Urban Planning
mitra azimi; mohsen afshari
Abstract
In the era of urban revolution and at the same time with the increasing growth of urbanization, new challenges are faced by the urban dwellers, which require the adoption of new measures to face them properly. Citizenship education is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective measures to effectively ...
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In the era of urban revolution and at the same time with the increasing growth of urbanization, new challenges are faced by the urban dwellers, which require the adoption of new measures to face them properly. Citizenship education is one of the most sustainable and cost-effective measures to effectively face these challenges in the future. Experts believe that moving towards sustainable development and continuity of development trends in cities and localities requires the presence of informed, educated and responsible citizens. Therefore, in many countries, they have started providing citizenship education from kindergartens and schools, and through the development and implementation of development plans, especially at the neighborhood level, this type of education is being pursued comprehensively. to represent Harandi neighborhood of Tehran, located in district 12 of the municipality, despite having a historical record and also providing special services in the network of economic activities of the city, is considered one of the focal points of social damage in Tehran. In order to reduce these damages, more than 18 development projects have been implemented so far. Examining these plans shows that, despite the importance and role of citizenship education in reducing the harms and problems of urban life, all aspects and aspects of it have not been considered by the planners. Now, in this research, an attempt has been made to measure and evaluate the category of citizenship education in neighborhood projects from the point of view of its existence and effectiveness. This research is of a qualitative type and while analyzing the content of the documents, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 municipal managers, employees of the active community councils in the neighborhood and experts in the urban area, and all data were analyzed using the Maxqda software. have been analyzed to provide a more accurate picture of the place of citizenship education in the development plans of Harandi neighborhood. The output of this research shows that, in addition to the need to pay attention to the structural differences of Harandi neighborhood with other neighborhoods in Tehran, the development of this neighborhood and the reduction of its damages require a special revision in local development plans based on the indicators of citizenship education.
Urban Planning
Aliakbar Salaripour; Mani Talebi Soumesaraie
Abstract
Formulating a Conceptual-Executive Pattern of Critical Urbanism Pedagogy
(Case study: Rasht Creative City)
Extended abstract
Introduction
Urbanism Pedagogy is an infrastructure requirement for informed public participation in the realization of urban development plans, which reduces errors by both ...
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Formulating a Conceptual-Executive Pattern of Critical Urbanism Pedagogy
(Case study: Rasht Creative City)
Extended abstract
Introduction
Urbanism Pedagogy is an infrastructure requirement for informed public participation in the realization of urban development plans, which reduces errors by both urban management and citizens in the planning and implementation process. The lack of a long-term perspective on the profound effects of urbanism education, the low level of belief and trust in continuous learning, and the gap between educational environments and operational areas, are the main reasons for addressing the issue of critical urbanism pedagogy in Rasht creative city as a research study environment.
Theoretical Framework
Analysis of theoretical concepts and approaches related to "critical urbanism pedagogy" such as “Critical Urban Pedagogy”, “Urban Critical Literacy”, “Critical Urban Learning”, “Critical Pedagogy of Place” and “Critical consciousness” show that after identifying common global concerns, a specific language is needed to develop urbanism pedagogy. This grammar is based on understanding the socio-cultural issues of the society under study, and accordingly, raising public awareness of citizenship rights and commitment to social justice based on urban planning-oriented education is essential. In the continuation of this process, explaining socio-cultural conflicts and accepting the current situation leads to a review of pedagogical approaches. After that, strengthening critical awareness in spatial dimensions can be effective in improving urbanism pedagogy, insofar as this goal can be achieved by improving educational environments and creating a citizenship space based on urbanism knowledge and experiences.
Methodology
The research method is qualitative and using the grounded theory approach, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted and based on this, 102 open codes, 29 axial codes and 8 selective codes were analyzed. The sample size includes 15 experts from NGOs, university professors, education officials and urban management. The Rasht creative city is a member of the UNESCO global network, as the field environment of this research, and for UNESCO is very important that manage creative human resources to achieve sustainable development goals based on education.
Results and Discussion
The conceptual-executive model of "Critical Urbanism Pedagogy" of the Rasht Creative City, in accordance with the theoretical framework of the research, has 5 main stages that require sequential steps, including these stages: 1. Identifying problems and with the "Critical Urban Literacy" approach; 2. Accepting and adjusting social and cultural conflicts with the "Critical Urban Education" approach; 3. Modifying ineffective pedagogical approaches with the "Critical Global Citizenship Education" approach; 4. Transforming implementation models by strengthening accountable and critical institutions with the "Critical Urban Learning" approach; 5. Developing learning environments with stakeholder participation and accountability with the "Critical Pedagogy of Place" approach.
Conclusion
The final result shows that reforming the executive structures and improving the quantity and quality of content in mainstream education is necessary, but not sufficient, and in order to transform the pedagogy of critical urbanism, achieving learning environments will have a more effective and efficient result. To this end, producing content with various tools in urban and virtual spaces, holding effective educational events with the participation of all stakeholders, and providing various physical infrastructures through investment incentives, government, or directing charitable urbanism actions are the executive suggestions of the research.
Keywords
Critical Urbanism Pedagogy, Rasht Creative City, Learning Environments, Creative city Management, Conceptual-Executive Pattern.
Highlights
Rasht Creative City has material, spiritual and social capital to develop “Critical Urbanism Pedagogy”;
Recognizing and accepting socio-cultural conflicts to correct ineffective approaches in the development of urban planning education;
Expanding critical awareness of the power mechanism in maintaining and developing urban spaces in the process of Critical Urbanism Pedagogy;
Developing learning environments and publicizing urban planning education by providing infrastructure, producing content, holding events, tool-building and capacity-building in urban and virtual spaces.
Urban Planning
Farshad Nourian; sara vosoughi
Abstract
A substantial body of informality literature has emphasized the pivotal role of state power in suspending the law. These studies focus on the idea of informality from above, portraying the state as a unified entity with significant control over society and viewing law as an objective and fixed concept ...
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A substantial body of informality literature has emphasized the pivotal role of state power in suspending the law. These studies focus on the idea of informality from above, portraying the state as a unified entity with significant control over society and viewing law as an objective and fixed concept that forms the basis of the state's bureaucratic practices. More recently, there has been a shift to expand the concept of power beyond the state and to challenge the idea of law as purely objective and neutral. According to this growing de-centered approach to informality, this article examines dynamic interconnections between law and power to shed light on the social and practical construction of law as a fundamentally indeterminate concept in urban governance, where a multitude of networked actors, both inside and outside the government, largely shape processes and outcomes. Relying on the Foucauldian Reading of Power relations and truth discourses, this article outlines how power relations can shape legality discourses in the context of controversial decision-making in urban planning. In this sense, through a Foucauldian discourse analysis of acquired rights in the revision of the Urban Renewal project in Samen District, the article provides an empirically grounded discussion that renders the power/law nexus visible. The data originated from 15 narrative in-depth interviews, 200 official documents (including planning documents, official correspondence, approvals, and reports of official meetings), as well as 130 unofficial documents (including press reports of official interviews, official meetings, official speeches, reports of official websites of the institutions). The analysis shows that the power struggles within and beyond the state produce various discourses of (il)legality, which provide different answers to critical questions such as who is entitled to interpret the acquired rights, what the definition of the acquired rights is, and Whose interest the acquired rights respond to?. As a result of the long-lasting disputes among four discourses on the acquired rights (extralegal, extended, reconciliatory, argumentative), the vast deregulation that was informally adopted to manage project investment was finally authorized in formal urban governance. The findings of this study demonstrate that informality is not necessarily the ungovernable realm outside of formal planning. This study shows that power dynamics create competing discursive claims of legality, which justify the subject positions who have the authority to determine what is legal, legitimize the elaboration of the notion of the law, and rationalize legal decisions based on serving the public interest or not. Rather than following established bureaucratic processes based on written law, these competing discursive claims of legality shape formal decision-making. In these processes, power reshapes the legal notion of law and redefines formality/informality boundaries within urban planning and governance. This complex interplay of power and law demonstrates that informality, often viewed as a violation of urban planning laws, can gradually become a regular part of urban planning. This process which can be named "informality from within formal urban planning" challenges the formality/informality binary that equates planning with law and informality with the absence of law.
Urban Planning
Amirhamzeh Shahbazi
Abstract
Introduction
Urban planners are faced with a big question of whether libraries, like some obsolete urban uses such as public baths, caravanserais, water reservoirs, and the like, are facing the process of decreasing performance or destroying their place. The rapid expansion of communication technology, ...
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Introduction
Urban planners are faced with a big question of whether libraries, like some obsolete urban uses such as public baths, caravanserais, water reservoirs, and the like, are facing the process of decreasing performance or destroying their place. The rapid expansion of communication technology, the increase of digital tools, and the access of individuals and institutions have caused the production and dissemination of scientific and cultural products in recent decades, especially in the first decade or two of the 21st century. This has caused an amazing transformation. Because the preparation and publication of paper scientific and cultural products are done by individuals and institutions themselves and in a digital way, instead of publishing institutions. In the meantime, the request of citizens for quick, low-cost, timely, and complete access to information has resulted in an emerging phenomenon called "research without visiting the library" based on communication and information technology, the global Internet, social networks, and virtual space.
Methodology
This applied research was conducted with a descriptive-analytical method and a sample size of 480 people (doctoral, master's, and bachelor's students) with a researcher-made questionnaire and two-stage random sampling in Zahedan city (University of Sistan and Baluchistan, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences and Islamic Azad University of Zahedan). The validity of the data collection tool has been confirmed by university professors and reliability is based on Cronbach's index (0.752). The sampling method was a simple random method. Analysis models include U-Mann-Whitney and Kendall's tau-c non-parametric statistical inference model, Cramer's V, and Kruskal Wallis statistical inference model, Sign. test and Chi-Square and Crosstab, Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Shapiro-Wilk non-parametric statistical inference model.
Results and discussion
The findings showed that the traditional position of libraries as a cultural urban use with a certain population threshold and a certain functional sphere of influence is facing a significant decrease. 58% of students said they never went to the library or they rarely go. 44% of students consider the position and role of libraries to be too much or too much to decrease. In addition, there is an inverse and significant relationship between students' access to scientific databases such as Scopus, SID, and Science Direct and their belief that the position of the library is decreasing. The relationship between visiting the library and having a computer, printer, modem, and smartphone was analyzed. The results showed; that the degree of ownership or access to a desktop-laptop computer, printer, modem, or smart mobile, has an inverse relationship with the perception of the location of the library. 39% of students did not have any equipment; on the other hand, 75% of students who had complete equipment consider the position of the library as a decrease. In the supplementary analysis, it was determined that the amount of students' use of the Internet for academic research is directly related to the decrease in the library's position (with a significance level of 0.002 in Cramer's V statistical inference model), students who have used the Internet very little, 35% and students who have used the Internet a lot, 69% consider the position of the library to be low. In addition, contrary to the expectation that it was thought that the higher the level of education of the students and towards postgraduate education; The rate of their visits to the library increases; not confirmed The results of the first hypothesis test with non-parametric statistical inference "sign test" (suitable for non-normal data; and single group) with an error level of 0.033 showed that the library position is decreasing. The results of the second hypothesis test regarding the relationship between the number of students visiting the library and their level of education were rejected with Kendall's tau-c non-parametric statistical inference model with a significance level of 0.16. The results of the third hypothesis test. It indicates a significant relationship between the number of students visiting the library and the characteristics of their field and faculty. Kruskal-Wallis's non-parametric statistical inference model was used to test the hypothesis.
Conclusion
Based on the principles of urban planning, the library is a place-oriented urban use (specifically at the neighborhood, district, and city levels) and time-oriented (specific working hours and closing hours); therefore, the location of the library has three characteristics. First, it has a specific population threshold. Second, it has a certain radius of action and sphere of influence. The third one is open and serviced only in certain time frames and hours. But the cyber revolution has caused the library to be fixed and determined without being dependent on place and time and the radius of its function; To perform its functions with the coverage of unlimited access, in the field of influence and the radius of unlimited access, in the immediate time frame, 24 hours and all 365 days of the year. The findings of survey research in three major universities (University of Sistan and Baluchestan, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, and Islamic Azad University of Zahedan) showed: that the better the students had the equipment to access cyberspace and typing and publishing, the other hand, students without these facilities considered the position of the library to be decreasing and declining. The degree of students' access to Elsevier and ScienceDirect scientific databases is inversely related to their assessment of the library's position. The results showed that the function and position of the library is permanent and rooted. However, the form of providing services is significantly and rapidly abandoned from the triple determinism of "location-oriented, compliance with the population threshold within a certain physical influence radius, time-oriented" and is intensified with the expansion of artificial intelligence. These findings make both urban planners and trustees of (university) libraries aware of the rapid process of transformations. It is suggested that research be done in the field of public libraries and for all citizens to achieve more results and the possibility of generalizing the findings.
Urban Planning
Fatemeh Shams; Mohammad Reza Pourjafar; Seyed Mahdi Khatami; ali soltani
Abstract
Highlights- The prevailing understanding of neighborhoods has lacked a dialectical perspective and has been devoid of social and semantic layers.- Over time, the concept of a neighborhood has evolved from a purely physical entity to a more complex semantic, perceptual, and mental construct.- The traditional ...
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Highlights- The prevailing understanding of neighborhoods has lacked a dialectical perspective and has been devoid of social and semantic layers.- Over time, the concept of a neighborhood has evolved from a purely physical entity to a more complex semantic, perceptual, and mental construct.- The traditional neighborhood, as an identifiable civic entity, comprises four key elements: space, time, citizen, and activity.- Revisiting the core themes of the social ontology of traditional neighborhoods can contribute to the revitalization of contemporary urban neighborhoods.- The social capacities and sociability of a neighborhood form the fundamental themes of the social ontology of traditional neighborhoods.IntroductionOver the past decades, numerous discussions have attempted to define the concept of a neighborhood. Initially, the definition of a neighborhood was rooted in the principle of separation, emphasizing the presence of social boundaries. However, as urban development advanced, the transformation of neighborhoods in the modern era signaled the emergence of new conceptualizations, where planning and design often preceded social structures.Despite extensive academic discourse, a universally accepted definition of a neighborhood remains elusive. Examining the spatial aspects of neighborhoods requires a well-defined theoretical framework that captures the lived experiences of residents and the interrelationship between people, activities, and spaces. The ambiguity in defining neighborhoods stems from the absence of a standardized conceptual framework, resulting in varied interpretations and applications across disciplines. This challenge has hindered the ability of urban scholars to fully grasp the implications of neighborhood effects on social interactions and urban cohesion.Theoretical FrameworkNeighborhoods have long been a focal point of social science research. Sociologists have regarded neighborhoods as "genuine phenomena" with intrinsic social significance. The scientific study of neighborhoods as independent subjects gained traction in the late 19th century. By the 1960s, the concept of the neighborhood had gained prominence within professional communities, yet definitions increasingly overlooked its locational aspects.In the 21st century, social theorists revisited early neighborhood conceptualizations, such as those formulated by the Chicago School, which emphasized demographic characteristics as defining factors. This approach viewed neighborhoods primarily through socio-economic, moral, and racial transformations. However, the perception of neighborhoods gradually shifted from being purely physical constructs to more perceptual and mental entities, characterized by four key dimensions: space, time (history), citizens (individuals, groups, and institutions), and activities or functions.Historical research suggests that the concept of a neighborhood is best understood as a dynamic and evolving process. The "accumulation of similar behavioral patterns" and a "valued perception of a fixed territory" contribute to the neighborhood's identity. Modernity has introduced additional complexities, reinforcing the importance of reevaluating traditional neighborhood frameworks.MethodologyThis study is classified as fundamental research with a qualitative approach. Utilizing a descriptive-analytical method, it employs a systematic review and thematic analysis technique to analyze 36 primary sources. The research follows a six-step process:Immersion in the dataGeneration of primary codesIdentification of themesExamination and refinement of themesDefinition and naming of themesReport preparationResults and DiscussionThe research findings indicate that the social ontology of traditional neighborhoods revolves around two main themes:Capacities of Local Communities, encompassing:Social attachment, which includes attitudinal and behavioral attachment, neighborhood satisfaction, emotional investment, preservation of neighborhood assets, social belonging, pride, and the willingness to defend neighborhood boundaries.Social cohesion, which involves fostering deep interpersonal bonds, shared traditions, community participation, and a collective sense of kinship.Community Neighborhood Acceptance, comprising:Social obligations, which include collective goals, participatory social practices, neighborhood honor, tolerance, mutual trust, crisis unity, and resident engagement in shaping the neighborhood’s future.Public good and empowerment, which pertains to the enhancement of interpersonal resources, skill development, neighborhood loyalty, social support systems, local entrepreneurship, and the sustainability of cultural and economic self-sufficiency.These thematic elements highlight the critical role of neighborhood sociability in fostering cohesive, resilient, and sustainable urban communities. The study underscores that social attachment and cohesion serve as foundational elements for the vitality of traditional neighborhoods.ConclusionThis study aimed to reinterpret the concept of the traditional neighborhood and examine its transformation across different historical periods. By exploring the social aspects of traditional neighborhoods, it identified four primary components that shape their ontology: space, time, citizen, and activity. These elements interact dynamically, influencing both urban structure and citizenship practices.Over time, the understanding of neighborhoods has transitioned from being purely physical constructs to more semantic, perceptual, and mental entities. However, despite this conceptual evolution, neighborhoods remain tangible manifestations of social and spatial dynamics. The increasing divergence between social and physical structures, coupled with enhanced mobility and technological advancements, has complicated the definition and lived experience of neighborhoods in contemporary urban contexts.The findings suggest that revitalizing urban neighborhoods requires a return to the foundational principles of traditional neighborhood design. By integrating social ontology into modern urban planning, policymakers and designers can cultivate more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable urban environments.
Urban Planning
esmail DALIR
Abstract
Highlights
- Citizens' bioethics is influenced by various dimensions of social justice.
- The habitual practice of bioethical principles is fostered through fairness.
- Commitment to alleviating the suffering of others is achieved through equality.
- Economic, social, cultural, and educational foundations ...
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Highlights
- Citizens' bioethics is influenced by various dimensions of social justice.
- The habitual practice of bioethical principles is fostered through fairness.
- Commitment to alleviating the suffering of others is achieved through equality.
- Economic, social, cultural, and educational foundations enhance the effectiveness of social justice in bioethics.
Introduction
Bioethics serves as a fundamental pillar in establishing a moral society and fostering a genuine sense of justice. Addressing social and ethical challenges is a priority for global institutions, including the United Nations, which highlights bioethics as a means to uphold human dignity and equality. A critical aspect of bioethics is its relationship with justice, particularly social justice, which involves the equitable distribution of societal benefits among its members. Bioethical principles must therefore encompass multiple ethical standards such as equality, necessity, capability, effort, and social needs. This study aims to assess the influence of social justice on bioethics and evaluate its realization across the urban areas of Ardabil.
Theoretical Framework
Potter posits that humanity faces a moral and ethical crisis, impacting not only socio-economic development but also the ethical integrity of society. Bioethics, in this context, serves as a corrective measure to realign individuals with moral principles. Rentorf and Kemp argue that justice should be the ultimate goal of bioethics and biological rights. Social justice, when framed through the principles of fairness, equality, necessity, and economic individualism, significantly strengthens bioethics by promoting respect, non-exploitation, benevolence, and fairness.
John Rawls' theory of social justice is foundational to this study, emphasizing two key principles: the principle of freedom and the principle of difference. The latter suggests that social and economic disparities should be structured to ensure equitable opportunities for all. In essence, "fair equality of opportunity" dictates that every individual should have the same chances of success, regardless of their socio-economic status.
Methodology
This study adopts an applied research approach with a descriptive-analytical method to explore the impact of social justice on bioethics in Ardabil. The degree of social justice realization was measured through four key variables:
Fairness (cooperation, benevolence, sympathy, compassion)
Equality (equal opportunities, freedom, elimination of discrimination, unity, respect for laws)
Necessity (security, participation, health and hygiene, education, equal share)
Economic individualism (domestic goods, economic freedom, private property, personal interests, competition)
Each variable was assessed using five indicators, resulting in a total of 20 items. A structured questionnaire consisting of 40 research questions, rated on a Likert scale (1=very little to 5=very much), was distributed to a statistically representative sample of 383 individuals drawn from Ardabil's population of 529,374, using the Cochran formula. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Excel, and GIS mapping was employed to rank the urban areas based on their realization of social justice indicators.
Results and Discussion
Factor analysis revealed that the fairness variable had the highest realization level (16.95), indicating that cooperation, benevolence, sympathy, and compassion were the most influential aspects of bioethics among Ardabil’s citizens. The equality variable ranked second (15.27), reflecting significant social justice elements such as equal opportunities, freedom, elimination of discrimination, and respect for laws. The necessity variable (13.82) took the third place, emphasizing the importance of security, participation, education, health, and equitable distribution of resources. The economic individualism variable ranked lowest (13.73), suggesting that aspects such as private property, economic freedom, and competition had the least impact on bioethical considerations.
Using the WASPAS model, the urban areas were ranked as follows based on the realization of social justice indicators:
Region 1 - Qi 0.5393 (slightly above average)
Region 2 - Qi 0.4258 (42.58% realization of social justice in bioethics)
Region 5 - Qi 0.4099
Region 3 - Qi 0.3978
Region 4 - Qi 0.3803 (lowest realization of social justice in bioethics)
Conclusion
This study underscores the importance of integrating social justice principles into urban planning policies to enhance bioethics among citizens. Addressing social challenges through bioethics must be rooted in justice, ensuring that both individual and collective needs are met through equitable policies and practices. The findings highlight the necessity for targeted interventions to promote fairness, equality, and social well-being across different urban areas.
Urban Planning
Bahador Zamani; Ehsan Babaei Salanghooch
Abstract
Highlights
High-quality grounded theory methodology (GTM) research in urban planning and design requires a deep understanding of GTM’s nature, versions, characteristics, and core principles.
Lack of adherence to all GTM principles can hinder the primary goal of GTM: theory generation.
Many ...
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Highlights
High-quality grounded theory methodology (GTM) research in urban planning and design requires a deep understanding of GTM’s nature, versions, characteristics, and core principles.
Lack of adherence to all GTM principles can hinder the primary goal of GTM: theory generation.
Many GTM studies reviewed in this paper could have applied a more accurate version of GTM.
GTM research in urban planning and design should clearly present evidence of key actions taken during data collection and analysis.
Introduction
In recent years, grounded theory methodology (GTM) has become more prevalent in research fields related to the built environment, especially urban planning and design. However, a lack of thorough understanding of GTM’s foundational principles and versions has often led to research with eclectic interpretations of GTM, sometimes diverging from GTM’s fundamental aims and processes. This study systematically evaluates GTM-based research in urban planning and design, aiming to understand the adherence to GTM’s essential principles within these studies and to provide recommendations for future research.
Theoretical Framework
GTM has evolved significantly since its inception by Glaser and Strauss, with various adaptations. Early on, Leonard Schatzman’s development of dimensional analysis marked a significant shift (Schatzman 1991). Kathy Charmaz, a student of both founders, advanced constructivist grounded theory. Adele Clarke, another prominent figure in GTM’s development, integrated Strauss’s social worlds and arenas framework with situational analysis (Clarke 2005; Clarke et al. 2018). Numerous other adaptations have since emerged, including critical realist GTM (Oliver 2011), transformational GTM (Redman-MacLaren and Mills 2015), multi-grounded theory (Goldkuhl and Cronholm 2010), and feminist GTM (Wuest 1995). Despite these variations, GTM’s core principles remain central across adaptations, including simultaneous data collection and analysis, data coding, constant comparison, theoretical sampling, theoretical saturation, memo writing, and integrating the theoretical framework within existing literature (Charmaz 2014; Corbin and Strauss 2014).
Methodology
This study conducted a systematic review across Persian-language scientific databases, including the Jahad Daneshgahi Scientific Information Center, the Comprehensive Humanities Portal, and Noor Specialized Journals, encompassing a broad range of fields like art, architecture, and social sciences. The search yielded 834 articles, of which duplicate and non-peer-reviewed articles were excluded. Studies were further narrowed down to those authored by urban planning professionals or featuring urban planning participants, specifically employing GTM as the sole research method or methodology. Articles from other disciplines, such as architecture and tourism, were excluded. Inclusion criteria focused on Persian-language articles published between 1967 (the year GTM was introduced) and 2020, specifically on urban design and planning and explicitly using GTM.
Descriptive characteristics, including author(s), publication year, purpose, data collection methods, applied GTM version, and role of GTM in the research, were extracted for analysis. This assessment was based on the quality guideline by Hutchinson et al. (2011).
Results
Out of the reviewed studies, 32 (73%) justified their use of GTM. GTM’s role varied:
1 study (2%) described GTM as a methodology
32 studies (73%) as a method
12 studies (29%) as an approach
5 studies (11%) as an approach (repeated category)
2 studies (5%) as a data analysis tool Four studies (11%) referenced GTM without specifying its methodological role.
Regarding GTM versions used:
8 studies (18%) did not specify a version
29 studies (66%) used the Strauss and Corbin version
2 studies (5%) used Charmaz’s constructivist version
1 study (2%) referenced Glaser’s approach
1 study (2%) referenced Clarke’s situational analysis
3 studies (7%) used a combination of versions.
In terms of adherence to GTM principles, studies showed varied application levels. Only one study applied all seven GTM principles. Other studies used between one to six principles, with one study applying none. For outcomes:
7 studies (16%) achieved theory generation
6 studies (14%) presented descriptive themes and narratives
29 studies (67%) used diagrams or models
1 study (2%) presented a conceptual framework
1 study (2%) reported a paradigm model.
Overall, this evaluation indicated that while GTM is increasingly used in urban planning and design research, many studies have not fully applied GTM’s principles. Consequently, their outputs often consist of descriptive themes or diagrams rather than theoretical contributions. Some studies applied only select GTM techniques, such as coding, without employing processes like theoretical sampling and constant comparison, limiting them to descriptive results rather than theory building.
Conclusion
This study’s findings indicate that to improve GTM research quality in urban planning and design, researchers must thoroughly understand GTM’s nature, versions, and core principles. A deep comprehension of different GTM versions allows for selecting the most suitable approach for the research’s goals and objectives, ensuring robust theory generation.
Urban Planning
Bahare Bahra; Mojtaba Rafieian
Abstract
Highlights:
- Understanding urban conflicts often relies on typologies specific to the context, a focus that has drawn considerable attention since the 1980s, especially in urban studies.
- The classification of conflicts in urban planning is based on factors such as causal forces, spatial patterns, ...
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Highlights:
- Understanding urban conflicts often relies on typologies specific to the context, a focus that has drawn considerable attention since the 1980s, especially in urban studies.
- The classification of conflicts in urban planning is based on factors such as causal forces, spatial patterns, conflict intensity, scale, sources, topics, and planning theory typology.
- Urban planners' approaches to conflict and its management are heavily influenced by the structural, political, and organizational cultures of their institutional environments.
Introduction: Urban planning has evolved significantly in response to changing socio-economic and political realities, particularly as cities enter the 21st century. The multiplicity of societal interests and conflicting preferences has made conflict an integral part of urban planning processes. Planners, now more than ever, must grapple with these conflicts, as they can significantly impact the success or failure of urban policies and initiatives.
Although the discussion surrounding conflict in urban planning has existed for decades, it gained momentum in the 1970s and became especially prevalent in the 1980s with the rise of participatory planning approaches. As participatory models developed, urban theorists began paying more attention to conflicts as an inherent part of urban governance. However, the literature surrounding conflict in urban planning remains fragmented, with differing theoretical and practical approaches. This study aims to bridge this gap by systematically classifying conflicts based on the dominant theoretical, philosophical, and contextual frameworks present in planning theory.
Theoretical Framework: Understanding and managing conflict in urban planning requires a systematic typology that reflects the nature of these disputes in different contexts. Conflict typologies in urban planning research generally fall into two major categories: managerial and theoretical. The managerial approach focuses on decision-making processes, conflict resolution techniques, impact assessments, and institutional analysis. This approach aligns with organizational and management studies and seeks to devise strategies for managing conflicts effectively.
In contrast, the theoretical approach seeks to understand the root causes of conflicts, emphasizing the philosophical and epistemological underpinnings of urban planning. Theoretical perspectives examine conflicts through lenses such as power dynamics, the role of planning theory, and the influence of political institutions. These two broad approaches—the managerial and the theoretical—are frequently applied within a third situational context, which examines specific urban conflicts tied to space, land use, urban development, regeneration projects, and large-scale initiatives.
Methodology: This research employs a systematic review methodology to analyze the evolution of conflict and conflict management in urban planning. The data collection involved a meta-analysis and qualitative content analysis of 139 English-language articles found in the Scopus database. Following the content analysis, an in-depth review of 46 additional sources helped trace the historical development of conflict theories and practices in urban planning.
The meta-analysis allowed the study to categorize the diverse approaches to conflict in urban planning into three main paradigms: positivist, post-positivist, and critical. Each of these paradigms brings a unique perspective to conflict management. For example, the positivist paradigm seeks guided consensus, while the post-positivist paradigm looks to resolve conflicts through consensus based on discourse ethics. The critical paradigm, on the other hand, challenges consensus-building as a form of hegemony, arguing that conflicts are constantly reproduced within the structures of urban governance.
Results and Discussion: The systematic review revealed that conflicts in urban planning can be broadly classified into three key approaches: managerial, theoretical, and situational. These approaches intersect in different ways, depending on the specific context in which the conflict arises. For example, situational conflicts often arise in areas related to spatial patterns, land use, ownership disputes, and urban regeneration projects. Managerial conflicts are tied to the processes of decision-making, institutional design, and conflict resolution strategies. Theoretical conflicts explore deeper issues, such as the role of power in planning and the underlying philosophies that guide urban policy.
In terms of paradigmatic shifts, the evolution of conflict management in urban planning has seen a movement from positivist approaches, which aimed to engineer consensus, to post-positivist approaches that emphasized the ethics of discourse and negotiation. More recently, critical theorists have argued that consensus itself is a mechanism for maintaining power imbalances and that conflicts are never fully resolved but continually reproduced within urban planning processes. This shift reflects a broader political turn in the field of urban planning, where conflicts are understood not just as problems to be solved but as symptoms of deeper systemic issues.
Conclusion: The evolution of conflict in urban planning reflects broader ideological and political shifts in the discipline. While early approaches sought to manage conflict through structured consensus-building, more recent perspectives recognize the inherent power dynamics at play in urban governance. Planners today must move beyond traditional regulatory roles and contribute to rethinking urban policy and transforming the symbolic and physical dimensions of urban spaces. However, the effectiveness of planners' roles in conflict management largely depends on the structural contexts and political cultures of the institutions within which they operate. Understanding and addressing these conflicts requires a multifaceted approach that considers both managerial and theoretical perspectives.
Urban Planning
Mohammad Reza YazdanPanah Shahabadi; Zeinab Adeli
Abstract
Highlights:
- There are distinct differences in the degree of place attachment across the scales of home, neighbourhood, and city.
- Place attachment is strongest at the scale of the home, followed by the city, and lastly, the neighbourhood.
- The factors shaping place attachment are tangible and ...
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Highlights:
- There are distinct differences in the degree of place attachment across the scales of home, neighbourhood, and city.
- Place attachment is strongest at the scale of the home, followed by the city, and lastly, the neighbourhood.
- The factors shaping place attachment are tangible and objective at the scale of the home, intangible and subjective at the scale of the city, and a combination of both at the neighbourhood scale.
Introduction:
Place attachment is an important concept for evaluating the spatial quality of environments, particularly due to its psychological dimension and its strong relationship to the broader concept of sense of place in urban spaces. While the subject has been extensively studied in various fields related to place, less attention has been given to how the scale of place—whether it is the home, neighbourhood, or city—affects the development of this attachment. This study aims to identify and explore the key factors influencing place attachment across these three scales. By understanding the differences in place attachment at varying levels, this research will contribute to a more nuanced approach in urban studies, planning, and design.
Theoretical Framework:
Recent models of place attachment emphasize that, in addition to personal and locational characteristics, both social and physical factors play a vital role in shaping the sense of attachment. The key factors influencing place attachment can be summarized as follows:
Physical Characteristics of a Place: These include elements that range from the smaller scale of the home and neighbourhood to larger urban and national contexts. This includes aspects such as housing satisfaction, the availability and efficiency of services, architectural and aesthetic values, and the sense of safety.
Individual Characteristics: Factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, marital status, homeownership, personal values, and community beliefs all significantly impact place attachment. Furthermore, experiences, memories, cultural background, and religion contribute to this connection.
Duration of Interaction with a Place: Research indicates that place attachment is a gradual process. Altman associates a stronger attachment with longer periods of residence, as this tends to result in the formation of deeper relationships and connections with the local community.
Social Characteristics: The development of place attachment also requires meaningful, long-term engagement and participation within the community. Social participation is seen as one of the strongest drivers of emotional attachment to a place, fostering a sense of security and belonging.
Methodology:
This research adopts a qualitative approach, utilizing in-depth interviews to explore the factors influencing place attachment across three scales—home, neighbourhood, and city. The interviews were conducted in six different neighbourhoods in Tehran, which were selected using a cluster sampling method. Two neighbourhoods were chosen from privileged areas (Darband and Jamaran), two from middle-income areas (Tarasht and West Tehran-Pars), and two from low-income areas (Bolur-Sazi and 13th Aban). The interviews were carried out until theoretical saturation was achieved, with a total of 66 interviews (27 men and 39 women) conducted. Each neighbourhood was represented by 11 interviews. The selected participants were individuals over the age of 25 who had lived in the same neighbourhood for at least five years.
Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Key concepts related to place attachment were extracted and categorized into factors influencing attachment at the scales of home, neighbourhood, and city.
Results and Discussion:
At the home scale, four major categories were identified:
- Housing structure
- Social belonging
- Environmental efficiency
- Semantic belonging
At the neighbourhood scale, the factors influencing place attachment included:
- Neighbourhood efficiency
- Sense of belonging
- Social capital
- Institutional-cognitive values
At the city scale, four categories emerged:
- Vitality
- Accessibility and efficiency
- Social dependence
- Perceptual-semantic value
The research revealed significant differences in place attachment across these scales. Place attachment is notably strongest at the home scale, followed by the city, with attachment to the neighbourhood being comparatively weaker. However, this does not minimize the importance of the neighbourhood in shaping place attachment. Further analysis showed that individuals with low attachment to their neighbourhood generally exhibited weak attachment to both the city and their home. This suggests that a certain minimum level of neighbourhood attachment is necessary for the formation of a more comprehensive sense of place attachment.
Moreover, the study highlighted differences in the nature of the factors influencing attachment at each scale. At the home level, factors are primarily tangible and objective—such as the physical structure of the house, its functionality, and the immediate social environment. In contrast, at the city scale, factors are more intangible and subjective, involving perceptions of the city's vitality, accessibility, and social dynamics. The neighbourhood scale represented a blend of both objective and subjective factors, reflecting its intermediary role in individuals' experiences of place.
Conclusion:
The findings of this research underscore the complexity of place attachment and its variation across different scales of place. While the home scale fosters the strongest attachment, followed by the city, the neighbourhood still plays a crucial role in shaping individuals' overall place attachment. The neighbourhood can act as a source of identity and attachment, although it requires further exploration to fully understand its dynamic relationship with other scales. Additionally, the concrete and objective factors that influence attachment at the home scale are contrasted with the more intangible, subjective elements at the city scale, while the neighbourhood embodies a hybrid of these characteristics. This nuanced understanding of place attachment and its relation to the scale of place offers valuable insights for urban planning and design, particularly in fostering environments that strengthen place attachment across all levels of urban life.
Urban Planning
Yaghob Abdali; Saeed Zanganeh Shahraki; hossein hataminejad; Ahmad Pourahmad; Mohammd Salmani
Abstract
Highlights:
Flooding is one of the most common, widespread, and devastating natural disasters.
Strengthening capacities to better prepare for, cope with, and recover from adverse effects is crucial for addressing increasing risks from natural events.
This article establishes a framework for building ...
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Highlights:
Flooding is one of the most common, widespread, and devastating natural disasters.
Strengthening capacities to better prepare for, cope with, and recover from adverse effects is crucial for addressing increasing risks from natural events.
This article establishes a framework for building resilience in Khorramabad city.
Introduction:
Global climate changes, primarily manifested as global warming and rapid urbanization, exacerbate extreme weather events. Statistics indicate that floods are among the most prevalent and catastrophic natural disasters (Safiah Yusmah et al., 2020: 552). Urban floods caused by heavy rainfall have evolved from gradual accumulation to sudden surges (Masozera et al., 2007: 299; Hallegatte et al., 2013: 802). Therefore, urban flood resilience, crucial for flood control and disaster reduction, has garnered increasing research focus (Obrist et al., 2010: 284; Xu et al., 2018: 5298). The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015-2030), endorsed by the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015, and the 2018 Beijing Resilient City Development Plan, underscore the importance of enhancing urban resilience to disasters (Sun et al., 2022: 1).
To address the growing risk of natural events, it is essential to strengthen capacities that enable vulnerable communities to better prepare for, cope with, and recover from adverse effects. In disaster management literature, this strategy is commonly referred to as resilience. Resilience, when applied to communities, is defined as "the ability of a community to prepare for, plan, absorb, recover, and adapt to actual or potential adverse events in a timely and efficient manner, including rebuilding and improving essential functions and structures." A resilient community incurs fewer losses and recovers more swiftly from hazardous events (Cutter et al., 2014: 65; Abdali et al., 2022: 6).
Theoretical Framework:
The concept of resilience originated from Holling's seminal work in ecology, aimed at understanding the instability and dynamics of nature. According to Holling, resilience is "the measure of a system's ability to absorb change and disturbance while maintaining the same relationships between populations or state variables." However, resilience is not simply "the ability of a system to return to equilibrium after a temporary disturbance" (Holling, 1973: 14-17). In ecological literature, two definitions of resilience emerged: one that encompasses continuity, change, and unpredictability in a nonlinear and non-equilibrium system (ecological resilience), and another that focuses on efficiency, stability, and predictability in a single equilibrium system (engineering resilience) (Holling, 1996: 25; Folke, 2006: 256). Engineering resilience emphasizes rapid and efficient recovery post-disturbance, while ecological resilience is about absorbing changes and ensuring continuity (Pickett et al., 2004: 373).
Methodology:
This study employs a combined multi-criteria decision-making approach using the Analytic Network Process (ANP), DEMATEL technique, and the Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE). The DEMATEL-ANP model identifies internal relationships between indicators, allowing for pairwise comparisons and weight evaluation, while PROMETHEE ranks solutions based on their proximity to the ideal solution, with the best solution being closest to the ideal point (Chen et al., 2011: 909; Chiu et al., 2013: 49; Thor et al., 2013: 27; Ju et al., 2015: 348-349).
Results and Discussion:
Resilience in Khorramabad exhibits a clear spatial pattern, with higher resilience in affluent upper city areas and lower resilience in less affluent lower city areas. This disparity highlights the inequitable distribution of urban facilities and services, emphasizing the need for equitable development and access to vital resources. Economic resilience is surprisingly lower in the city’s economic center due to deteriorated infrastructure and the residence of lower socio-economic strata. Institutional resilience is higher in central areas, benefiting from the concentration of governmental, private, and grassroots organizations.
Peripheral areas suffer from inadequate infrastructure, resulting in lower overall resilience. Social capital resilience lacks a specific spatial pattern, with most areas rated as medium to low, indicating weak community connections. Environmental resilience shows that city center areas are more prone to flooding, while higher resilience is observed in different parts of the city, possibly due to land permeability and river positions.
Comparative analysis reveals that regions 1, 4, 7, 13, and 17 have the lowest resilience, while regions 23 and 14 rank high. This analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of resilience levels at the city scale, identifying areas requiring further intervention.
Conclusion:
Mapping the results reveals distinct spatial patterns of resilience and identifies hotspots needing more intervention. Central and western regions, with lower resilience, require more attention. Environmental and infrastructural factors are key, directly relating to land use and planning. The findings can assist Khorramabad’s urban planning organizations in integrating disaster resilience into urban planning, transforming reactive plans into proactive adaptation strategies. Additionally, identifying potential hotspots can aid emergency management institutions in effective disaster risk management. Enhancing social resilience is crucial for community capacity building to prepare for, respond to, and adapt to climate change impacts, guiding local stakeholders in fostering fair development and equitable resource access.
Urban Planning
Aliakbar Salaripour; Zahra Seif Reihani,; Narges Taleb vali alah
Abstract
Highlights
The present study endeavors to establish a comprehensive catalog of both positive and negative factors that impact the attachment to a specific place.
These factors were examined across diverse locations and geographic scales.
Aesthetic factors, positive memories, and emotions exert the ...
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Highlights
The present study endeavors to establish a comprehensive catalog of both positive and negative factors that impact the attachment to a specific place.
These factors were examined across diverse locations and geographic scales.
Aesthetic factors, positive memories, and emotions exert the most positive influence on the development of attachment to a place
The inefficiency of urban management, negative sentiments, and economic recession exert the most adverse impact on the formation of attachment to a place.
Introduction:
The intricate relationship between individuals and their surroundings is a dynamic interplay of positive and negative factors that either foster or hinder attachment to a place. This study delves into the multifaceted nature of place attachment in the coastal city of Bandar-Anzali, seeking to establish a nuanced understanding of the factors at play.
Theoretical Framework:
The concept of "place" extends beyond physical spaces to encompass the meaningful connections people form through experiences and ideas. While spatial identity, attachment, and dependence are frequently discussed, there lacks a comprehensive exploration of the myriad factors influencing them across diverse places and geographical scales. This research bridges this gap by creating an extensive list of factors affecting place attachment.
Methodology:
Employing a qualitative-quantitative combined approach, this study utilized thematic analysis to scrutinize interview texts. The sample size, determined by theoretical saturation, involved 89 interviews conducted through purposive sampling. Participants were asked to provide photos of places to which they felt attached, forming the basis for individual in-depth interviews. Four key questions explored the detailed description of the place, the reasons for attachment, motivations for returning or not, and factors strengthening or weakening attachment. Thematic analysis was independently conducted by researchers, resulting in 23 positive and 7 negative factors.
Results and Discussion:
The research identified 23 positive factors, including memories, similarity, positive feelings, security, balance of city and nature, connection with nature, sensory richness, and aesthetic considerations. Negative factors encompassed environmental damage, economic stagnation, inefficiency of urban management, loneliness, societal ignorance, neglect of cultural activities, and negative emotions. Recreational spaces, homes, neighborhoods, commercial places, object spaces, cultural-educational-administrative uses, and social places emerged as the most frequented locations. Aesthetic factors, memories, and positive emotions wielded the most positive influence, while inefficiency of urban management, negative emotions, and economic stagnation exerted the strongest negative impact on place attachment.
Conclusion
This research identifies key factors influencing attachment to a place. Aesthetic elements, memories, and positive emotions positively impact attachment, while urban mismanagement, negative emotions, and economic stagnation have a negative influence. Recreational spaces, homes, and neighborhoods are the most frequented places. Aesthetic considerations are particularly emphasized in images of recreational and commercial spaces. Social places highlight memories, positive emotions, aesthetics, and age as significant factors. The inefficiency of urban management is evident in images from urban neighborhoods, while symbols of Bandar Anzali city dominate urban space photos. Ambient spaces, such as multi-story houses and seaside paths, are the most common settings, with aesthetics holding the highest frequency in environmental spaces. Despite increasing interest in place attachment, the study reveals a need for further exploration of these factors. This research serves as a foundational step for future investigations in this area.
Urban Planning
Sahar Fahimi Hamidabad; Tohid Hatami Khanghahi; Vahid Vaziri
Abstract
Highlights:
- Physical and safety considerations alone are insufficient to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.
- Urban spaces adapted to the needs of the elderly positively impact social well-being.
- Improved social well-being fosters increased social interactions and participation.
- Elderly-friendly ...
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Highlights:
- Physical and safety considerations alone are insufficient to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.
- Urban spaces adapted to the needs of the elderly positively impact social well-being.
- Improved social well-being fosters increased social interactions and participation.
- Elderly-friendly cities align most effectively with the preferences and requirements of the elderly.
- Enhancing social well-being reduces medical costs associated with chronic diseases in the elderly.
Introduction:
Scientific projections predict a significant increase in the elderly population in the coming years, emphasizing the need to address their diverse needs and social interactions. This demographic shift necessitates urban spaces that evolve to support the well-being and productivity of the elderly. The economic and social implications of an aging population underscore the importance of attending to the social needs of the elderly, as neglect limits their social participation and diminishes their overall quality of life. Research indicates that maintaining an active lifestyle and regular social interactions can significantly contribute to preventing dementia. While existing studies often focus on the physical needs of the elderly in public spaces, insufficient attention has been given to their social needs, particularly in urban settings. This study aims to assess the impact of environmental and physical factors on the social well-being of the elderly in urban public spaces, using Mosalla Park and Sheikh Safi Sidewalk in Ardabil City as a case study.
Theoretical Framework:
The concept of active aging, initially centered on maintaining health and productivity through physical activity, has evolved to emphasize personal decisions, independence, and increased quality of life for the elderly. "Active aging" involves participation in social, economic, and civic life to maintain well-being, emphasizing opportunities for meaningful activities that facilitate independence. The World Health Organization highlights the crucial role of urban public spaces and social factors, in addition to genetics and personal characteristics, in determining the health and well-being of individuals. Elderly-friendly cities are those where the distribution of public facilities aligns most closely with the preferences and limitations of the elderly.
Methodology:
This descriptive-analytical study employed both library research and surveys to collect necessary information. The research was conducted in two stages at Mosalla Park and Sheikh Safi Sidewalk in Ardabil, Iran. Physical factors were classified, and a researcher-made questionnaire was utilized to gather expert opinions on the impact of these factors on social well-being. Subsequently, elderly participants answered the Keyes standard social well-being questionnaire. Data from both stages were analyzed using SPSS 26 software.
Results and Discussion:
Comparison of physical factors between the two case samples, assessed through the Wilcoxon non-parametric test, revealed that Sheikh Safi Sidewalk exhibited more favorable conditions than Mosalla Park. The Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel test demonstrated a positive correlation between physical factors and social well-being in the elderly, with Sheikh Safi Sidewalk participants reporting better social well-being. Notably, "Footpaths with a slope of less than 5%" emerged as the most influential factor affecting the social well-being of the elderly.
Conclusion:
The study emphasizes the need for planners and designers to reconsider physical criteria, particularly those related to the architecture and design of urban spaces, to enhance the social well-being of the elderly. Collaboration between social health advocates, urban designers, and architects is crucial to formulate policies and strategies that address the needs of the elderly, promoting their active involvement in social life and reducing the medical costs associated with chronic diseases.
Urban Planning
esmaeil daviran
Abstract
Highlights- Geographical locations have their own unique patterns of space consumption, depending on their design, in different time periods.- Camps with a mobile nature, such as sports camps, have annual productivity and operate linearly in terms of space allocation.- Behavioral camps experience a starting ...
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Highlights- Geographical locations have their own unique patterns of space consumption, depending on their design, in different time periods.- Camps with a mobile nature, such as sports camps, have annual productivity and operate linearly in terms of space allocation.- Behavioral camps experience a starting point, concentration, and decay due to climate change.- Examining the timing of public spaces is essential for their better planning and management.IntroductionThe three key concepts of time, place, and human behavior together shape space. The urban space and its changes are the result of human movement in time and space. Although there have been many discussions about the concept of space, the theories of time-geography and Lefebvre have had the most significant impact on urban issues.Urban parks, as one of the urban public spaces, are a suitable environment for the formation of behavioral camps. The presence of different human groups with diverse ages and genders in such spaces leads to the formation of specific places for individual and group socialization, creating a space of consumption with a special character. The surrounding environment as a result of time is very effective in the formation of the type of camp and its way of functioning.This research examines the rhythm of the behavioral hangouts of urban parks with regional (multi-neighborhood) function, using the case study of Ibn Sina and Baharestan parks in Zanjan city. This is because no special studies have been done on the subject of behavioral camp rhythm and the functional structure of rhythms in camp spaces, and most of the research has focused on explaining the formation of camps or the rhythm of spaces.MethodologyThe current research is a type of qualitative research based on the descriptive-analytical method with the nature of discovery and the method of rhythm analysis. Data collection using field observation and continuous interview during the formation hours of the camp. Data analysis was done with qualitative methods based on communication matrix, rhythm and qualitative information tables with three main components of structure, dynamics and sociability of the environment.Results and DiscussionThe rhythm of the behavioral camp in the studied gardens is significant, active and explorable mainly in the spring and summer seasons. The use of space is different according to the type of camp, but they have functioned in connection with each other. Sports camps have more durability and annual continuity. The temporal continuity of the rhythm of the elderly-based behavioral camp has more daily and seasonal continuity in terms of the number and stability of people. In terms of the space allocation and the number of people, the youth behavioral camp has less space compared to other camps. Waterfront furniture elements, trees, play equipment, sports equipment, stones, chairs, trees, the smoothness of the park ground, grass, besides the spatial security factor, have a greater impact on the durability and daily continuity of the camp. Spatial dependence of camps based on the elderly, children and family have the highest ratio. The geographical distance of the residence in Tharbahank is less than that of the other centers. The type of space consumption in the studied rhythms is mainly social and sports in nature. The structural morphology of gardens (regular, irregular or linear geometric shape) is effective in the formation of the type of behavioral camp and its rhythm. The rhythm of the studied camps is mainly in daily and afternoon time sequence and has a specific location with fixed and variable people. Based on the correlation matrix, there is functional correlation and coherence between the variables. The rhythm of space use in the monthly time period shows that the behavioral settlements based on collectivism mainly have the starting point in April and the peak in August, and with the gradual change of climate (from heat to cold) they move to temporary disintegration and again with climate change. (from cold to heat) forms and peaks.ConclusionThis research examined the rhythm of the social and age groups of the urban parks of Baharestan and Ibn Sina Zanjan. The study found that the rhythm of behavioral hangouts in urban parks is affected by a variety of factors, including:- The type of park: Parks with a focus on social activities, such as playgrounds and picnic areas, tend to have a more active and explorable rhythm than parks with a focus on sports or other passive activities.- The time of year: Parks tend to be more crowded in the spring and summer months, when the weather is warmer and more pleasant.- The weather conditions: Parks may be less crowded in inclement weather, such as rain or snow.- The age and gender of park users: Parks tend to be more crowded with families and children during the day, while they may be more crowded with adults in the evening.The findings of this study suggest that the rhythm of behavioral hangouts in urban parks is an important consideration for park planners and managers. By understanding the factors that influence the rhythm of park use, park planners can better design and manage parks to meet the needs of their users.
Urban Planning
Roghayeh Heidary; Esmaeil Aliakbari; Ahmad pourahmad
Abstract
Highlights
The trend of spatial dynamics in the city of Rasht, Iran has been intensive and based on rapid transition.
Rasht has experienced many spatial reflections in the process of transition to a metropolis.
Rasht has been influenced by various forces and factors in its transition to a metropolis.
Introduction
It ...
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Highlights
The trend of spatial dynamics in the city of Rasht, Iran has been intensive and based on rapid transition.
Rasht has experienced many spatial reflections in the process of transition to a metropolis.
Rasht has been influenced by various forces and factors in its transition to a metropolis.
Introduction
It is believed that the city, a living, dynamic entity influenced by internal-external factors through time and space, is subject to change and transformation, and its growth and development are affected by different aspects. Therefore, given the pattern of growth and expansion of the city, continuous monitoring and forecasting of land use changes and land cover in large cities is critical for management of the growth and sustainability of the urban ecosystem. Accordingly, the present study aimed to analyze the spatial dynamics of regional cities in the process of transition to a metropolis, focusing on the city of Rasht, Iran.
Theoretical Framework
Urban development is a long-term process of interaction between human activities and land. During this process, numerous changes may be brought about from various fields, such as ones in land use conditions, road network upgrades, population migration, and industrial structure optimization. Since the needs of societies and human groups are constantly changing and transforming due to their inherent dynamics, the built spaces are also subject to gradual change as spatial systems. Therefore, urban dynamics are representations of changes in urban spatial structures over time, which embody a myriad of processes at work in cities on different but often interlocking time scales ranging from life cycle effects in buildings and populations to movements over space and time as reflected in spatial interactions. City formation and development have occurred in different ways in different regions of the world and at different times, driven by diverse political, economic, social, and cultural processes )Bruns-Berentelg et al., 2020: 2( and technological changes (Pacione, 2005). Technological innovations have allowed flows of information, knowledge, and money to circulate across the world quickly, helping to intensify the ongoing, but previously slow, process of compression between time and space (Harvey, 1989). This has supported the processes of economic decentralization and globalization, enabling the emergence of new geographies where physical and political boundaries are not as important as before (Sassen, 1991; Castells, 1997). These shifts have contested usual concepts such as scale and territoriality, resulting in new forms of spatiality )Borges, 2010). According to Berg et al. (1982), cities evolve in a clearly defined sequence of stages that can be conceptualized in a model of urban development based upon population changes in urban regions as a whole and upon shifts of population within these regions )Clark, 2003: 61(.
Methodology
The research method was descriptive-analytical. Therefore, it sought to answer the following questions. What is the process of the spatial dynamics of Rasht in the transition to a metropolis? What are the forces and spatial reflections of this city’s drive to join millions of metropolises? In order to answer the research questions, the research data were collected using the documentary method and Landsat satellite images. The main data were extracted from US Geological Survey (USGS), taking into account MSS, TM5, and OLI sensor images of the Landsat satellite with a resolution of 60 by 30 meters from 1993, 2003, 2011, and 2019 (June, July, and August without clouds). Land use maps were generated in the four uses of urban and built-up areas, water and paddy areas, forests and agricultural lands, and gardens. In this research, the cycle and spatial dynamics of Rasht were studied, and demographic information was collected from statistics, censuses, and the website of the Statistics Center of Iran using historical data and the Davis model. To investigate the trend of land use change (1993-2019), spatial metrics were used through preparation of a time series of land use maps and land cover in Rasht and measurement of its urban sprawl.
Results and Discussion
The findings demonstrated that the trend of spatial dynamics in Rasht has been intensive and based on rapid transition. Unlike what the general model of urban life cycle stated, this city has experienced population and land use and cover instability in the growth stage, like other large cities. These dynamics are constantly evolving and exhibit repercussions and consequences under the influence of various factors such as natural forces and capabilities, political components, economic policies and development plans, infrastructure and communication system developments, peripheral spatial phenomenon integrations within the physical boundaries of the city, informal settlement expansions, and immigration flows. As far as the objective characteristics and reflections are concerned, one can point out the changes in the land use system and land cover, urban sprawl, imbalance in the spatial organization of the network and urban hierarchy, service-rendering, and expansion of the city’s economy foundations. The outcomes of the above reflections are evident in the rise in urban land use levels and disastrous effects of land and cover resource instability, the increase in the growth of urban areas and vulnerability and rupture of agricultural lands and paddy fields, the gaps in the urban network, and the ever-increasing service-rendering, political-administrative, and physical-spatial development of Rasht. Overall, the results on the changes in land use and land cover confirmed the rise in urban land use levels from 4915 hectares in 1993 to 9960 hectares in 2019. Along with the growth of land use in urban areas, agricultural land coverage has experienced a declining trend in the same period. The results on the spatial metrics also demonstrated that urban areas have increasingly grown, and numerous urban plots have been developed. Concurrently, agricultural lands and paddy fields have lost their spatial cohesion and integrity and have been disintegrated into numerous plots, which implies the fast-paced urban spatial dynamics into physical dispersion.
Conclusion
The city of Rasht is in the process of transition to a metropolis and has undergone fundamental changes in its spatial-physical boundaries along with the instability of land cover resources, the disastrous consequences of which are also the main concern about the city and the urban ecosystem today. Thus, spatial urban management through short-term land cover transformation, on one hand, and infill development policy strategies, i.e. redevelopment and new development, on the other hand, are very important to stabilize growth and slow down transition into a metropolitan area.
Acknowledgment
This article is derived from the doctorate thesis of the first author with the guidance of the second author and the advice of the third author who defended the thesis in September 2020.
Urban Planning
Nikoo Medghalchi; Hossein Bahrainy; Mojtaba Rafieian
Abstract
Highlights
- The development of information and communication technology is an important change that causes paradigm shift in urbanism.
- The COVID pandemic emphasizes the importance of information and communication technology.
- This study seeks to trace urban studies on information and communication ...
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Highlights
- The development of information and communication technology is an important change that causes paradigm shift in urbanism.
- The COVID pandemic emphasizes the importance of information and communication technology.
- This study seeks to trace urban studies on information and communication technology and the COVID pandemic and provide appropriate data and knowledge for urban policy-making and future studies.
Introduction
The advent of the information age in the 20th century due to the great changes in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) has led to the prevailing approach to maximizing the solution of urban problems for advancing urban planners, designers, and policy-makers. The rate of growth and extensive development of urban studies has provided a wide range of interactions between its different sections. Coinciding with its growing trend, the corona virus has been spreading around the world since December 2019, re-examining the role of ICT.
Theoretical Framework
There is a lack of domestic research on ICT and the city. Given the existence of the gap and the importance of considering the area in urban studies, the purpose of this article is to identify, extract, and provide an interactive research space between the development of ICT and the subfields of urban studies in order to introduce and classify topics, approaches, methods, and results.
Methodology
Using the method of systematic review, the content of published foreign scientific research was reviewed and analyzed. This was carried out with a search for valid articles, a study of the abstracts and research results of more than 150 articles and their review, and a final selection of 93 articles after entering them into the Excel software environment.
Results and Discussion
The selected articles have been published in English in the period of 30 years between 1990 and 2020. Monitoring, examining, and extracting the key themes of the articles led us to 8 categories, including 1) urban policy, 2) electronic participation, 3) smart city, 4) city structure and spatial organization, 5) travel behavior, 6) digital gap, 7) public space, 8) and competitiveness, and 30 sub-themes. About 90% of the articles have been published in reputable scientific journals, and the rest appear in books and conference proceedings. An examination of the frequency of articles shows the growing worldwide trend in concern for this field in urban studies in recent years. According to the analysis made in the research, the use of ICT is applicable to planning theories at all levels, including the two levels of access and data processing and communication independent of time and place. These technologies enhance and promote the development of networks, social cohesion, and smart development of the city. The digital gap is intrinsically related to digital and urban inequalities. In network-oriented cities and societies, the issue of communication poverty is as important as traditional poverty. Many discussions have been raised by researchers on the impact of ICT on the structure and spatial organization of the city. Despite the initial premise of using the technology, which was to reduce concentration and increase urban dispersion, two more approaches, the centralization approach and the dual approach, have also been proposed in the field. The development of ICT has profound consequences on urban economic competitiveness. ICT is the basic driver for smartness in cities. A provider of access to the transfer of information and planning tools, granting the opportunity to share modes of transportation and work from a distance, the technology is of considerable importance for transportation systems. The relationship between the urban public space and technological developments and the development of ICT with the spread of the corona virus has been taken into consideration. Recent studies show that the spread of the corona virus has multiplied the use of ICT, which will definitely change the severity of its impact on the city and urban planning and design more rapidly. Therefore, this article is presented in order to explain the various dimensions of this issue.
Conclusion
Given the application of ICT in the field of urban planning, it is comprehensible that the creation of links with urban planning and design has proceeded slowly despite the increasing development of telecommunication technologies. It is necessary to consider the complex relationship between the city and ICT. On the one hand, the relationship has raised the challenge of polarization, inaccessibility, and urban injustice, and on the other hand, it has involved benefits such as increased participation and social networking, urban innovation and creativity, and urban sustainability and intelligence. In fact, it is necessary to fill the gap between ICT and urban planning. The central solution framework of the smart city is based on the city rather than intelligence. One of the most important challenges discussed in the previous studies is the issue of accessibility among different social classes. In spite of the initial hypothesis that the importance of place is reduced as that of distance decreases due to the development of ICT, place still matters. The point to be considered in regard to the relationship between the density and spread of the corona virus is the absence of a direct relationship between its population density and death. In fact, the ever-increasing development of ICT and the persistence of policies of closure and maintenance of social distancing during the pandemic are themselves factors effective in the development of digital facilities and technologies in the city. Urban spaces are changing and transforming due to the development of new technologies. In fact, the urban space paradigm established in 2020 promises the emergence of virtual open spaces. Future studies will be focused especially on an understanding of the shift towards the digital space and the emergence of a combination of the real space and the virtual space in developed countries. Moreover, it is necessary to know the social dimensions of urban spaces according to the conditions imposed by the corona virus in order to understand the type and method of changing the shape of the public space of the city and social interactions. Finally, the study and review of the valuable articles published in the area of the interface between the city and ICT has raised wide, diverse issues that require familiarity, mastery, and theoretical specialization besides their practical applications for policy-makers, planners, and urban designers and managers.
Acknowledgment
The Article has been derived from the Ph.D thesis entitled “The Impact of Information and Communication Technology and the covid Pandemic on Urban Studies: A Systematic Review”, which has been defended by first author under the second author`s supervision and the third author`s advisory at the Qazvin Branch Islamic Azad University.
Urban Planning
Zahra Tamjidi; Zahra sadat saiedeh Zarabadi; Farah Habib
Abstract
Highlights:- The right to the city is a human right that concerns citizens’ possession of the city and their participation in city affairs, regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion.- Children are a group of citizens who should be considered in urban planning due to their ...
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Highlights:- The right to the city is a human right that concerns citizens’ possession of the city and their participation in city affairs, regardless of age, gender, race, nationality, ethnicity, or religion.- Children are a group of citizens who should be considered in urban planning due to their special physical and psychological conditions.- The four-part model of “Child’s Right to the City” includes the urban governance system, social inclusion, spatial access, diversity and vitality, and relevant components.- The components of the concept of the child’s right to the city are effective in improvement of the quality of urban spaces for children. IntroductionThe right to the city is an issue of social, political, and legal nature that, based on the concept of citizenship rights, demands a set of rights for all city residents to use urban life in a transparent, fair manner. Urban spaces occupy a major part of the time and space of people’s daily lives, and they have young audiences who are much more influenced by environmental factors than adults. Therefore, a part of the function of an urban space should be assigned to children, which makes it particularly important to properly design urban spaces for children as citizens and future builders of the city. The presence of children in the public space of a city provides them with appropriate experiences, including acquaintance with urban geography, appropriate social relations with peer groups, appropriate physical mobility in a wider space than the limited space of the home, enhancement of the sense of belonging to the place, city, and neighborhood, and acquisition of identity through the sense of place. Since children have psychological needs that are much more complex than biological and physical needs, the design of urban spaces taking into account the psychology of development and children’s mental characteristics, health, and safety is effective in fostering creativity and strengthening the sense of cooperation and children’s education. Despite the global attention paid to children’s issues and useful international movements, there is less concern in our country for children’s specific issues in the urban arena, and children in cities are faced with many special problems in terms of age and physical and mental conditions, such as non-observance of basic rights, lack of security and safety, insufficient facilities and spaces for activities and games, and consequent lack of feeling of belonging to the space. As residents of the city, children’s right thereto has been neglected in many cases by decision-makers, planners, and even other citizens. Due to the dominance of the ageist culture, children are always ignored in planning and decision-making, and they are left out as isolated, unqualified people in an understanding of their priorities and needs.Theoretical FrameworkThe right to the city can be defined and claimed for all its residents. It emphasizes two main rights. The right of allocation is defined for anyone who lives in an urban space on a daily basis, regardless of their nationality, gender, and age, and the right of participation is used to apply the opinions and mental ideals of space users. Children and teenagers are also daily users of urban spaces, although the type of space use by children and teenagers is different due to their age conditions and the restrictions on their independence. However, their right to the city and urban spaces should be recognized, and methods should be provided for their participation in definition and change of the urban space.MethodologyThe purpose of this article is to examine the concept of the right to the city and to identify the factors that are effective in improvement of the appropriateness of the urban public spaces for the presence of children. For this purpose, both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used. Since both types of analysis are interpreted sequentially, the present article falls in the category of sequential-exploratory research. For analysis of the qualitative data, meta-synthesis and Grounded Theory were used, along with the NVivo software, employed to code the data. The data collection method involved documentary research and semi-structured interviews. The multiple regression test was used to investigate the relationships and the level of support between the components of the child’s right to the city and the quality of urban spaces.Results and DiscussionIn this research, the urban space quality index was considered as a dependent variable, and the components of the child’s right to the city (urban governance, social inclusion, access to spaces, and diversity and vitality) were regarded as independent variables. On that basis, the urban governance component involves 35.5% of the improvement made in the quality of the urban space in order to realize the child’s right to the city, and the other components include social inclusion, spatial accessibility, and diversity and vitality, with 31.2%, 28.9%, and 14.6%, respectively. Moreover, the influence of each of the sub-components of the child’s right to the city on the quality of urban spaces and the corresponding correlation were investigated separately.ConclusionBased on the four-part conceptual model, the four main zones of the concept of the child’s right to the city include urban governance, social inclusion, spatial accessibility, and diversity and vitality, which make up four consecutive steps to the final goal of the research based on frequency. The sub-themes exhibit a hierarchical structure. In the zone of diversity and vitality, for example, it can be inferred according to the concepts of the right to recreation, safe spaces versus security spaces, social interactions, and collective life that concern for creativity should be realized so that the environment can be considered memorable to be capable of completing the above zone.
Urban Planning
mehdi karoubi; Mohammad Taghi Taghavifard; soran ahmadizad
Abstract
Highlights
- The tourism development model is necessary due to the rapid growth of this industry, increasing income and employment in the countries of the world.
- As actors in tourism activities, local stakeholders play the greatest role in the sustainable development of cultural tourism.
- The eight ...
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Highlights
- The tourism development model is necessary due to the rapid growth of this industry, increasing income and employment in the countries of the world.
- As actors in tourism activities, local stakeholders play the greatest role in the sustainable development of cultural tourism.
- The eight common components of discussion include urban potentials, citizens, impact of border cities, event management, orientation toward other tourism destinations, tourism economics, government management, and advertising.
Introduction
Tourism is one of the largest, fastest industries in the world, which causes an increase in income, employment, and investment in many countries. As a cultural event, tourism development causes effective interactions between tourists and destinations to let them acknowledge and respect each other more. In fact, it provides an apportunity for establishment of more effective communications between nations and people. Cultural tourism is a topic addressed in the tourism industry, and there is a lot to do in that regard in a country like Iran, which is the origin of civilization and written history. Kurdistan Province is located in the west of Iran. Given its diverse cultural attractions, it should attract more cultural tourists through careful planning in the field of cultural tourism, and profit can be made by local people in return as cultural products are sold to tourists and promoted. This provides a good opportunity to take advantage of the attractions of this province, especially the cultural attractions. The aim of this research was to consider a model for development of cultural tourism in Kurdistan Province.
Theoretical Framework
The outbreak of the Coronavirus has almost devastated the tourism industry, and the images of empty streets and entertainment venues, blackouts, and closed shops in cities around the world are very strange and sometimes frightening. Of course, the statistics on the tourism industry in different countries are alternating. According to a global estimate, approximately three million jobs in the tourism and travel sectors have been eliminated or are expected to be lost soon. International travel revenues have fallen by more than $300 billion, and hotel occupancy has fallen sharply to about 25 percent. Experts and specialists in the field of tourism have different opinions about the future of travel and tourism, but the Coronavirus will definitely change the way of thinking, tourists’ behavior , and the amount of people’s travel around the world. However, the tourism industry is moving towards purposeful holidays in today’s world, and a new form of tourism along with cultural tourism involves travel that combines relaxation and satisfaction of mental needs . Cultural tourism can have particular effects in any region, such as rediscovery and celebration of local residents’ lost cultural privileges, recognition and development of regional awareness in spatial dimensions and cultural identity, promotion of a good sense of belonging to a culture, economic infrastructure development, in the long run, and enhancement of employment in an economy undergoing recession. The present developmental applied study aimed to describe the conditions or phenomena under study, and such a plan can be implemented only to help understand the existing conditions better or to assist the decision-making process.
Methodology
The present study is considered as applied, as it is possible to apply the results in the cultural tourist attraction program, and a mixed research method (qualitative and quantitative) was used therein. First, the researcher identified the factors affecting the development of cultural tourism in Kurdistan Province using the method of semi-structured interviews through opinion polls provided to professors and managers and research information obtained by questionnaires in the field of cultural tourism based on earlier research. The theoretical framework and library studies were used to examine the results and identify the factors effective in the field of cultural tourism. The population in both theoretical and practical sections included A) faculty members of universities, including professors of tourism management, in Kurdistan Province and professors of universities in neighboring provinces with expertise in the field and at least one research article in the field of cultural tourism with a scientific rank (scientific-research, scientific-development, ISI, and ISC), B) tourism managers, marketing experts, and specialsts in cultural heritage, handicrafts, and tourism in the cities of Kurdistan Province, C) managers of tourism agencies in Kurdistan Province, and d) cultural tourists.
Results and Discussion
Using common concepts, categories were extracted which included eight components: urban potentials, citizens, impact of border cities, event management, orientation toward other tourism destinations, tourism economy, government management, and advertising. The research results indicated the favorable conditions of urban potentials, citizens, impact of border cities, event management, orientation toward other tourism destinations, and tourism economy. However, government management and promotion in Kurdistan Province was not in favorable conditions. The results were examined through verification of eight hypotheses appropriate to the eight components.
Conclusion
From the final results of the analysis of available data and information, it can be inferred that Kurdistan Province exhibits a high capability (potentially) of attracting tourists and developing cultural tourism. However, a large part of the province has been abandoned and ignored due to improper advertising and provision of information, lack of infrastructural facilities, physically inadequate access routes, and relevant organizations’ insufficient supervision and planning to introduce the unique features and privileges of museums. This includes the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, which has failed to draw visitors’ attention to this tourist destination in line with expectations. Given the high potentials of Kurdistan Province in the field of cultural tourism development, the present study suggested that the province should be turned into a cultural province. Finally, it should be acknowledged that cultural tourism involves tourists’ behavior and their interaction with local residents. We must promote cultural development and increase respect for the cultures of other countries among the citizens of Kurdistan. Residents can play an important role in the formation of tourists’ perception of the destination.
Urban Planning
fahimeh Namvar Haghighi Shirazi Fard; khalil Hajipour; Amir Hosein Shabani; mahmoud mohammadi
Abstract
Highlights
The existence of intermediary institutions between the local government and the people is a strategic factor in reconstruction of distressed areas.
In the implementation of land readjustment, legal regulations and definition of the executive framework play a key role.
Landowners’ ...
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Highlights
The existence of intermediary institutions between the local government and the people is a strategic factor in reconstruction of distressed areas.
In the implementation of land readjustment, legal regulations and definition of the executive framework play a key role.
Landowners’ desire to participate is the most important factor in the implementation of land readjustment in distressed areas.
Introduction
In recent decades, the increasing growth of cities has transformed agricultural lands and increased the costs of urban services, leading to urban expansion. Moreover, the cities are faced with problems such as the deterioration of urban neighborhoods and suburbs due to people’s lack of willingness to live in these neighborhoods, decline in investment in old neighborhoods, reduction of capacity, and decline in the quality of life. With 1,700 hectares of distressed areas, the city of Shiraz, Iran is no exception, and suffers the same problem. It is possible to solve such issues through urban growth management policies. One of these policies is Land Readjustment (LR). It is necessary to identify and classify the legal, institutional, economic, social, and local factors influencing land readjustment in order to provide effective, sufficient urban generation. Thus, this study aimed to identify the key factors influencing the land readjustment process in distressed areas and to examine the cause-and-effect relations through Interpretative Structural Model in order to identify the most important variables in the implementation process. This could be a guide for urban management to achieve infill development by stimulating and implementing the most important variables and, consequently, increasing the possibility of the entire land readjustment project.
Theoretical Framework
Land readjustment is a technique used for management of urban development, according to which a number of irregular plots of land are divided into more regular plots after consolidation with proper planning, and sections including ones used for provision of public services are also divided between the original owners for construction purposes. In this method, the lines of ownership are changed for consolidation, division, and replacement of land areas for the purpose of creation or improvement of urban facilities and public services. Rather than forced to provide the required land, the owners are invited to negotiations for consolidation of their lands to provide land for services.
Methodology
The present research could be categorized as an applied descriptive-analytical study. Due to the complexity of the relationships, the MicMac software was used to analyze the driving and dependent forces. In this method, the factors are placed in an n * n matrix and filled with numbers 0, 1, 2, and 3 based on expert opinions, and are considered as the basis for further analysis. For this purpose, indicators were extracted from the theoretical framework of the research as a 22 * 22 matrix and provided to seventeen urban experts in Shiraz as a two-stage Delphi questionnaire.
Results and Discussion
In the case of unwillingness to participate, two variables were considered as increasing system risk: definition of the laws concerning the residents and owners’ protests pertaining to the urban design before, during, and after its implementation and enactment of the laws concerning the payment of the probable indemnity to the residents. This was because any legislation could be an obstacle in the system, decreasing the owners’ and residents’ partnership tendency, without fair consideration of their interests.
The major organizational-institutional variables played an important role in the implementation of land readjustment, and influenced the other variables. These included partnership of the local government through intermediary and facilitating institutions, law-abiding local governments, and concern for individual and social justice. This is because these variables actually link the social variables to the executable ones, and function as an interface to provide a framework for correct implementation to meet people’s needs.
Furthermore, partnership of the local government through intermediary and facilitating institutions is one of the most effective, most impressive variables, which plays a key, strategic role.
Conclusion
The findings reveal that the key to implementation of land readjustment in distressed areas and to solve their problems is to create an intermediary institution to listen to the people’s demands and opinions. Other strategic variables involved in land readjustment in distressed areas include concern for individual and social justice in the local government, strategic perspective and flexibility of the local government, definition of the tangible, approachable objectives, and appropriate assessment of land price before and after the execution.
Therefore, it is necessary to constantly examine the variables during both design and implementation of land readjustment in a distressed area. All these variables are either directly related to or applied by the local government, indicating the importance of city authorities’ policy-making and employment of experienced workforce.
It is also important for the basic requirements according to the existing facts to select appropriate sites and set tangible goals, because the process would stop as a result of a lack of concern for the facts.
Urban Planning
Mohammad Reza Haghi; ehsan heidarzadeh
Abstract
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.
- ...
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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.
Urban Planning
HOJJAT GHIYASVAND; mohamadjavad saghafi; hossein medi
Abstract
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 ...
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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.
Urban Planning
Mostafa Dehghani; Gholamreza Haghighat Naeini; Esfandiar Zebardast
Abstract
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 ...
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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.
Urban Planning
majid rousta; mohamad Soleimani; mozafar sarafi; mojtaba rafiyan
Abstract
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 ...
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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.
Urban Planning
zohreh asadi; Hamid Mohammadi
Abstract
Highlights
Brand can create a coordinating role among many economic and social activities and be attractive to all tourism stakeholders.
Strategic orientation to focus the activities of all stakeholders in order to achieve a common end goal.
Helping cities to attract skilled population, attract ...
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Highlights
Brand can create a coordinating role among many economic and social activities and be attractive to all tourism stakeholders.
Strategic orientation to focus the activities of all stakeholders in order to achieve a common end goal.
Helping cities to attract skilled population, attract tourists and investors by relying on competitive advantages and identity
Urban branding is a process that helps cities increase the sense of belonging and satisfaction of current citizens.
the Use the capabilities of destinations to create creative attractions to attract tourists
Introduction
In the past few decades, branding has attracted plenty of attention in tourism planning. In globally competitive markets, the need of destinations to create a unique identity, that is, to differentiate themselves from competitors, has become more vital than ever. Tourism destination branding is a relatively new strategy in attraction of tourists because the brand gives the tourism destination identity and personality, and distinguishes it from other tourist destinations. According to the above, this study sought to address the role of the brand in the development of creative tourism and to help identify the city of Junqan, Iran as a brand using the city brand management (CBM) model. The research also attempted to specify the role and position of urban branding in the identification of the tourism in this city in terms of creativity.
Theoretical Framework
- Branding and urban branding
A brand is a rich source of emotional communication and cognition that leads to memorable experiences of a place such as a city. Urban branding is a relatively new concept that cities have adopted to differentiate themselves from other cities, to develop civic pride among their citizens, and to help tourists and business owners make decisions. Branding a city requires recognition of and information on the believable and realistic features of the city. That includes the historical, social, political, and international identity of the city, how it functions economically, and its amenities. Urban branding has turned into an essential topic in the field of tourism and a main factor affecting the tourism industry. Successful branding for cities and urban tourism destinations is based on their potentials and talents, so that the possibility of replacing it with other destinations is excluded.
- Creative tourism
Creative tourism means to travel to an original, exciting experience and to learn art, get to know the heritage or special features of the place, and establish a relationship between tourists and locals. A creative tourist develops their creativity capacity by approaching locals through informal participation in interactive workshops and learning the experiences that the destination culture plots for their vacation. In creative tourism, tourists engage in the cultural prospects of the destination, so that they can participate in various creative activities including agriculture, art, cooking, dance, and music. That creates new opportunities to learn new skills and establish closer relationships between tourists and locals and their cultural heritage.
Methodology
In the present applied, development-oriented research, a theoretical framework was first presented for the field of urban branding and creative tourism, and the role of urban branding in tourism was expressed using the methods of descriptive and library research for data collection. Then, the key factors influencing the generation of an image of Junqan and identification of its brand for development of creative tourism were studied using the city brand management model (CBM), the library method, and semi-structured interviews with urban and tourism experts. The interpretive analysis method was also used for analysis of the interviews.
Results and Discussion
The purpose of branding in tourism is to create and maintain a favorable image of the destination, increase tourists’ awareness, create positive attitudes toward the destination, and modify tourists’ behavior of visiting the destination. In addition to its positive economic aspects, the development of tourism in Iran can lead to a rapprochement between people of different nationalities. The study attempted to create a brand and manage it for the city of Junqan by examining the concepts of brand, urban brand, and creative tourism using the urban brand management model. The brand can help the city to enhance each of the indicators of creativity, leading to the development of creative tourism. The findings demonstrated that Sardar Asad Bakhtiari Castle was identified as the brand of the city of Junqan. For development of creative tourism aided by the city brand, a tourism route was provided that combined the historical and natural sights of the city to create innovative products and attract entrepreneurs who would find competitive advantages over other destinations. This could reflect the reputation and vision of the city around the world and support and guide creativity in the city, leading to the promotion of tourism, exports, and investment in the city.
Conclusion
We are currently facing the changing needs of tourists around the world, looking for new experiences and seeking to discover their talents. Urban branding is a strategy adopted to add a competitive advantage by providing a clear picture, cultural and political importance, and economic and social development. The main purpose of the discussion was to generate greater appeal for investment and to attract tourists and potential residents with an emphasis on community development and reconstruction of local identity in Junqan. Therefore, the achievement of the research could be addressed in terms of the dimensions of creative tourism. In the field of cultural development and measures, we attempted in this research to introduce, develop, and apply the people’s traditions, customs, and clothing, arts, and handicrafts and to introduce the way of life and interactions of the civil society in order to provide the requirements of tourism in Junqan. Moreover, with today’s development of technology and the information society, the need to employ talented native specialists having graduated in urban management is felt more than ever before. The development of public spaces to increase interactions and establish exhibitions is another infrastructure needed in the city of Junqan, which is in line with the development of creative tourism. Each of the above factors can be important and helpful both in the management and in the economy of the city, so they can be considered in line with the role of the brand in the development of creativity in tourism in Junqan.
Acknowledgment
This article has been extracted from a Master’s thesis in the field of Urban Planning entitled Explaining the Role of Urban Branding in Promotion of Creative Tourism: The Case of the City of Junqan, defended by the first author under the supervision of the second author at Yazd University.
Urban Planning
Akbar Asghari Zamani; Shahrivar Roostaei; Nader Zali; Seyedeh-Samira Shafiee-Masuleh
Abstract
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 ...
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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.
Urban Planning
fazilat tahari; mahin nastaran; Parviz Ejlali
Abstract
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, ...
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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.
