue 41. by Motaleate Shahri
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - Improvement of residents’ quality of life - Scale in urban regeneration programs and... more Highlights - Improvement of residents’ quality of life - Scale in urban regeneration programs and plans - Unorganized, poor urban neighborhoods - Statuses of urban regeneration projects in Iran and impact of project efficiency and residents’ quality of life Introduction One of the most important challenges in today’s metropolises is the existence of unhealthy, poor urban neighborhoods in the peripheries. A series of regeneration policies and plans have sought to meet such a challenge over the twentieth century to provide a better quality of life for residents of such impoverished urban spaces. Such measures have hardly been successful, however. This study has assumed that a major reason for such failures has been the lack of concern for scale in urban regeneration plans and schemes. Accordingly, two main questions have been raised here. The first pertains to the reason why the concept of scale should lie at the heart of an urban regeneration plan and to the way in which such a focus can improve plans and upgrade the quality of life in an urban residence. The second question concerns the status of urban regeneration based on the criteria and indicators considered in this study and the effects it can have on project efficiency and target residents’ quality of life. Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework of this study has been set only to extract the indicators and criteria of the survey (questionnaire) and to measure the quality of life in the target samples. Therefore, the intellectual approaches of sustainable urban regeneration, right scale theory, expectation-efficiency model, sustainable place-making, and collision effectiveness theory have been considered in this research simply as theoretical approaches supporting the survey. However, the arguments made in these approaches and the set of controversies that can arise about each along with the relationships between them go far beyond the references cited in this article. After all, the main components of the questionnaire for assessment of the quality of life in the target samples include the theoretical approach of the right scale, providing the required coordination between the elements, the theoretical approach of collision effectiveness, providing effectiveness, the theoretical approach of sustainable place-making, affecting target residents’ quality of life, and the theoretical approach of expectation-efficiency, affecting satisfaction. Methodology The present applied research has been designed as a systematic logical plan seeking to maximize scientific validity in the definitions, criteria, indicators, procedures, and methods of data collection and analysis and in the information and extraction and inference of the findings. Two contextual methodologies have been adopted to analyze the concept of scale, along with a survey-data methodology used to measure the quality of life. The data and information sources include censuses and questionnaires, library documents, programs and designs, and techniques of analysis, including correlation and regression (used to measure the quality of life), and meta-analysis (used to identify the scale). A set of qualitative (subjective) and quantitative (objective) criteria has been extracted in accordance with the theoretical framework of the research. The indicators and variables extracted from theoretical approaches and global and Iranian experiences have finally been used to compile a questionnaire, the descriptive and inferential results of which have been presented in the next step of the research. Results and Discussion The results obtained for the first question of the research demonstrate that the approaches should be implemented as local small-scale regeneration projects operated in regional integration, unlike previous approaches, in which national (government) programs and projects have been implemented as large-scale renovation projects. In addition, the concept of scale is generally used today to refer to the spatial, temporal, quantitative, or analytical dimension. Scale is also a determining factor in pattern recognition, phenomenon explanation, result generation, and program and plan optimization for regeneration and achievement of satisfaction and efficiency. The results obtained for the second research question indicate the significance of the correlations between the number, initial energy, and locations of urban regeneration projects in all the sample cities and their impacts on target residents’ quality of life. Given the importance of this relationship (correlation) and fulfillment of the requirements for presentation of the prediction model in this field, a multivariate regression model has been proposed. The obtained model indicates that the factors of projects, initial energy and orientation can predict how target urban residents’ quality of life is affected in the present study. Conclusion Finally, what distinguishes this research from similar studies in the literature is the distinct practical outputs that it has presented in the field of urban planning as well as the focus beyond the concept of scale in its traditional sense, which has disturbed its meaning. The research findings challenge the current attitudes of urban planners and designers towards sustainable urban regeneration policies, emphasizing the significance of holistic approaches in the definition of urban place-making projects. The need has been defined not only from a physical point of view, as in Makower (2014), in the recognition of the urban scale but also from a multidisciplinary perspective, with an emphasis on socio-economic and physical approaches in the three layers of project relationships, level, and size for improvement of citizens’ quality of life and realization of their satisfaction with life in places. It seems that expansion and enrichment of the findings of this research in the field of urban planning and design requires further research, refining, for example, the concept of scale at the place level and effective socio-cultural relationships on the place formation continuum and identifying the appropriate level and effective economic relationships on the continuum.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights Internal and environmental features relevant to street music are investigated to allow... more Highlights Internal and environmental features relevant to street music are investigated to allow discovery of the predictors of the sociability of the public realm. Voluntary presence, active social presence, and passive social presence are examined as three types of public life characteristic. Environmental factors have a predominant impact on the citizens’ attendance of music performance venues as compared to internal factors. Introduction The physical expansion of cities and the proliferation of motor vehicle use have led to the fact that contemporary public spaces are less primed to people’s daily commute. In such circumstances, cultural events held at the heart of the urban settings turn up essential to the improvement of the socialization potentials of the public realm. Street music is a type of cultural micro-event emerging in the public domain, which affects the public life of urban spaces by boosting the socio-cultural qualities of the public realm. The purpose of this study was to compare the impacts of the different forms of citizen presence in public spaces, including voluntary presence, inactive social presence, and active social presence during the street music performance, and to compare the impacts of environmental and relevant internal factors on audience enthusiasm. Street performance in Iran has not been limited to a specific era, and the contents have mainly included narration of the lives of mythical figures and praise for the kings. Reproducibility can be considered as a major characteristic of these performances, which have been well integrated with urban open spaces from the past to the present, both individually and collectively. Theoretical framework Pioneers of public life studies have pointed out several categorizations of presence in urban public spaces mainly through direct observation. Since most of today’s cities are automobile-oriented, citizens’ mandatory attendance of public spaces is not usually observed. Their voluntary activities, however, could be encouraged through enhancement of the quality of the characteristics of the space. Improvement of the quality of public spaces is aimed at making these spaces more sociable through facilitation of social activities, which are mainly dependent on the contribution of more and more citizens in voluntary activities. Temporary communication among people in public spaces creates a third form of activity, namely social activity, which could be performed either actively or passively. The latter is more important to public life researchers because livable spaces are those where a variety of social activities are held. One of the most important events that occur at music venues is the provision of the opportunity to gain more knowledge of other people’s cultures, which realized through face-to-face interactions with other people at such places. A Music venue can also define the identity of a street or neighborhood or evoke shared memories of a community. Urban soundscape is affected much more by street music performances than urban landscape. Sounds heard at public spaces are twofold: main sounds and background sounds, which could lead to different perceptions of soundscape at these spaces. Therefore, street music performance plays a significant role in the revitalization of the urban public realm by attracting people in both static and dynamic modes, on the one hand, and encouraging their long-term interaction with each other, on the other. Methodology The present descriptive-analytical study used data obtained through distribution of 250 questionnaires, in the form of a Likert scale, randomly among people present at six sites of street music performance in the city of Shiraz, Iran. Ordinal logistic regression was carried out to obtain the main predictors of presence at the street music venues. The dependent variables included the tendency to perform voluntary activities, the tendency to perform active social activities, and the tendency to perform passive social activities. The independent variables fell into two categories: the environmental factors associated with music performance in urban spaces, including perceived security, sense of pleasure, place identity, and psychological comfort, and the internal factors associated with music performance in urban spaces, including interest in music, performance venue, performers’ mobility, and music sound clarity. Results and discussion The results of the ordinal logistic regression analysis indicated that passive social presence was affected by street music performance more than the other two components. Moreover, environmental factors relevant to street music had predominant impacts on the citizens’ attendance of these urban spaces as compared to internal factors. Of the significant predictors of voluntary presence, gender, sound clarity, and sense of pleasure were found to be the most important among all the variables, the internal variables, and the environmental variables, respectively. Passive social presence was mainly determined by the sense of pleasure, the most effective factor in both the complete model and the set of environmental features, and by sound clarity, the most effective factor in the set of internal variables. Active social presence was predicted mainly by gender, perceived security, and sound clarity, the most important factors in the sets of all variables, environmental variables, and internal variables, respectively. Conclusion Based on the results derived from the case study, a policy was proposed to provide the venues with advanced equipment and adapt the musicians’ technical levels given the importance of each space in order to increase the vibrant attendance of the public realm. Another suggestion was to apply a policy combined with incentives and deterrent initiatives to adjust the environmental quality of the venues.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights - The results obtained from the present paper can be considered as a point of origin f... more Highlights - The results obtained from the present paper can be considered as a point of origin for assessment of the cognitive effects of social and physical memory on the promotion of residents’ sense of attachment to the living spaces in their neighborhoods. - In the old fabric, the highest effects on the promotion of residents’ sense of attachment to their living spaces are associated with the neighborhood memorability factor, from physical memory, and individuals’ familiarity with the neighborhood, from the social memory. - In the new fabric, however, the highest effects on the promotion of residents’ sense of attachment to their living spaces are associated with the factor of the neighborhood’s memory elements, from physical memory, and neighborhood relations, from social memory. Introduction A sense of belonging to a place, i.e. place attachment, means to have a perception of the environment and more or less conscious emotions on the surroundings, which brings one into an internal relationship with the surrounding environment. Thus, a person’s perception and emotions are bound by and integrated with the semantic context of the environment. A sense of place gives people comfort in an environment, and also leads individuals towards possession of an identity. Moreover, it can be stated that the sense of belonging to a space is a complex concept of human emotion and attachment to an environment, which is developed as a result of adaptation to the space and man’s application thereof. Theoretical Framework A review of the related literature can lead one to the roles of different factors in the formation of this sense, including the physical aspects of the environment, social characteristics of the residents, relationships between individuals and the environment, duration of residence, and, in general, memorability factors. The memorability factors influencing residents’ place attachment to the environment in their neighborhoods are divided into the two broad categories of physical memories and social memories. The measures affecting the probability of development of collective memory in cities include the residents’ familiarity with the neighborhood, neighborhood relations, etc., and the measures concerning the development of physical and spatial memory include the neighborhood center features, signs, introversion, etc. Methodology The process of conducting the research is described as involving seven steps. The first step includes an extraction of the memorable factors which are influential on residents’ sense of attachment. For this purpose, the memory indicators are extracted via the documentary-analytical method. The results from the section on the theoretical framework reveal that the physical and social indicators are the most influential factors on the promotion of the sense of attachment in residents of neighborhoods in the city of Shiraz, Iran. The second step involved the development of the main research questionnaire. The features of physical and social memory are considered as the independent variables, and residents’ sense of attachment is considered as the dependent variable. In the third step, the ANOVA test is used for assessment of the level of homogeneity of the population from the old fabric and that from the new fabric. In the fourth step, the Spearman correlation coefficient is calculated for investigation of the effects of the memory factor on the promotion of the sense of attachment in the old and new fabrics. The fifth step involves the application of Tukey’s integrated test for comparison of the effects of physical and social memory on residents’ levels of sense of attachment in different neighborhoods. In the sixth step, the paired-samples T test is employed to analyze the effects of physical and social memory on the improvement of residents’ sense of attachment to their neighborhoods and the significance of the differences. Consequently, the Pearson coefficient is used for investigation of the correlation between the different elements comprising the physical and social memory component, which influences residents’ sense of attachment to their neighborhoods. The neighborhoods selected for the case study include three situated in the old fabric, namely Sang Siyah, Eshagh Beig, and Bazare Morgh, examined along with three neighborhoods located in the new fabric, namely Abyari, Eslahe Nezhad, and Havabord. The districts to be examined for the case study are selected separately from the old and new fabrics given the similarities of the cultural components and the shared physical and social features measured in the present study. Results and Discussion It can be stated based on the above that the effect of physical and social memory on the promotion of residents’ sense of attachment in the selected neighborhoods of the same fabric is insignificant, and the selection for the case study has been appropriate in terms of feature similarity and homogeneity at the end of the assessment. The results obtained from the Spearman correlation coefficient reveal that a significant relationship exists between the sense of place attachment and memory in all the neighborhoods from the old and new fabrics. However, it can be stated in general that the Eshagh Beig neighborhood exhibits the greatest effect of physical memory in the old fabric on the improvement of the sense of attachment, and Bazare Morgh shows the least effect. In the new fabric, the Abyari neighborhood exhibits the greatest effect, and Havabord shows the least. Conclusion In terms of the effects of social memory on the promotion of the sense of attachment, the Sang Siyah neighborhood exhibits the greatest effect, and Bazare Morgh shows the least effect in the old fabric, while the Abyari neighborhood exhibits the greatest effect, and Havabord shows the least in the new fabric. Based on this assessment, the mean effect of physical memory on the promotion of the sense of attachment is less than that of social memory in the old fabric. In the new fabric, however, the mean effect of physical memory on the promotion of the sense of attachment is significantly greater than that of social memory, and it can be stated in general that residents’ sense of attachment to neighborhoods in the new fabric is significantly lower than that in the old fabric. Given the results for the old fabric, memory-making elements in the neighborhood, from the physical memory indicator, and individuals’ familiarity, from social memory, exhibit the greatest effects, while the historical monuments factor, from physical memory, and NGOs, from social memory, have the least effects on residents’ sense of attachment to the living spaces. In the new fabric, memory-making elements in the neighborhood, from physical memory, and neighbors’ relations, from social memory, exhibit the greatest effects, and historical monuments, from physical memory, and social class, from social memory, have the lowest effects on the improvement of residents’ sense of attachment to the living spaces.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights Relevant key issues were extracted form users’ responses to an open-ended questionnair... more Highlights Relevant key issues were extracted form users’ responses to an open-ended questionnaire and their application to a closed-ended questionnaire. The environmental variables affecting the security of urban public spaces were documented and summarized. The factors and criteria effective on users’ sense of security were extracted using exploratory factor analysis. Introduction One of the most important components of environmental quality, environmental security plays an important role in the use of urban spaces. In fact, the feeling of fear and lack of security in urban environments, including parks, has turned into a problem in today’s societies. Parks are areas in cities where any citizen can spend their leisure time and enjoy park-based recreational activities. Many factors affecting the security of urban parks can be attributed to their design and physical conditions. Therefore, it is necessary to identify these factors and provide appropriate solutions to improve their conditions. Since an urban park needs a conscious design that provides the users’ satisfaction, it is necessary to consider their characteristics, which can be achieved through their participation. Theoretical Framework To explain the theoretical concept of security, two distinct dimensions are mentioned. The first is the objective dimension, which is evaluated using objective environmental and behavioral parameters, and the second is the mental dimension, which is understood based on the security of the community. Both dimensions can have a positive or negative effect on the other. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the two dimensions together in order to improve public security. Methodology Since a comprehensive questionnaire was not found to measure the security of urban parks based on users’ preferences, a researcher-made questionnaire was prepared, and its validity and reliability were verified. The research method was qualitative and qualitative-quantitative. In the first step, the qualitative research method was used based on content analysis, and the questions of the open-ended questionnaire were implemented in textual form based on the contents of the experts’ statements. The components were obtained from content analyses of users’ responses to the semi-structured open-ended questionnaire, and the closed-ended questionnaire was developed on that basis. The final questionnaire was designed as a closed-ended one to quantify the variables faster and be capable of running on a larger scale. The questions had the structure of a four-point Likert scale, with the answers ranging from strong disagreement to strong agreement. The questionnaire was distributed among 250 visitors of Mellat Park, Tehran. Since the differences in the environmental, socio-economic, and physical characteristics of different places can give different senses of security or fear to citizens, a major park in Tehran (Mellat Park) was chosen for a case study. It extends over an area of about 34 hectares in Municipal District 3. The purpose of this study was to construct, normalize, and validate a security scale for urban parks from the users’ perspective. Results and Discussion Content validity was verified through preliminary implementation, open interviews with users, and expert approval. In the preliminary step, reliability was measured using the internal coordination of the questions with Cronbach’s alpha. The final questionnaire was distributed among 250 park visitors. The results indicated that the questionnaire was valid and standard, and eight explanatory factors were obtained from the users’ preferences as the data obtained in SPSS 22 were analyzed using the exploratory factor analysis technique. These included artificial element design, control and surveillance, plant design, readability, physical accessibility, aesthetics, activity patterns, and space size and extent. From the users’ point of view, artificial element design was the most significant factor, followed by control and surveillance, plant design, readability, and physical accessibility, and aesthetics, activity patterns, and space size and extent were ranked next. Conclusion Understanding users’ perceptions of landscape design methods and considering their preferences and desires helps landscape designers with their jobs. It can be considered as a topic for future research how each of the obtained components can induce a feeling of fear or security in urban park users. Examples include specification of the relationship between vegetation or readability and the feeling of fear or the standard for each of the service elements, pieces of furniture, etc. Through presentation of a model, the hidden relationships between factors can be achieved, and a theoretical pattern composed of many different components can be examined both entirely and partially. Of course, it should be noted that none of these factors alone induces fear or security; rather, there are a number of factors that contribute to a complex interaction, such as personal characteristics (age, gender, etc.) and social characteristics (familiarity with the environment, solitary presence, frequency of presence, etc.), which can be investigated in future research. Acknowledgment This article was extracted from Soudabeh Gholipouri’s doctoral thesis, entitled Modeling the environmental security in urban parks based on users’ preferences, developed under the supervision of Dr. Jamal-e-Din MahdiNejad and advisory of Dr. Bahram Saleh Sedghpour at Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights: Improvement of the quality of life in historical contexts Presentation of a concept... more Highlights: Improvement of the quality of life in historical contexts Presentation of a conceptual model of the role of urban spaces in public life Without the interaction of the environment, community, and economy, the quality of life will not improve. There are many physical-functional and environmental qualities in urban public spaces that can guarantee the success of the field in satisfaction of residents and users of historic districts. Introduction In addition to performing all its standard functions in other urban areas, an urban space in a historic district should play its role at a higher multifaceted level matching the characteristics of a historic district with established identity. Accordingly, the present work aimed to discover how the components of an urban space, on the one hand, and the constituent elements of the flow of life in a historic district, on the other, are linked and interact so as to enable reasonable management of urban space potentials in a historic district and their proper application to enhance the quality of life for the residents and users. Theoretical Framework The model consisted of six components defining the following factors: the environmental component, with life quality in micro‑spaces and environmental sustainability as criteria; the empirical-aesthetic component, with old-new area integration and quality of urban landscape as criteria; the functional component, with variety in environment usage, environmental liveliness and quality, safety and security, and transportation and accessibility as criteria; the socio-cultural component, with social liveliness and cohesion and maintenance of population balance as criteria; the economic component, with economic liveliness and stability and flexibility of development plans as a criterion; and the temporal component, with time management in public spaces and continuity of place as criteria. Generated based on the urban space components, the presented conceptual model offered a new approach to urban planning and management, and was concerned with all the urban regeneration measures adopted in historic districts. Functioning on local, regional, urban, and extramural scales, it can also assume applications in the quality assessment of measures adopted in public arenas within historic districts. Methodology The above strategy will in turn keep indigenous residents in historic contexts, have immigrants to those areas return, and bring about socio-economic and environmental sustainability. Employing logical reasoning, the Delphi method, and expert opinions, this descriptive-analytical study first discussed the urban space components and their qualitative requirements. Next, the dimensions and measures of the quality of urban life were analyzed, and their factors concerning the urban space and environmental quality and topics formed on urban design, planning, and management were identified based on the theoretical views found in the literature. In the next step, the factors extracted based on the characteristic features of historic districts were monitored and reviewed. The 91 factors obtained from the Delphi method were reduced to 64 after views and comments from about forty experts in the field were applied. Finally, the results were presented as a conceptual model describing the role of urban spaces on quality‑of‑life enhancement in historic urban districts. Results and Discussion According to the findings, there are many physical–functional and environmental qualities in public urban spaces that can guarantee the arena’s success in provision of the residents and users of historic districts with satisfaction. However, taking notice of economic activities and social mobility in these districts is fundamental to the effectiveness of a measure adopted for enhancement of the quality of life in public arenas within historic districts. Meanwhile, a rise in the sensitivity of local communities to the values of historic districts and the potentials of public arenas for enhancement of the quality of life therein encourages them to assume an active role in the application of these arenas and the local communities’ socio-economic potentials in enhancement of the quality of public arenas. This can also enable these communities to express problems and propose solutions; in some cases, it can even lead to innovative financing ideas for project implementation. In tandem with urban planning, it ensures the sustainability of public arenas in historic districts, and improves the quality of life for their residents and users. Therefore, the issues of socio-cultural livability and dynamic economy are the cornerstones of the formation of quality spaces within historic districts, and the quality of life will not improve regardless of the triad of the environment, society, and economy. Conclusion The presented conceptual model, based on the urban space components, offers a new approach to urban planning and management, and is concerned with all the urban regeneration measures adopted in historic districts. Functioning on local, regional, urban, and extramural scales, the model can also assume applications in the quality assessment of measures implemented in public arenas within historic districts. Here is a brief description of the intervention measures adopted for these districts and their regeneration process based on the proposed model. The socio-cultural component. Contextualizing, contributing to/collaborating with, providing a process orientation for, innovating, and influencing the satisfaction of residents and users in public areas, utilizing the contribution/collaboration from the users of public arenas, delegating authority to non‑governmental organizations for utilization management, allowing for effective, constructive interaction among the organizations involved in the quality enhancement of historic districts and observing the pertinent legal frameworks, clarifying the procedures and promoting the accountability of officials, and respecting the cultural, social, and economic structures of life in the district. The empirical-aesthetic component. Integrating old and new spaces within public arenas while respecting the features of their historic districts and taking notice of the mass and space simultaneously and avoiding shell designs. The environmental component. Reducing environmental pollution and protecting energy resources and the natural heritage. The functional component. Providing a favorable impact on space liveliness and enhancing social inclusion to be able to hold various events. The economic component. Helping businesses flourish and promoting tourism. The temporal component. Taking notice of nightlife, holding seasonal, monthly, and weekly events and recognizing the sense of place and making an effort to preserve it within the environment.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights The spatial configuration of vegetation creates the visual scales and the different vi... more Highlights The spatial configuration of vegetation creates the visual scales and the different visual accesses in green spaces. Closed visual scales and open visual scales are not desirable for neighborhood park users. Users prefer semi-open visual scales and open visibility under canopy landscape for park landscape. Women’s preferences demonstrated that greater green space confinement is more desirable for them. Introduction Neighborhood parks play an important role in the relationship between people and the nature. In fact, vegetation and planting are the most important motivations for attendance of and recreations available in parks. For improvement of the quality of green spaces in neighborhood parks and enhancement of public participation, it is necessary to design the park landscape with respect to people’s preferences and their perceptions of the desired landscape, while there are some shortcomings in this regard. Therefore, the purpose of this research was to investigate people’s visual preferences in order to optimally design vegetation in neighborhood parks. A neighborhood park is a small green space (about two hectares large) with a penetration radius of about one kilometer, and it is readily accessible on foot from residential areas. The present research aimed to study these preferences in the field of spatial configuration of vegetation based on a visual scale. The visual scale is an important, effective feature in the creation of confinement and control of visual access. In this study, the underlying factors of age, gender, and socio-economic class differences were considered. Due to the difference in economic level in the northern and southern regions of Tehran, neighborhood parks in these two regions and their users were selected for evaluation. Five neighborhood parks in each region were considered purposefully. Methodology The method adopted in the present research was a combination of the qualitative and quantitative approaches. First, the spatial configuration of vegetation in the creation of different types of visual scale was investigated, and five categories of visual scale were identified. Images were provided of the vegetation compositions of neighborhood parks with high income levels (region 1) and low income levels (region 18). After consultation with the elite, the images were categorized based on a variety of visual scales. The visual questionnaire consisted of two images for each visual scale, where landscape desirability was examined with a Likert scale. Using random sampling, 363 people who visited neighborhood parks in the two areas of Tehran (District 1 and District 18) completed the questionnaire. The data were analyzed using the Bonferroni post hoc test in SPSS. After their collection, the homogeneity of variance was first examined through the Levin variance homogeneity test for comparison of the user preferences in terms of the type of landscape, and the results demonstrated that there was no significant difference between the variances of the variables in the groups (PS ˂ 0.05). Therefore, one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the studied variables between the groups, and the Bonferroni post hoc test was used to control Type I error if there was a significant difference between the opinions. Results and discussion The results of the present research indicated that there were different visual preferences for the images. Thus, the closed visual scale and open visual scale between all the groups were undesirable, as well as the semi-open visual scale and open visibility under canopy landscape between all the participating groups. Among the studied underlying factors (difference in the income levels in the regions, age, and gender), gender exhibited little effect on the formation of the landscape preferences, and women preferred more enclosed landscapes. Conclusion The results of this research demonstrated given the desirability of semi-open images that the spatial configuration of vegetation formed through planting and pruning should not allow for any visual barrier in the foreground layer while planting at the observer’s line of vision is obstructed in the background layer and sporadically in the middle layer. Moreover, it is desirable for plant height to be less than the observer’s line of vision and for tree canopies to be placed at heights greater than the observer’s visibility in the background layer. Due to the desirability of open visibility under canopy images, it is possible to provide favorable climatic conditions through selection of a combination of canopy umbrella trees of two types, fallow and non-fallow, which also allows for wide visual access. Due to the unfavorable landscape of the closed view, it is not appropriate to practice such planting at the observer’s line of vision in the foreground layer of the view. It is also necessary to avoid open visual scale design, where the coating exhibits low density in all the three layers. Regarding the influence of underlying factors, it can be stated that the landscape preferences for optimal visual access were almost the same for the different groups, but the women were more inclined to prefer semi-open visual-scale images due to the need for privacy and security, and images with closed vision were less favorable for them. Thus, the proposed species could be proposed given their heights for all the three layers of foreground, middle ground and background, according to the obtained patterns. The present study took the first steps in landscape planning based on awareness of public preferences, and these findings provide practical solutions for landscape planting design. Acknowledgment This article has been taken from a doctoral dissertation entitled Promoting Cultural Services of Urban Green Spaces Based on the Visual Assessment of Landscape: A Case Study of Urban Parks in Tehran, developed by the first author under the supervision of the second author and the advisory of the third author in the Faculty of Art of Tarbiat Modares University. The dissertation has enjoyed financial and spiritual support from the Tehran Urban Research and Planning Center as a research project.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights:Artworks concerning frontages as media of communication among the artwork, the artist,... more Highlights:Artworks concerning frontages as media of communication among the artwork, the artist, and the public and frameworks for interaction with locationsCommon viewpoint held by untrained observers (citizens), trained observers (visual art specialists), and creators (artists) in the appraisal of the perceptual-visual desirability of muralsCloseness of the citizens’ and artists’ attitudes toward the appraisal of the perceptual-visual desirability of muralsCitizens’ greater appreciation of the use of creative designs with rhythms and formal contrasts in the appraisal of the perceptual-visual desirability of murals IntroductionAs subway stations are regarded as public spaces in cities, their frontages, involving public artworks, especially murals, are taken into account as part of the urban townscape. The artworks on frontages can provide a medium for interaction, functioning as a visual communication system among the artwork, the artist, and the public. Therefore, it is important to identifying the factors influencing the visual preferences of the audience. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effect of the visual elements of murals on the perceptual-visual desirability of frontages at the Tehran Theater subway station. It seeks to answer the question of how the visual elements of the murals at the station affect the perceptual-visual desirability of the station frontage.Theoretical FrameworkAmong the large number of visual components assumed by various theorists, the main common components taken into account is this research include color, shape, texture, line, tonality, and light (Jansen, 1998: 69). This study investigates element quality, the quality of the relationship between elements, and that for figures and the ground (Pakzad, 2006) to achieve the degree of visual desirability in response to questions about the aesthetic component and the scape quality. The element quality is mural, and the relationship between the murals is considered for appraisal of the quality of the relationship between the elements. Moreover, the relationship between the mural and the wall is considered for appraisal of the quality of the relationship between the figure and the ground. The components related to the quality of the element include intensity, tension, and ingravibility, those pertaining to the quality of the relationship between the elements include balance, symmetry, proportion, dominance, clarity, and density. The components concerning the quality of the relationship between a particular element and others (figure and ground) include contrast, opposition, conformity, advantage, hindrance, emphasis, enclosure, narrowness, openness, sequence, and concentration (ibid.: 121-136)MethodologyFor achievement of the research aim, a mixed method was adopted based on data collection through archives, observations, interviews, and visual preference techniques. Among different cities, Tehran was selected due to its position, and the Tehran Theater subway station was chosen among different stations because of its location in the proximity of Vali-asr Street, Tehran Theater, and Daneshju Park. Then, nine murals were selected from among those available at the station. Given the nature of the data, the methods of regression analysis and correlation analysis were used along with SPSS techniques for analysis of the collected data.Result and DiscussionThe results indicated that perceptual-visual desirability existed in all the three groups: untrained observers (citizens), trained supervisors (visual art experts) and creators of artworks (artists). The findings also demonstrated that tonality (degree of darkness/brightness), shape (design), color, line, and texture exhibited the greatest impacts on perceptual-visual desirability, in that order. The elements of shape, color, tonality, line, and texture played the greatest roles, in order of priority, in the perceptual-visual utility of the station frontage for the citizens, the elements of tonality, shape, line, texture, and color for the specialists, and shape and tonality, color, and line and texture for the artists. The most important reasons for these differences follow. The main reason why tonality was selected as the first priority by the three information sources is the community’s need to observe color diversity at different levels of the society. Unfortunately, this field has been neglected for years. However, its negative effects, such as the increase in the number of patients with depression, are evident. The second priority involved the designs and patterns used in the murals, which demonstrated the significance of form and content and of the choice of subject and consideration of the aspects of visual beauty. In the studied cases, the messages and feelings that the artist tried to convey to the audience had a negative impact on citizens’ perception although understood to a large extent by the audience, as the predicted lighting was not considered properly, the mural lights were used only occasionally, and inappropriate accessions led to visual disturbance. ConclusionThe results indicated perceptual-visual desirability in all the three groups of untrained observers (citizens), trained observers (visual art specialists), and creators (artists). Furthermore, the citizens’ and artists’ opinions were close to each other. The citizens appreciated the use of creative designs with rhythms and formal contrasts, being satisfied both with the location of the murals in terms of visibility and view-shed and with their association with the frontages, but not with the lighting of the works. These were identified as the main perceptual-visual desirability factors in the studied samples.
Motaleate Shahri, 2022
Highlights Analysis of the pedagogical orientation of the planning discipline towards the concep... more Highlights Analysis of the pedagogical orientation of the planning discipline towards the concept of sustainable development and its position in the academic field Orientation of the patterns of education towards sustainable development The predominant orientation in the teaching of sustainability involves the provision of an independent course on sustainability and environmental concepts and inclusion of instructions on sustainability in the procedure and materials of planning courses Consideration of the issue of sustainability can be observed formally in the sub-disciplines of urban design and regional planning as one and two optional courses, respectively, in masters studies of educational planning in Iran. Introduction The change in the attitude of the urban planning discipline from the growth to the sustainability paradigm resulted from the inefficiency of the discipline and profession in response to environmental concerns around the world since the second half of the twentieth century; this shifted the substantial, procedural orientation of the discipline to the latter dominant paradigm. The result of such a change in attitude in the late twentieth century was reflected worldwide in formal and informal educational planning, and different orientations towards sustainability and sustainable development took shape according to the conditions in each country. Theoretical Framework The fundamental question that this article seeks to answer can be raised as follows: given the position of urban planners in plans and programs where they function as specialized managers and coordinators, what is the position of sustainable development with a focus on environmental and social issues in urban planning education, and how can urban development graduates be promoted in the field to improve the quality of professional activities? The purpose of this study is to analyze the pedagogical orientation of the urban planning discipline towards the concept of sustainable development and its position in the academic field, where professionals are trained to work in the profession. Methodology It is directly affected by the nature of the field how an emerging idea is addressed in any knowledge. Transition from theory to practice requires the idea to go through the scientific process of education. Education that has adopted its input from research and profession conceptualizes it and transmits it to future students and professionals as educational content–involving the knowledge, skills, and value of urban planning curricula. Thus, different feedbacks can be provided to the profession given the type of acceptance and the way education deals with emerging phenomena and ideas in the field of urban planning. At the same time, there is the missing link between education and profession, which is being moved from the channel of education to profession in the transition towards sustainable development. The specific area and research gap elaborated on in this study is the number of orientation patterns of education towards sustainable development, which are specified based on the research method. The main tool used in this fundamental qualitative descriptive-analytical method is content analysis, enabled through the capabilities of the SPSS software. Results and Discussion The results of the authors’ surveys at 128 universities in 9 different countries demonstrated that the predominant orientation in the teaching of sustainability is to provide an independent course on sustainability and environmental concepts and to teach sustainability in the procedure and materials of urban planning courses. The results can be observed in the case of Iran, as a developing country that strives to move towards sustainability, contrary to the direction taken in the profession corresponding to the discipline. In Iran, the only independent course on sustainability is that entitled Sustainable Urban Development, which is an optional course presented in two theoretical credits. Among all the universities with doctorate programs in urban planning, however, this course is taught only at two, namely the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Art. For a master’s degree in urban planning, on the other hand, it is included in different sub-disciplines of the curricula. Although courses with environmental content and topics are offered in all sub-disciplines, consideration of the issue of sustainability can be observed formally in urban design and regional planning as one and two optional courses, respectively. Conclusion The current trend will practically slow down the process of replacing the growth paradigm with the sustainability paradigm and bring about wide gaps therein. However, the proper orientation adopted in the discipline in recent years in regard to education of sustainability and sustainable development conveys the message that the gap will be reduced greatly in the future. This means that the appropriate orientation of the discipline (in education and research) is also reflected in the profession to help responds to the requirements of the field in the right direction. This is especially important in the training of graduates who will be developing plans and programs in the future. Education of sustainability and sustainable development, one of the criteria examined in the Green Metric ranking system, can be considered as a focus of future applied research and as a step forward in its achievement.
Volume 10, Issue 40. by Motaleate Shahri
Motaleate Shahri, 2021
Highlights The residence of informal settlements in the northern part of Tabriz is affected by th... more Highlights The residence of informal settlements in the northern part of Tabriz is affected by the legitimate structures and signification of the region. In their social life, marginalized residents do not pay much attention to the rules set by the upstream planners. Marginalized residents reproduce the structures of domination in line with their legitimate and implicit structures so that their residence is in line with local values and implications. Introduction A particular factor effective in the spontaneous settlements in suburban areas is the behavioral patterns in the residents’ lives and relevant daily activities that could affect the shape of housing. Consideration of the life structure and its effect on the formation of the architecture are topics that have been addressed by various thinkers in fields such as culture and environmental psychology. It is essential to attend to the set of values and meanings of human behavior, viewed as local culture, and the realization of traditions. This process provides a criterion in the construction of spontaneous settlements in marginalized areas. This study investigated and identified the physical patterns of spontaneous settlements and their construction strategies with respect to the lifestyles adopted by the inhabitants of the suburban areas in the northern parts of the city of Tabriz, Iran. In these areas, the residents seem to form the features of the residences according to their local culture rather than the regulations and urban plans. Theoretical Framework Many policies proposed to improve the conditions of informal settlements have ignored the structure of life, which has led them to neglect residents’ lifestyles and attempt to impose renovation plans with top-down approaches. Despite the abundance of research, there are more fundamental questions about the residents’ hidden layers faced during their lives. Most of the reviews of research on marginal housing have disregarded the residents’ life structure. This study investigates how the physical patterns of spontaneous settlements take shape with respect to the inhabitants’ lifestyle in suburban areas of the northern parts of Tabriz. Some of the most sophisticated studies conducted in the field include the research by Abrams (1964) and Turner (1967), focused on the participation of residents and their autonomy in the process of improvement and empowerment besides critical views of the destruction and displacement of the suburbs. To proceed with these studies, various conferences and meetings were held between 1996 and 1999 to discuss the empowerment of the poor in the suburbs in order to increase the efficiency of urban development. In addition, different dimensions of informal settlement were addressed in the adopted approaches, in which issues such as economic development, culture, social capital, and security were examined (Hashas 2005, Paul 2017, Petter et al. 2007, Tsenkova 2009, Fernandes 2001, Pugh 2000). Along with the expansion of studies on the culture of marginalization and validation of the structures of local communities, field research needed to be conducted, exemplified by Young and Wilmot (1957), Ganz (1962), and Suttles (1974). Focused on the distinction of the culture of marginalization from the urban culture, these studies have demonstrated that marginalized people define a lifestyle framework with self-assessment criteria, and always strive for social cohesion and protection of internal security. Methodology The approach adopted in this research is a qualitative one developed by grounded theory. For selection of the sample, the purposeful sampling method was used with the greatest variety, and semi-structured interviews, observations, and planned samplings were utilized for data collection. In the research sample, forty residents of the examined areas participated, and thirty sample houses were studied. Results and Discussion The results demonstrate that the organization of spaces and the physical pattern of spontaneous settlements have been more dependent on legitimate and semantic structures than on signification or domination. In this process, the characteristics of residents’ lives and the physical shape system of the environment in regard to these structures have affected the environmental components, such as neighborhood presence, physical flexibility and adaptability, physical scalability, integration of living space and work, outdoor viability, and widespread housing. Conclusion The analysis of the findings demonstrates that the sense of dwelling is more dependent in informal settlements on autonomous patterns to maintain significant legitimate structures than on practical ones (pertaining to extrinsic biological aspects), and the residents always try to protect their existential security as social agents. They can validate structures that respond to all kinds of real perception (concerning intrinsic value aspects). These categories are essential items that should be taken into account in the design and improvement of suburban areas to align the body with the residents’ lifestyle. This factor can indirectly lead to a sense of belonging and sustainable settlement in these areas. Therefore, the planners must improve the physical-biological aspect as a priority to promote these areas according to the local value structures, so that the residents can improve their residential structures under legitimate and significant structures in their social lives in a self-organizing process, in which reference is made to consideration of changeable, adaptable, and flexible housing. Acknowledgement This paper has been extracted from the corresponding author’s PhD dissertation on Islamic Architecture, which is in progress under the supervision of the second author at Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran and with the spiritual and financial support of Iran National Science Foundation (INSF).
Motaleate Shahri, 2021
Highlights - With increasing urbanization and the importance of planning, demographic data and an... more Highlights - With increasing urbanization and the importance of planning, demographic data and analysis are needed at the level of urban districts. - The paper compares the demographic indicators and characteristics of informal settlements and other settlements in Sanandaj. - Along with demographic heterogeneity, a significant portion of the changes, including population growth and immigration, take place in informal settlements. - In urban management with the aim of upgrading and regeneration of informal settlements, it is necessary to pay attention to demographic characteristics. Introduction Informal settlements are a fundamental challenge in modern urbanization. Various approaches and plans have been adopted to address this challenge, but many of them have not been associated with success for various reasons, including a lack of understanding of the characteristics of these settlements, especially the demographic dimensions. Studies have demonstrated that housing and habitation in informal settlements is far more frequent in Sanandaj than the national average, and covers more than half of the city’s population. The aim of this study was to analyze the demographic characteristics and indices in informal settlements and compare them to those in other settlements in Sanandaj. The achievements are highly significant mainly because they provide an overview of the active demographic structure and processes in formal and informal settlements. Moreover, many theories that indicate the formation of informal settlements highlight the importance of social, economic, and demographic factors in this regard. Theoretical Framework The theoretical framework of this research was based on theories that focus on urban growth and diversity in developing countries. Furthermore, these theories address the typology of urban settlements due to this diversity. According to the demographic transition framework, rural-urban migration is the initial source of urban growth at the early stages of transition, but natural population growth itself is the fundamental source of urban growth as the transition and urbanization processes continue, and the urban sector grows increasingly larger (Keyfitz, 1980: 149). In the middle and end of the demographic transition, where the rates of death and birth are both low and more or less equal in urban and rural areas, rural-urban migration turns into another factor affecting the growth of urban population. Undergoing a state of demographic transition and post-transition, the city of Sanandaj, Iran has witnessed both natural growth and rural migration, and has therefore experienced high rates of urbanization. This increasing urbanization has led to the formation of various structures and patterns of urban settlement, including informal dimensions, and represents different trends, types, and patterns in demographic terms. Methodology The present research is a quantitative descriptive study with an exploratory nature although it analyzed the current conditions. It was conducted to compare population characteristics and indices in formal and informal settlements in Sanandaj with a secondary analysis of raw data from the population and housing censuses in 2006, 2011, and 2016 in Sanandaj. After the data were processed and prepared, the districts were classified into settlement types based on previous research, and the population characteristics and indices in urban settlements were then compared and analyzed. Results and Discussion According to the results, the most dramatic demographic changes in Sanandaj, including those in size, population growth rate, and migration, had occurred in informal settlements. In addition, they are considered as the poles of attraction of the population along with the new settlement areas. There is instability and imbalance among the settlements in terms of the static characteristics of the population, including household density, residential unit quality, academic conditions, dependency burden, and employment status This indicates that informal settlements with larger households, smaller residential units, larger populations per room, and higher ratios of flimsy housing units are excluded from the proper cycle of economic and social urban life. These problems can all lead to occurrence of further urban challenges. Conclusion The present study revealed the existence of heterogeneous characteristics and demographic indices in the settlements of Sanandaj. Although the same pattern in terms of population processes cannot be considered for different districts, some settlements are characterized by both higher population growth and poorer housing, occupation, employment, and education. This makes them not only more vulnerable but also potential causes of urban issues and the Achilles’ heel of urban management. The policy solution proposed in this article is that it is necessary and fundamental to pay attention to the demographic characteristics and indices of informal settlements in the provision and advancement of a comprehensive approach to planning and management in order to upgrade and regenerate these settlements. The results of this paper provide important lessons for planners and policy-makers on population redistribution policies and urban management, and indicate the different dimensions and characteristics of population in districts and settlements of Sanandaj. Acknowledgment The authors would like to thank the Deputy of Statistics and Information of the Management and Planning Organization of Kurdistan Province for their provision of the available information concerning the general population and housing censuses of the districts of Sanandaj.
Motaleate Shahri, 2021
Highlights Organizing influential factors in realizing the diversity-oriented approach in the for... more Highlights Organizing influential factors in realizing the diversity-oriented approach in the form of causal, contextual, intervening, and consequential categories and strategies. Classification of influential factors in realizing the diversity-oriented approach in intellectual, political, instrumental, organizational, legal, financial, educational, and social-cultural infrastructures. Introducing grounded theory as a suitable method to understand all the influential factors in realizing the diversity-oriented approach in Rasht. Introduction As an Iranian city, Rasht is made up of diverse people of different ages, sexes, physical abilities, and ethnic backgrounds. Many of the world’s urban planning mechanisms have shifted to adopt diversity-oriented approaches and incorporate diversity and difference into urban planning processes by embracing the diversity of urban residents. However, the urban planning mechanism in Iran and the city of Rasht still treats citizens as the same thanks to modernist thoughts, disregarding the differences in age, sex, ethnicity, religion, and physical ability and, consequently, the differences in the citizens’ needs in the city. Planning theory and practice has recently become more conscious of the need to cater to diverse needs and preferences. Planning for diversity and difference is a social interpretation of planning for cities and an approach that considers the needs of different groups of people. This study aimed to identify the factors affecting the realization of diversity-oriented urban planning in Rasht based on the viewpoints of planning experts in the city. Theoretical Framework Diversity refers to the increasingly wide range of social and demographic backgrounds of people who live and work in the city. The notion of diversity is now used as a label for policies addressing the heterogeneity of local populations. Certain differences give rise to discrimination and disadvantage, while others do not. Gender, race, disability, and age are critical issues at the root of much discrimination in the society. The critical point is that differences between diverse social groups in enjoyment of the opportunities of urban planning measures are continually reproduced by a range of processes and policies, rendering a number of people mainstream and others marginal. Planning for diversity is a social interpretation of planning for cities, and is an approach that considers different groups of people. There are two conceptual frames, or ways of regarding this profoundly social interpretation of planning for cities, that need to be deployed simultaneously. Firstly, planning for diversity is planning for the diverse range of people who live in and use the city. Secondly, planning the institutional settings to encourage equality of access across places is planning to reduce difference. Methodology One of the most efficient qualitative research methods, the grounded theory method was used to help achieve the research purpose; since the research problem is multifaceted, complex, and procedural, grounded theory can be an excellent way to provide an understanding of all the adequate conditions and factors. A semi-structured questionnaire was developed for data collection. Then, in-depth interviews were conducted with ten of the planning experts of this city. Sampling was carried out using a nonrandom sampling method called Snowball Purposive Sampling. In this research, a systematic approach known as grounded theory was applied. The systematic approach emphasizes the adoption of data analysis steps, including open coding, axial coding, selective coding, and the development of a logical model or a visual description of the generated theory. After the collection of textual interview data, analysis and coding began along with sampling. Specialized qualitative research software called Max QDA was used for that purpose. The main tasks of this software are to categorize data and connect the categories and to enable more sophisticated data analysis. In grounded theory, the researcher extracts subcategories, main categories, and core categories from the data, and continues the analysis. Results and Discussion Finally, the factors effective on the realization of the diversity-oriented urban planning approach were identified, including 17 main categories and 59 subcategories and the relationships between them. These factors include 1) reflection to govern the urban planning mechanism, 2) significant urban planning policies, 3) improvement of the approach applied to develop urban development plans, 4) modification of the contents of urban development plans, 5) public demand, 6) types of urban planning system, 7) national laws protecting the rights of various social groups, 8) law enforcement, 9) citizens’ cultural and social characteristics, 10) financial strength of municipalities, 11) organizational structure of the authority implementing the plans, 12) inter-organizational coordination, 13) education of urban planning students, 14) the knowledge and experience of the producers of urban development plans, 15) city council approvals, 16) needs assessment, 17) improvement of the quality of the urban environment/diversity-oriented urban environment. In the next step, we selected the category of applying and realizing the diversity-oriented approach from the open coding stage, placed it at the center of the process studied as the central phenomenon, and then related the other categories to it. These categories include causal conditions, strategies, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, and consequences. Next, a diagram called the coding pattern was drawn, which illustrates the relationships between causal conditions, strategies, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, and consequences. In the following step, we developed a theory of the relationships between categories in the axial coding pattern. This theory provides an abstract description of the process examined in this study, namely the application and realization of the diversity-oriented urban planning approach. Conclusion The results demonstrate that a wide range of intellectual, procedural, instrumental, organizational, legal, financial, educational, and socio-cultural infrastructures effectively realize this approach. Identification and explanation of these factors can guide the future decisions and practices of Iran’s urban planning authorities to help recognize diverse social groups, respond to their different needs in the city, and address discrimination in urban planning practices. Acknowledgment This article has been extracted from the first author’s doctoral dissertation, entitled Developing a Conceptual Model of the Diversity-Oriented Urban Planning Approach: Case study of Rasht, defended at the Art University of Isfahan under the supervision of the second and third authors.
Motaleate Shahri, 2021
HighlightsThe greenery (shady trees and vegetation) and seating areas provide a good sense of goi... more HighlightsThe greenery (shady trees and vegetation) and seating areas provide a good sense of going out in the city‘Gardens and parks’ are one of the variables of the desirability of the urban night landscapeThe majority of nightlife consumers consider their perceived safety to be more due to ‘activities/people on the streets, etc.’The spatiotemporal flow of evening and night-time activities leads to more revenue and financial turnover for the city and municipality IntroductionNightlife and night-time economic attractions are a proper way to expand a working day and the impetus for national growth and development. The present study sought to answer the basic question of how the city of Rasht, Iran could provide a suitable platform for the spatiotemporal flow of activities in the evening and at night.by adopting an analytical framework of time geography and quantitative analysis of nightlife consumption practices in the city center.Theoretical FrameworkThere have been many studies outside Iran on urban nightlife, most of which refer to a combination of social science studies on alcohol and the night leisure industry (Aresi & Pedersen, 2016; Pedrero-García, 2018; Søgaard, 2017). Studies conducted in Iran on nightlife have addressed the topic differently from the research performed outside Iran; these studies have been focused on geography and tourism planning (Shaykh-Baygloo & Soltani, 2019), urban vitality (Ghazanfarpor et al., 2019), cultural factors (Anizadeh, 2018), urban night leisure planning (Kashfi, 2012), and urban night landscape with an emphasis on lighting (AkhavanSaraf et al., 2014). Against this background of research, the present study sought to complement the previous geographic research by adopting an analytical framework of time geography and a quantitative analysis of nightlife consumption practices at the center of Rasht. The innovative aspect of the present study, adopting an analytical framework of time geography, was the combination of two fields, namely nightlife consumption and perception of safety.The perception of safety, that is, the experience of the subjective feeling of being secure (Tulumello & Falanga, 2015), has been known as a key component of a well-functioning city (Cozens & Tarca, 2016). It is influenced by many factors, including the built environment and activities (Bennetts et al., 2017; Piroozfar et al., 2019; van Nes et al., 2016) as an attribute of safer places (Llewelyn-Davies & Partnership, 2004). The literature (Heshmati & Charehjoo, 2018; Park & Garcia, 2019; Piroozfar et al., 2019; Yaran et al., 2019) suggests that the activity factor alone cannot cause spatial differentiation, concentration and thus a greater sense of safety. The solution is to create a high-quality environment by providing different types of complementary opportunities and activities and thoughtfully designing spaces to minimize inconsistencies so as to host a variety of uses and users. This is doubly important in the discussion of nightlife.Urban spaces attract a large number of people at night. The most easily distinguishable time-space layer is that of life and business in the evening and the early hours of the night (usually during 9-11 PM, but sometimes during 6-11 PM) (Rowe & Bavinton, 2011). After evening business, night-time business (11 PM to 2 AM) begins, and the number and diversity of nightlife users decreases dramatically, resulting in fewer services, especially public transportation. The expected outcomes of the present study were the urban nightlife ideals: to identify nightlife consumption practices and evaluate the spatiotemporal flow of activities in two layers of time-space, i.e., evening-downtown Rasht and night-downtown Rasht, in terms of perceived safety, diversity, and inclusivity.MethodologyA questionnaire was used for the data collection. The participants were asked to provide information on the following:(1) geographic locations of night-time activities in the city; (2) types of nightlife activity, including the movies, cafes/restaurants, parks/green spaces, bazaars/shopping malls (commercial centers, hypermarkets, etc.), walking/running, gymnasiums, etc.; (3) arrival time and duration of the last night out; (4) companionship, involving group size and group composition in terms of gender and ethnicity.In a part of the questionnaire, the respondents were asked to evaluate their feelings of safety/lack of safety at a specific (nightlife activity/entertainment) location and state the reason. In addition, the questionnaire included questions about the respondents’ more general patterns of going out and their demographic and socioeconomic statuses. The respondents were asked how often they went out on average and where they often went for nightlife. They were also asked about their genders, ages, lifestyles (living conditions, place of residence), social classes (academic degree, occupation, and type of work), and ethnicities. The data were analyzed with descriptive and inferential statistical methods (chi-squared test and two-step cluster analysis) using the SPSS 26 software.Results and DiscussionThe cluster analysis indicated significant differences in the types of nightlife consumption in downtown Rasht. Nevertheless, the heterogeneity in the space-time paths of nightlife downtown could be summarized in two distinct patterns: going to the park and shopping. These patterns are diverse in many ways, but could be identified at a part of the city center (Sabzeh Meydan Park). The key predictors included the following in descending order of significance: group ethnicity (1.00), group gender (1.00), group size (1.00), type of nightlife activity/entertainment (0.82), average duration (0.60), living conditions (0.48), ethnicity (0.42), location (0.33), gender (0.27), and academic degree (0.18). In this study, occupation and type of work, place of residence, and age played insignificant roles. The findings demonstrated that the majority of nightlife consumers in downtown Rasht felt safe, and this perceived safety could be accounted for mainly (78.2%) by the factor known as activities/people on the street, etc. In the study area, women had a pivotal role in the social production of space, which could be attributed to their perception of the feeling of safety in the nightlife of downtown Rasht.ConclusionAccording to the above findings, the average time of arrival at the first nightlife activity/entertainment (19:28) and the average time spent downtown (3.21 h), Rasht can be a suitable platform for the spatiotemporal flow of activities only in the evening and the initial hours of the night (during 6-11 PM). To conclude, three practical suggestions are made simultaneously for revision of the current procedure: to diversify the activities performed downtown, to manage the area by improving the quality of urban spaces and supporting longer hours of night-time activities, and to provide frequent late-night public transport.AcknowledgmentThis article has been extracted from a doctoral dissertation entitled The Impact of the Physical Environment Attributes on the Perception of Safety and the Patterns of Space Use in Downtown Rasht Using Evaluative and Behavior-Based Mapping, developed by the fourth author under the supervision of the first author and the advisory of the second and third authors at the University of Tabriz.
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Volume 11, Issue 42. by Motaleate Shahri
Volume 11, Issue 41. by Motaleate Shahri
Volume 10, Issue 40. by Motaleate Shahri