Urban Sustainability
Saeed Sepasi Zangiabadi; Aliakbar Shamsipour; Ali Hosseini
Abstract
Highlights- Climatic zoning of Tehran was conducted using the latest and most accurate method available.- This climatic zoning used the processing of Landsat 8 satellite images and sampling in Google Earth.- 17 climatic zones were obtained according to physical characteristics and land surface cover.- ...
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Highlights- Climatic zoning of Tehran was conducted using the latest and most accurate method available.- This climatic zoning used the processing of Landsat 8 satellite images and sampling in Google Earth.- 17 climatic zones were obtained according to physical characteristics and land surface cover.- The LCZ model focuses on the thermal loads of the city, which are affected by building density and land cover/use changes.- The central and eastern areas of Tehran, due to the high density of buildings, and the southwestern areas of the city, due to industrial and warehouse land use, have high thermal loads. IntroductionUrban spaces have different and more complex environmental conditions than natural environments because they combine human-made elements and natural features. Today, urban climate specialists focus on a combination of urban and natural factors when zoning urban spaces.The Local Climate Classification (LCZs) is a new and systematic classification system for urban spaces proposed by Stuart and Oke (2012). LCZs classify climates according to the physical structure of the city. Each LCZ is characterized by one or more distinctive features, such as land cover, height, and the distance between trees and buildings.Local Climate Zoning classifies the climate of urban spaces by focusing on the city's physical structure and surface coverage. The LCZ classification has 17 different classes, each of which represents a unique set of characteristics. LCZ classes are individually identified by one or more distinctive characteristics, such as land cover or height, the distance between trees and buildings. Classes 1 to 10 focus more on the physical structure created by humans, while classes A to G focus more on the natural aspect of the city.Theoretical FrameworkThe Local Climate Zoning (LCZ) method was extracted and presented by Stewart and Oke (2012) from the Urban Climate Zones (UCZ) method. This method is presented with an emphasis on land cover characteristics and building density for large cities.In this method, 10 climate zones are specified for urban built spaces and 7 climate zones for natural spaces. The most important data required in this method are Landsat satellite images, which are prepared in both winter and summer seasons to accurately identify the land surface cover. Additionally, for each of the 17 climate classes, it is necessary to take samples in Google Earth to use those samples in the image processing process. Therefore, the accuracy and quality of the map of local climate zones depends on the accuracy of sampling.MethodologyThree types of data were used in this study: meteorological data, satellite images, and spatial information layers.- Meteorological data included temperature, precipitation, wind speed, and wind direction data from the Doshan Tappeh, Geophysical, and Mehrabad meteorological stations in Tehran for the past 20 years.- Satellite images of the city of Tehran were used for two periods: summer and winter.- Spatial information layers included land use data, land cover, and building floors of Tehran.To create a map of the local climate classes in Tehran, the satellite images were converted to a spatial resolution of 100 meters in the SAGA-GIS environment. The measured area was then cut and saved in kml format and added to the Google Earth program. In Google Earth, samples of each climatic class were collected. This stage was the most important and decisive stage of the research, and it was conducted with great accuracy and patience using many samples.Results and DiscussionThe city of Tehran has a diverse range of local climate classes (LCZs) due to its diverse natural and human environments. Tehran is a heterogeneous metropolis in terms of its form and function, and this heterogeneity is reflected in the distribution of LCZs.The results of this study showed that the most common LCZs in Tehran are:- Dense texture and medium height (LCZ 2): These LCZs are characterized by high ambient heat load and poor ventilation capacity. They are generally concentrated in the central and northeastern parts of Tehran.- Dense and short (LCZ 3): These LCZs are also characterized by high ambient heat load and poor ventilation capacity. They are found in other parts of the city, such as the southern and southwestern suburbs.- Low-rise and mid-rise (LCZ 4 to LCZ 6): These LCZs are characterized by lower ambient heat load and better ventilation capacity. They are found in the outer parts of the city, such as the northwestern and southeastern suburbs.- Barren land and agricultural land (LCZ 7 to LCZ 9): These LCZs have the lowest ambient heat load and best ventilation capacity. They are found outside the city limits.The distribution of LCZs in Tehran is affected by a number of factors, including:- The density of buildings- The height of buildings- The presence of vegetation- The topography- The proximity to water bodiesThe high density of buildings in the central and northeastern parts of Tehran is the main reason for the predominance of LCZs 2 and 3 in these areas. The low density of buildings in the outer parts of the city is the main reason for the predominance of LCZs 4 to 6 in these areas. The presence of vegetation helps to reduce the ambient heat load and improve ventilation, while the proximity to water bodies also helps to cool the air.The distribution of LCZs in Tehran has important implications for the city's climate and environment. The high ambient heat load and poor ventilation capacity of LCZs 2 and 3 can contribute to the formation of the urban heat island effect, while the lower ambient heat load and better ventilation capacity of LCZs 4 to 6 can help to mitigate this effect. The presence of vegetation can also help to improve air quality and reduce noise pollution.Overall, the distribution of LCZs in Tehran is a complex issue that is affected by a number of factors. The understanding of this distribution is important for the development of strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change and improve the city's environment.ConclusionThe findings of this study have important implications for the planning and management of Tehran. Identifying areas at risk of high urban heat load and flooding can help to prioritize interventions to reduce these risks. For example, the city could plant more trees and vegetation to cool the air and reduce the urban heat island effect. It could also improve the drainage system to reduce the risk of flooding.Overall, this study provides a valuable contribution to the understanding of the urban climate of Tehran. The findings can be used to develop strategies to improve the livability of the city and reduce the risks of heat stress and flooding.
Urban Sustainability
Ali Asadi; saeed Salehi Marzijrani; Hassan sajadzadeh; hosein kalantari khalil abad
Abstract
Highlights - In the residential buildings in the city of Arak, Iran, good construction quality was the first priority of the residents to achieve residential stability.- The cultural level and social homogeneity hold the residents’ second priority to achieve residential stability.- Causal conditions ...
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Highlights - In the residential buildings in the city of Arak, Iran, good construction quality was the first priority of the residents to achieve residential stability.- The cultural level and social homogeneity hold the residents’ second priority to achieve residential stability.- Causal conditions have the greatest impact on residential stability, followed by intervening and strategic conditions.- Factors involved in the creation of residential stability are stated based on facts and needs.-- The factor of tendency to move is stated based on wishes, ideals, and expectations. IntroductionToday, the study of a residential environment is important because of its effectiveness on important planning indicators such as residential relocation rate, quality of life, and housing demand forecasting, and the quality of the environment is a factor affecting urban population movements. Residential stability leads to community cohesion, the formation of social networks, and informal social monitoring, which collectively lead to the solution of community and neighborhood problems. The purpose of this research is to discover the factors affecting residential instability and the desire to move, especially with respect to the quality of the environment of residential buildings in the city of Arak, Iran. Theoretical FrameworkFrom the early 1950s, the big cities of Iran were exposed to massive migration. The immediate solution to this crisis was to build residential buildings in sparsely populated areas. The point that can be seen in the process of creating residential buildings in Iran is that they have often neglected the principles and criteria of urban planning in the planning and design of residential buildings and have failed to create desirable residential environments. They have also ignored the residents in the design of the buildings, decreasing their level of satisfaction.Moreover, the quality of the environment is considered as a factor affecting population movements within the city and attempts to leave the neighborhoods. The residents’ assessment of their residential environment is effective on the size of population attracted to and retained in the urban area, and it is an important factor influential on population mobility within the city.Studies have demonstrated in regard to the differences between planned and actual residential moves that 48 percent of those who have intended to move have left their homes after 5 years, while 14% of those who have planned to stay have also moved. Reducing residential mobility is a step towards building a stable neighborhood. MethodologyThe method of information analysis adopted in this research is based on the systematic approach of Strauss’ and Corbin’s theories in the three main steps of open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, which is based on continuous comparison.Open coding is based on general questions aimed at discovering the truth, such as why you stayed in this building, why you intend to go, and what factors make you stay or leave. Axial coding is aimed to establish a relationship between the concepts generated in the open coding step. The basis of the communication process in axial coding is to focus on and define a category as the central one and then place other categories as sub-categories below the main one.In selective coding, the utilized categories are theoretically saturated.The first and second steps are logically placed next to each other based on the coded concepts. Then, the researcher must choose the core category. Here, the major categories are related to each other in the form of a paradigm model (contextual model) around the core category.Results and Discussion The findings indicate that 23.5% of the residents tended to stay in their current homes for one to four years, while the estimated lengths of stay in their current homes included five to eight years for 17.8%, six to twelve years for 10.0%, and above sixteen years for 2.8%. The greatest impact on residential stability concerning the subject of the research is exhibited by causal conditions (such as the design and construction of a building), which are formed before its construction, and conditions other than the background ones (such as the location of the building in the city), taking shape after its construction, which include intervening and strategic conditions. Strategic conditions are exemplified by feelings of security and tranquility, congestion, and management, and intervening conditions include neighborhood relations, residents’ cultural level and social homogeneity, lack of economic capacity to move, and lack of buyers. The reasons for the poor conditions of the building (which are more personal and individual and are different for each person) include factors affecting residential stability and the desire to move.ConclusionGood building quality and cultural level and homogeneity were the first and second priorities of the residents to achieve residential stability. However, the respondents’ important reasons include the high level of reference to peace and security, high access level, proper management, and economic inability to move. Other items mentioned include proper location of the apartment and the building. Moreover, the results demonstrated that the factors that create residential stability are different from those that create the desire and tendency to move. The factors creating residential stability are stated based on facts and needs, but those for tendency to move are stated based on wishes, ideals, and expectations. Furthermore, the greater the distance between these two (real requests and wishes), the greater the desire to move.Acknowledgments This article is from the doctorate thesis of the first author with the title "Explaining the quality of the environment on residential stability and willingness to move in residential complexes using the contextual method (case example: Arak city) " In the Islamic Azad University, Arak branch under the supervision of the second and third authors and The fourth is extracted.
Urban Sustainability
hossein daneshmehr; saaied khani; vorya molasalimi
Abstract
Highlights- There is a significant positive relationship between the level of apartment life standards and social capital in residents of Mehr Dwellings.- There is no significant relationship between the type of residence and social capital in residents of Mehr Dwellings.- The variables of neighborhood ...
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Highlights- There is a significant positive relationship between the level of apartment life standards and social capital in residents of Mehr Dwellings.- There is no significant relationship between the type of residence and social capital in residents of Mehr Dwellings.- The variables of neighborhood relations and level of acquaintance have influenced the social capital of residents of Mehr Dwellings. IntroductionToday, social capital is an indicator of growth and development in societies, without which it is highly challenging to achieve development at different levels. This capital increases investment in the fields of physical capital and human capital and establishes the structures created by public and private sector agents. Housing is one of the most important human needs leading to social conflicts or peace in different ages. The occurrence of each of these conditions is directly related to the amount of social capital among the residents, from the point of view that the social norths and souths in cities have turned into a concept for class distinction. Projects like Mehr Dwellings may have been capable of meeting the housing market needs in terms of quantity and shelter to a large extent, but what is stated in the theoretical literature on social housing at the global level, i.e. the level of satisfaction of residents of social housing projects, concerns the conditions therein in social, cultural, and other terms. It seems that the Mehr Dwellings project was carried out in a hasty manner regardless of basic criteria such as social capital. Therefore, the current research seeks to investigate the social capital conditions among the residents of Mehr Dwellings in the city of Sanandaj, Iran and the effective sociological factors. The questions raised on that basis concern the level of social capital among the residents of Mehr Dwellings in Sanandaj based on the above indicators and the extent to which sociological and contextual factors have affected each dimension of social capital.Theoretical FrameworkThe theoretical framework of the current research is based on the theories available in the field of social capital and the studies conducted in Iran and around the world on the research title. The structure of social capital is investigated here based on the socio-cultural dimensions of the Mehr Dwellings project. Following the discussion, the conceptual model of the research, which involves the link between the research literature and the results, is formulated in the concluding section.MethodologyThe current research is a quantitative survey and therefore involves a method of data collection in which certain groups of people are asked to answer a certain number of specific questions, which are the same for all respondents. The research population includes all the households in the Mehr Dwellings in Sanandaj in 2019. According to the statistics published by Kurdistan Province Directorate-General for Roads and Urban Development, there are 38,000 Mehr Dwellings in the whole province, of which 13,606 have been built and submitted in Sanandaj, where a population of 43,091 people lives (Kurdistan Province Directorate-General for Roads and Urban Development, 2018). The statistical sample includes people over eighteen years of age residing in 7,600 Mehr Dwellings in Baharan Neighborhood in 2019. The sample size was specified through Cochran’s formula, based on which a size of 340 people was estimated; given the possibility of drop in the sample size, 10% was added to this number, and 374 people were finally selected to make up the study sample. The sampling methods included clustering according to Mehr Dwellings blocks and random selection of people over 18 years of age. In the selection of the samples, we tried to observe the age and sex combination as far as possible. The research tool was a researcher-made questionnaire, the formal and content validity of which were evaluated by experts in the fields of urban development and sociology. Moreover, the validity of the questions was evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient as 0.849, which indicates the appropriate reliability and validity. As a research measurement tool, the SPSS version 21 software was used to analyze the data in two sections: descriptive and inferential.Results and DiscussionThe findings of the research demonstrated that there are significant positive relationships between the social capital of residents of Mehr Dwellings and a number of the variables making up the level of apartment life standards, including the degree of neighborhood relations, the level of acquaintance with the social environment, satisfaction with the place of residence, access to facilities, and the quality of urban services and infrastructures, and the contextual variables of residence background, income, and marital status. The statistical results demonstrated that there is no significant relationship between the residents’ social capital and the variables of social relations and type of residence and contextual variables (age, gender, occupation, and academic degree). Apartment life standards and social capital among the residents of Baharan Mehr Dwellings will not change overnight, because the residents of these blocks are mainly immigrants from villages, unemployed people, female householders, urban subordinates in sociological terms. Corridors of social relations are limited, while there are stable conditions from another point of view. Although the residents’ harmony has undergone major changes during the past two years due to the high costs of housing, fundamental measures need to be taken by the institutions and trustees in the urban area. According to the results of the research, important actions to be taken in the current conditions include the participation of citizens in the affairs of the neighborhood, enhancement of the infrastructure and access networks, formation of civil institutions, and establishment of service and security institutions.ConclusionThe results of the multivariate regression analysis also indicate that the variables of apartment life standards, neighborhood relations, and level of acquaintance impact the social capital of the residents of Mehr Dwellings and explain 32% of the changes in the dependent variable.
Urban Sustainability
Ali Riahi Dehkordi; Mahdi Montazerolhodjah
Abstract
Highlights
In general, the difference between this research and others lies in the different time period and the type of perspective of this research, as detailed below.
This research was conducted during the Covid-19 epidemic, adopting a detailed approach to the research ...
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Highlights
In general, the difference between this research and others lies in the different time period and the type of perspective of this research, as detailed below.
This research was conducted during the Covid-19 epidemic, adopting a detailed approach to the research problem.
Among all the dimensions of the quality of life, only the physical dimension and its variables were addressed.
The research adopted a mental approach to measure the physical quality of life of people living in the relevant neighborhoods during the epidemic.
Introduction
A new type of global bio-experience was formed following the spread of Covid-19, and this emerging phenomenon is considered as the biggest challenge and international problem of mankind since World War II. This epidemic also affected and changed people’s mental images of their cities and residences. If the history of epidemic diseases is a guide for urban officials, the outbreak of this disease can also involve a series of important urban policies adopted to improve people’s quality of life in cities and their places of residence. Due to the changes in citizens’ lifestyles and their exile from public urban spaces to spend most of their times in their residences, these neighborhoods could play an important role in the battle against the virus by raising the residents’ quality of life. Among the factors that affect people’s quality of life in the localities, the body exhibits a tremendous impact by getting involved in the organization of the environment in order to break the chain of virus transmission.
Theoretical Framework
Epidemics of infectious diseases have always been part of the history of cities. By reviewing the history of epidemics, one can gain more insight into the consequences of changes in the design of cities, urban zoning laws, and the primary concepts of quarantine. The Covid -19 virus has also been added to a long list of rapidly spreading infectious diseases in the current century, such as tuberculosis in Southern Africa in 2006 and Ebola in Western Africa in 2014.
Generally, actions taken against urban crises can be divided into the short-term and medium-term categories in terms of response time. The former deals with functional interventions, and the latter involves basic interventions in the structure of a city. Short-term functional measures include planning to make cities more flexible, considering the role of neighborhoods and their function in satisfaction of the residents’ needs, raising the quality of housing, etc. On the other hand, medium-term actions attempt to reconstruct the healthcare systems, take urgent health measures, etc.
The term quality of life (QoL) originally meant good life, and was limited to the notions of having or not having common consumer goods, being rich, owning a car, and owning a house. The concept gradually evolved to include life satisfaction. In the classification of quality of life, two objective and subjective states can be noted. Objectivity concerns the degree to which a life conforms to the correct standards of good life and is evaluated using objective criteria that can be collected, recorded, and visualized from relevant statistical data in an accessible data platform. The mental state pertains to self-evaluation based on implicit and subjective criteria and includes feelings, individuals’ or groups’ opinions, and satisfaction with life, which is a function of pleasant and unpleasant experiences. The quality of life, however, can include dimensions such as social, economic, and physical ones. The physical dimension is one of the most important aspects that exhibit great impacts in the field. The components of the physical dimension are numerous and can include the quality of the surrounding neighborhood landscapes, lighting, air and noise pollution, access to facilities in the neighborhoods, etc.
Methodology
This research is considered as an applied quantitative study. The survey and descriptive research methods were used in the sections on the research background, theoretical framework development, and data extraction, and the causal-comparative method was used in the analysis phase. The present study sought to compare the differences in the physical factors affecting the mental quality of life from residents’ perspective in the contemporary residential areas of Iran during the current pandemic crisis (Covid-19 virus) in three urban scales: metropolitan areas (with populations over 1 million people), medium-sized cities (with populations from 500 thousand to 1 million people), and small towns (with populations of 200-500 thousand people).
Since the quality of residential environments is a subjective concept and is retrieved from the subjective perspectives of people, the approach adopted in this research is also subjective.
The research data were collected through distribution of an online questionnaire to measure the relationship between people and their surrounding environments. The questions were designed based on 38 indicators in 6 categories: environmental health, lighting, mental health, accessibility, and environmental and residential design.
Discussion and Results
The most seriously involved urban element in the crisis of Covid-19 pandemic, urban neighborhoods have played a key role in the attempt to cut the chain of virus transmission. The results obtained from this research indicate that the residents of metropolitan neighborhoods believe in the physical quality of their lives in these neighborhoods as higher in the areas of mental health, environmental design, lighting, and housing. This lies in the category of environmental health in medium-sized cities and in the category of accessibility in small cities. In addition, it is worth mentioning that the categories of environmental health, lighting, access, and environmental and residential design and their relevant indicators do not exhibit a significant difference between the three urban groups, and it is only the category of mental health that does. This difference points out that greater attention is paid to people’s psyche than to the environment physics in such crises.
Conclusion
The results of this research suggest that future studies can be conducted to investigate issues such as the role of maintaining mental health in epidemic crises, the effect of environmental design in the improvement of people’s mental health in epidemic crises, and the effect of the quality of public spaces in the control of factors harming people’s mental health in crises.
Finally, suggestions such as the following can be made given the priority of the residents’ perspective in all the three urban scales toward the stability and responsiveness of the neighborhoods during the viral disease epidemic crisis:
1- to increase the psychological security of pedestrian paths during public quarantines due to reduced attendance by adapting side street paths and those away from residential environments through placement of monitoring kiosks
2- to organize the pedestrian access network in order to facilitate access to residential houses in the epidemic crisis by making access paths more legible, considering lighting, doing environmental design, and placing visual signs therein
3- to design appropriate vegetation to reduce the noise pollution of vehicles and prevent the transmission of traffic noise into residential spaces in order to keep people calm during the period of illness.
Urban Sustainability
mehrab mehrabi; Majid Ansari; MOHSEN RAFIEAN
Abstract
Highlights
The foresight is very important in the preservation of the valuable heritage of a city and its transfer to the next generation.
The connection of the TOPSIS method and the fuzzy model is a realistic composition, which analyzes complex issues and relationships correctly and simply at the ...
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Highlights
The foresight is very important in the preservation of the valuable heritage of a city and its transfer to the next generation.
The connection of the TOPSIS method and the fuzzy model is a realistic composition, which analyzes complex issues and relationships correctly and simply at the same time.
Scenarios and scenario planning make up an essential part of the future research process.
The world heritage of the city of Yazd, Iran is a unique testimony of a cultural tradition or a living or lost civilization of human-environment interaction.
Up-to-date tourism services, development of identity-oriented employment, and balance in the migration process are very important in the sustainable development of the world heritage area.
Introduction
Various issues have threatened the stability of cities. The application of the concept of sustainable development in the modern urban environment can be very effective in the solution of these problems. In the meantime, the study of the sustainability of cities with cultural and historical heritage such as Yazd is different from that of other cities. The presence of precious historical and cultural heritage has made this city unique, and it has also made its studies and management more sensitive. Therefore, given that the Yazd contains a valuable heritage that has been inherited from generation to generation and based on the perspective of sustainable development, it is necessary for the present generation to make efforts to preserve and transfer it to the next generation. Thus, the ever-increasing changes in the historical areas of the city make it necessary to be aware of the future of this valuable area and overcome its future transformations based on this knowledge. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to identify the driving forces affecting the process of sustainable development and to provide the future scenarios of the world-heritage area of Yazd with an emphasis on sustainable development.
Theoretical Framework
Urban planning and future studies are both primarily future-oriented. They both deal with ambiguous, multifaceted, controversial issues with uncertain outcomes. Their common goal is to provide a better future. The responsibility of future researchers is to help people express beautiful dreams, and the responsibility of planners is to help make these dreams come true. The previous studies and observations of the process of formation and construction of the world heritage of Yazd and the stability of this valuable treasure from the past up to now indicate the conscious connection made by the people of that age between efficient and futuristic urban planning. By learning from our predecessors, developing plans and future research techniques, and understanding the importance of connecting these two fields, we must preserve this lasting heritage by understanding future changes and planning intelligently.
Methodology
The current research is practical in terms of purpose and a document survey in terms of data collection. An initial study of the relevant documents helped to identify the drivers of the process of sustainable development of the world-heritage site of Yazd. Then, the key drivers were identified and ranked based on experts’ opinions using the fuzzy method of TOPSIS. Finally, optimistic, intermediate, and critical scenarios were provided for the studied area based on the different states of the engines in the Scenario Wizard software.
Results and Discussion
The findings of the research demonstrate that of the 24 variables affecting the process of sustainable development of the historical area of Yazd, 7 drivers play leading roles in the future state of the area population, participation of residents, migration, competitiveness, tourism services, protection of the area (physical-functional), and employment. Moreover, the findings indicate the prominent role of social indicators compared to others in the process of sustainable development of this area, which shows the importance of these indicators in regard to preservation and sustainable development. In the interpretation of the thematic layering of the seven identified drivers, the three drivers of population, migration, and employment are defined as the components of the concept of sustainable development of the historical area. This means that changes made in these drivers considerably affect the area. Eight powerful scenarios were developed based on the results of the analysis matrix of the mutual effects of the assumptions made in the three optimistic, intermediate, and critical situations for each of the identified drivers. One ideal scenario, two optimistic scenarios, three pessimistic scenarios, and two critical scenarios were evaluated.
Conclusion
In the analysis of the scenarios, it can be pointed out that the existing historical conditions of Yazd are far from the ideal scenario, and the city is heading towards a critical scenario, facing ups and downs in order to maintain the stability of operation. Let us assume the planning scene as a spectrum from critical conditions to full optimality and consider the former as the longest distance from the ideals and the latter as the shortest. It should be stated that the historical context is currently not in the right direction, and there are not proper conditions. Therefore, in order to become closer to the ideal scenario based on the identified drivers, it is suggested that service conditions should be considered based on the needs of today’s residents and fair distribution in line with the increase in the population along with the preservation of the original and native population. Moreover, priority should be given to the enhancement and revitalization of the area with an emphasis on tradition, culture, and the use of local materials. In the meantime, particular attention should be paid to the prosperity and diversity of compatible jobs due to the important role of economic issues in development.
Urban Sustainability
AmirHossein Pourjohari
Abstract
Highlights- The great part of the construction sector in national investment affects the achievement of urban efficiency.- Destruction of durable buildings is in conflict with optimal use of capital.- Destruction and reconstruction of buildings without rights is an obstacle to achievement of life quality. IntroductionManagement ...
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Highlights- The great part of the construction sector in national investment affects the achievement of urban efficiency.- Destruction of durable buildings is in conflict with optimal use of capital.- Destruction and reconstruction of buildings without rights is an obstacle to achievement of life quality. IntroductionManagement of the demand for destruction and reconstruction has been known as a challenge to preserve durable buildings which are still available for use as places to live in or perform activity. It is also effective on urban productivity, a general concept that contains all the urban functions. Buildings make up the main factor in specification of the economic and spatial structure in a city. They have a determinative role in urban management and development, and their productivity is interpreted as the use of all the physical and structural capacities. Therefore, it can be claimed that buildings are important in urban productivity.Buildings are a priority in the investment made in cities, particularly in our country. However, managerial patterns and legal system are not established based on the roles and rights to manage the demands for destruction and reconstruction. This results from the readily-available benefits of destruction and reconstruction, which conceal the costs. Due to the importance of buildings as a national value and given the concept of sustainable development, it is necessary to analyze the statistical trends and study the different factors which impact the public tendency to destroy and reconstruct buildings.Theoretical frameworkAn essential approach to protection of durable buildings concerns infill development. This approach, which originates from sustainable development, includes one of the most serious activities performed to preserve durable buildings: adaptive reuse of buildings which exhibit the capacity to be preserved (based on their forms and functions). In other words, adaptive reuse of buildings is based on their capacities and characteristics. Therefore, the main approach to durable building preservation stems from sustainable development. Return to life cycle is the relevant pattern which can increase the efficiency period of a building. Urban efficiency is a way to improve urban management.It is worth mentioning that urban land, as a basis for creation of buildings, has a remarkable role in the attempt to achieve urban efficiency. The city and the functions which are created there are defined on that basis.MethodologyIn this research, statistical information on destruction and reconstruction permits granted in a twenty-year period has been analyzed. In addition, 4526 cases have been selected as durable buildings using random sampling. Moreover, an evaluation of the income codes of Tehran Municipality in the defined period has been considered. Therefore, this research has studied the public and managerial trends concerning the preservation of durable buildings and the relevant side effective factors.Result and discussionThe results of this investigation revealed that the value added due to destruction and reconstruction is the most important factor that encourages people to make such demands. However, an analysis of urban management income shows that destruction of durable buildings has no great impact thereon. It seems that a number of modifications in urban terms and restrictions need to be considered in durable building preservation. In this case, one must consider definition of new methods for creation of value added to satisfy the owners of durable buildings in order to preserve them.ConclusionThe factor that distinguishes this study from others is that it has focused on legal principles in management of the demand for destruction and reconstruction. Moreover, failure in supervision and administration and management inconsistency have been identified as the most important factors in the decision to destroy buildings which have the capacity to be preserved. In other words, urban management does not provide appropriate techniques to manage the demand for destruction and reconstruction.In conclusion, the tendency to destroy durable buildings could be explained in terms of the following.A. Economic and Social FactorsThe lack of balance in urban economics and uncertainty of investment in productive departments have been recognized as parameters that increase the tendency to destroy and reconstruct durable buildings.B. Legal Factors- There is no definition for durable buildings and the importance of their preservation as a national value.- Economic policies such as reduction of interest on bank deposits have facilitated investment in construction.C. Cultural FactorsThere is conflict between individual and public benefits which stem from culture. Therefore, people’s priorities are defined by their own benefit. In addition, the importance and priorities of individual benefits over public ones result from legal documents. Thus, the public tendency to give priority to individual benefits has been affected by laws and rights. Moreover, the poor sources of supplying sustainable income in urban management make up another factor that increases managerial tendency to construct.In other words, urban management benefits from the added value of destruction and reconstruction. However, there are no facilities or techniques to modify the tendency.
Urban Sustainability
Mohammad Mehdi Azizi; samaneh khosravani nezhad
Abstract
Highlights
Analysis of the pedagogical orientation of the planning discipline towards the concept of sustainable development and its position in the academic field
Orientation of the patterns of education towards sustainable development
The predominant orientation in the teaching of ...
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Highlights
Analysis of the pedagogical orientation of the planning discipline towards the concept of sustainable development and its position in the academic field
Orientation of the patterns of education towards sustainable development
The predominant orientation in the teaching of sustainability involves the provision of an independent course on sustainability and environmental concepts and inclusion of instructions on sustainability in the procedure and materials of planning courses
Consideration of the issue of sustainability can be observed formally in the sub-disciplines of urban design and regional planning as one and two optional courses, respectively, in masters studies of educational planning in Iran.
Introduction
The change in the attitude of the urban planning discipline from the growth to the sustainability paradigm resulted from the inefficiency of the discipline and profession in response to environmental concerns around the world since the second half of the twentieth century; this shifted the substantial, procedural orientation of the discipline to the latter dominant paradigm. The result of such a change in attitude in the late twentieth century was reflected worldwide in formal and informal educational planning, and different orientations towards sustainability and sustainable development took shape according to the conditions in each country.
Theoretical Framework
The fundamental question that this article seeks to answer can be raised as follows: given the position of urban planners in plans and programs where they function as specialized managers and coordinators, what is the position of sustainable development with a focus on environmental and social issues in urban planning education, and how can urban development graduates be promoted in the field to improve the quality of professional activities? The purpose of this study is to analyze the pedagogical orientation of the urban planning discipline towards the concept of sustainable development and its position in the academic field, where professionals are trained to work in the profession.
Methodology
It is directly affected by the nature of the field how an emerging idea is addressed in any knowledge. Transition from theory to practice requires the idea to go through the scientific process of education. Education that has adopted its input from research and profession conceptualizes it and transmits it to future students and professionals as educational content–involving the knowledge, skills, and value of urban planning curricula. Thus, different feedbacks can be provided to the profession given the type of acceptance and the way education deals with emerging phenomena and ideas in the field of urban planning. At the same time, there is the missing link between education and profession, which is being moved from the channel of education to profession in the transition towards sustainable development. The specific area and research gap elaborated on in this study is the number of orientation patterns of education towards sustainable development, which are specified based on the research method.
The main tool used in this fundamental qualitative descriptive-analytical method is content analysis, enabled through the capabilities of the SPSS software.
Results and Discussion
The results of the authors’ surveys at 128 universities in 9 different countries demonstrated that the predominant orientation in the teaching of sustainability is to provide an independent course on sustainability and environmental concepts and to teach sustainability in the procedure and materials of urban planning courses. The results can be observed in the case of Iran, as a developing country that strives to move towards sustainability, contrary to the direction taken in the profession corresponding to the discipline. In Iran, the only independent course on sustainability is that entitled Sustainable Urban Development, which is an optional course presented in two theoretical credits. Among all the universities with doctorate programs in urban planning, however, this course is taught only at two, namely the University of Tehran and Tehran University of Art. For a master’s degree in urban planning, on the other hand, it is included in different sub-disciplines of the curricula. Although courses with environmental content and topics are offered in all sub-disciplines, consideration of the issue of sustainability can be observed formally in urban design and regional planning as one and two optional courses, respectively.
Conclusion
The current trend will practically slow down the process of replacing the growth paradigm with the sustainability paradigm and bring about wide gaps therein. However, the proper orientation adopted in the discipline in recent years in regard to education of sustainability and sustainable development conveys the message that the gap will be reduced greatly in the future. This means that the appropriate orientation of the discipline (in education and research) is also reflected in the profession to help responds to the requirements of the field in the right direction. This is especially important in the training of graduates who will be developing plans and programs in the future. Education of sustainability and sustainable development, one of the criteria examined in the Green Metric ranking system, can be considered as a focus of future applied research and as a step forward in its achievement.
Urban Sustainability
karen fatahi; nazanin nasrullahi; maryam ansarimanesh; jamal khodakarami; ali emranipour
Abstract
Highlights- Regular outdoor geometry directly affects the feeling of security, satisfaction with the texture and buildings surrounding the outdoor space and thermal comfort.- Regular outdoor geometry indirectly affects the satisfaction of outdoor shape and geometry and thermal compatibility.- The type ...
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Highlights- Regular outdoor geometry directly affects the feeling of security, satisfaction with the texture and buildings surrounding the outdoor space and thermal comfort.- Regular outdoor geometry indirectly affects the satisfaction of outdoor shape and geometry and thermal compatibility.- The type of open space of the central courtyard directly affects the satisfaction of the texture and buildings around the outdoor space, satisfaction of the shape and geometry of the outdoor space, thermal compatibility, sense of security and thermal comfort. IntroductionThe availability of open spaces among buildings plays a vital role in residents’ social interactions, attendance, and security. Maintenance of the right geometrics, location, and proportionality of the surrounding environment has astounding impacts on the creation of attractive outdoor spaces for people. Neglection of the proportionality between the scale of space and surrounding buildings can lead to negative impacts on people’s perceptions and feelings of their surrounding environments. Therefore, assessment (in terms of shape and geometry) of the open spaces within the historic area of the city of Kashan, Iran can affect thermal conditions and provide senses of security and satisfaction with the environmental qualities and attributes. An evaluation was made beginning in September 2018 and lasting 18 days. 17 high-traffic spots and landmarks located in the historic area were chosen and categorized in two separate groups. These included public areas and pedestrian lanes and courtyards in the respective geometrics. The purpose was to investigate whether or not there existed a direct or indirect relationship between the specified factors and thermal comfort.Theoretical FrameworkThe lack of usable open spaces in cities and metropolitan areas has led to numerous issues arising at crisis times, as it disrupts the required balance between the densely packed areas of buildings and the open spaces available in cities. Enhancement of environmental quality and thermal comfort at these spaces can lead to people’s attendance and satisfaction. Security is the capability of the society of lying in a state that maintains its present conditions, identity, benefits, and basic characteristics in confrontation with evolved conditions and threats and the capability of improving the social conditions in accordance with the values and ideals of the society. Factors directly impacting the degree an extent of thermal comfort include the physical characteristics of the environment such as the geometrics and shapes of buildings, the heights of the building surrounding the open space, the amount and type of vegetation, the orientations and locations of buildings with respect to the open space, the availability of semi-open spaces, and the amount of shading.MethodologyAfter library studies were conducted along with field studies enabling physical evaluation of the areas (viewing and recording site information) at the same time as 788 residents and tourists responded to questionnaires (thermal and environmental conditions), the climatic parameters (temperature, humidity, air flow rate, CO, and CO2) were recorded. Then, the rates of clothing and metabolisms of the individuals were calculated using software called Deltalog10. The resulting information was collected and subjected to another analysis, this time using SPSS24, and the thermal comfort range of the respondents was then specified with software called Ray Man. Next, the direct and indirect relationships between the variables were assessed using the structural equation model based on the Maximum Likelihood method in Amos.Results and DiscussionThe findings demonstrated that the outdoor shape and geometry of an open space as well as its type can affect thermal comfort, thermal compatibility, satisfaction with outdoor shape and geometry, satisfaction with the fabric and surrounding buildings, and people’s sense of security in open spaces. Thermal compatibility was greater at outdoor courtyards than at urban passage open spaces. The results indicated that people were more satisfied with the shapes and geometrics of outdoor courtyards than those of public roads. Moreover, satisfaction with outdoor shape and geometry developed thermal comfort in people. There was a greater sense of outdoor security at courtyards than at outdoor public passages, making people more thermally adaptable at open spaces.ConclusionThe results indicated that the respondents had reached thermal comfort in a temperature range of 20.5 to 34.78°C (PET). Furthermore, organized outdoor geometry had direct impacts on the sense of security, with a coefficient of 0.15, on satisfaction with the fabric and buildings surrounding the open space, with a coefficient of -0.98, and on overall thermal comfort, with a coefficient of -0.8. It also exhibited indirect positive significant impacts on satisfaction with the shape and geometry of the open space and on thermal adaptability. Furthermore, the variable of the type of open space of the central courtyard had direct impacts with the highest coefficients on satisfaction with the compositional fabrics and buildings surrounding the open space, with a coefficient of 1.49, on satisfaction with the shape and geometry of the open space, with a coefficient of 0.97, on overall thermal adaptability, with a coefficient of 0.74, on the sense of security, with a coefficient of -0.23, and on overall thermal comfort, with a coefficient of -0.38. The interesting point to be noted in the analysis and interpretation of the model path concerned the key role played by the security variable as a factor effective in the occurrence of indirect relationships between variables.
Urban Sustainability
seyed abdollah hakimi; majid, nasiri
Abstract
Highlights - The three components of change in management style, domestic and foreign political stability and legal are the main elements of international contracts.- Sister city is a simple connection between cities that takes place in order to cooperate on common features and develop relationships.- ...
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Highlights - The three components of change in management style, domestic and foreign political stability and legal are the main elements of international contracts.- Sister city is a simple connection between cities that takes place in order to cooperate on common features and develop relationships.- ISM structural-interpretive modeling method was used to level the factors affecting the conclusion of contracts between.-Despite the importance and application of the international entrepreneurship development component, it is located at the most superficial level of the constituent elements. IntroductionOne of the most important factors in urban sustainability is to achieve a sustainable model for financial resources to supply the current construction costs of a city, which makes it possible to invest in the system of infrastructures for urban development.A highly significant task in recent decades is to make interactional contracts directly effective on economic issues. A sister city agreement may positively influence the services provided by the local government or reinforce its financial position and affect the development of the local government sector (Buis, 2009: 190-194). However, the costs of such an agreement may be higher than its advantages, according to the literature (De Villiers, 2009: 149-156). Another problem concerns how to develop a sister-city cooperation (Indriyati et al., 2016: 156-164). The current study aimed at rating the factors effective on international sister-city-based contracts using the sustainable income approach adopted by the municipalities. Theoretical FrameworkAlthough scientific research on sister cities is quite new, inter-city international cooperation is not a new phenomenon, and cooperation in urban settlements has existed for more than 200 years.The purpose of urban sister-city partnership is to unite people to enhance mutual understanding and to increase mutual benefit by sharing new knowledge and opportunities (Shaw & Karlis, 2002: 44 - 44), which has turned into a powerful tool for generation of capacity, learning, and economic and social development in developing countries. The term sister city was introduced by Dwight Eisehower in the 12th century. It aims to establish relations and peace among community members all over the world (Tambunan, 2017: 171 - 171).The sister-city project began in 1951, and was developed in the United States in 1956 (Sitinjak et al., 2014). Traditionally, all local governments around the world have assumed the role of establishing political and cultural relations (Chung & Mascitelli, 2008). MethodologyIn order to rate the factors effective on the process of making international sister-city-based contracts with a focus on the sustainable incomes of the municipalities, the Interpretational-Structural Modeling (ISM) method was used. Results and DiscussionBased on the results obtained by the research model, the most fundamental (fourth-level) constituent elements of international sister-city-based contracts that led to sustainable municipal revenues included the three components of change in management style, stability of domestic and foreign policies, and law. The five components of staff training, stakeholder accountability, consideration of the market, support packages, and investment opportunities occurred at the third level. The two components of people’s participation and social exchanges occurred at the second level. Finally, the five components of foreign investment attraction, private-sector investment attraction, international entrepreneurship development, tourism growth, and operations were the most superficial (first-level) constituent elements. ConclusionAccording to the results, the three parameters of change in management style, stability of domestic and foreign policies, and law are the most infrastructural (level four) elements in international sister-city-based contracts leading to sustainable incomes for the municipalities. The most super-structural elements include the five parameters of foreign investment attraction, private sector investment attraction, international entrepreneurship development, tourism growth, and operation. In experts’ opinion, the first step that needs to be taken for making international sister-city-based contracts functioning favorably and leading to sustainable incomes for the municipalities is to provide political stability, legal reforms, and managerial methods. The reciprocal relationship between the stability of internal and domestic policies and the legal parameter demonstrated that the internal and domestic policy stability might lead to the realization of legal goals, as with bilateral agreements between countries. Conversely, the expansion of friendly relationships and commercial exchanges provided the requirements for promotion of domestic political efficiency and increase in political power at the international level.Improvement of the above three parameters or the two parameters of change in management style and law made it possible to improve the parameter of staff training. This is particularly important in regard to the change in management style, since improvement of the organizational entrepreneurial culture in municipalities heavily depended on the method of passive and entrepreneurial management in these organizations. Moreover, improvement of the legal conditions and increase in exchanges with other cities would enable official and nonofficial education of the municipality staff. The improvement of the staff training parameter made it possible to improve responsibility to beneficiaries and pay greater attention to the market (domestic and foreign) and to increase support for entrepreneurs and money-making plans. All these factors could be effective in provision of commercial opportunities. On the other hand, enabling commercial opportunities could improve encouragement and support, enhance the concern for new, innovative aspects of the market, increase responsibility to beneficiaries, and, consequently, raise the possibility of awareness and staff training.Improvement of responsibility to beneficiaries at level two, which is dependent on the appropriate performance of other parameters from level three and level four, could enable people’s participation and cooperation with municipalities, which is now important in achievement of goals concerning urban and regional development; thus, development is impossible without people’s cooperation. Improvement of people’s participation could increase social exchange with municipalities at the domestic and foreign levels. Conversely, increase in social exchange could enable people’s greater participation. Increase in social exchange at level one could also make it possible to achieve goals and operational plans, representing an example of participatory development. Operationalization of the employment and money-making plans of municipalities could enable the growth of tourism activities and improve entrepreneurship spaces at the domestic and foreign levels, leading to the attraction of foreign and private-sector investments, which could in turn contribute to the development of international entrepreneurship, of which urban tourism growth is an important, money-making aspect, helping municipalities achieve project goals and operational plans.
Urban Sustainability
Samaneh Heidari; Golnaz Mortezaei
Abstract
Highlights The effect of some urban planning criteria on wind flow has been evaluated through a new method called Large Eddy Simulation. Simulation analysis of different scenarios confirmed that among density, lot coverage ratio and altitude, lot coverage ratio is the most influential parameter on the ...
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Highlights The effect of some urban planning criteria on wind flow has been evaluated through a new method called Large Eddy Simulation. Simulation analysis of different scenarios confirmed that among density, lot coverage ratio and altitude, lot coverage ratio is the most influential parameter on the air flow. Examining the effect of only density factor on air flow cant lead us to good conclusions about how wind flows. Fluctuations in different scenarios indicate that at the beginning and the end of the streets, the wind speed is faster than the middle. Introduction Along with the rapid growth of urbanization and the issues of global warming, environmental pollution, the urban heat island, and climate change, thermal comfort has turned into one of the most influential factors in adaptation of the design of climate-related urban open spaces. Today, the high temperature in human-made areas has doubled the need to consider thermal comfort in open urban spaces. Thus, wind flow is regarded as one of the most influential climatic parameters, where the speed and movement of the wind affect human thermal comfort. Theoretical Framework The traditional architecture and urban planning applied in the city of Isfahan, Iran makes up a unique local examples of Iranian architecture, which has been forced to provide many climatic solutions due to the hot, dry climatic conditions. In the past half century, however, a new pattern has emerged in building massing models as a result of the changes in the forms of housing space into different types of dense multi-family housing. Due to their extension and pervasiveness in Iran, these terraced housing models can be considered as part of the new urban planning trend in the country. Because of the increase in density and building surface ratios, however, part of the self-purification capacity of the urban environment has vanished, and certain construction models have become common in different climates with unfavorable conditions. As many cities are looking for solutions to apply compression and massing as far as possible, the drawbacks of the previous model have become more prominent, and a need has arisen for solutions to the current situation, in order to reduce the probable adverse consequences in the future. The consequences that may arise from this trend include a lack of thermal comfort in open urban spaces, an increase in heat exchange between indoor and outdoor spaces, and a rise in energy loss as a result. A master plan and an auxiliary force to urban designers and planners, the Booklet for Urban Planning and Building Regulations of the city of Isfahan always seeks to modify this pattern in the current situation. In the present study, therefore, attempts are made to consider the existing directions in the booklet and examine the role of physical factors in wind flow and its extent in the new fabric of the city. Methodology Due to its applied nature, this research uses the descriptive-analytical method and documentary and field techniques for data collection. Moreover, the large eddy simulation (LES) model is used for analysis of the defined scenarios. Results and Discussion. In order to achieve its purposes, the present study was designed in three phases. Thus, the effective physical indicators were first extracted through examination of the theoretical foundations related to thermal comfort, and their overlap with the directions in the Booklet for Urban Planning and Building Regulations of Isfahan was then studied. In the final step, LES was conducted through definition of the probable scenarios based on terrace housing models of the dominant line in the new fabric of Isfahan. An analysis of the simulation of different scenarios confirmed that an increase in lot coverage ratio, among the extracted indicators, caused a sharp decrease in speed ratio, while an increase in building height led to a decrease in speed ratio, and density exhibited a different effect, which could be interpreted along with the other criteria. Conclusion Based on the results, lot coverage ratio is the most effective parameter on air flow in the area, and density is not a suitable criterion for such measurement. Moreover, the effect of a change in lot coverage ratio on wind speed is greater than that of a change in building height. As for passage width, the fluctuations in speed ratio on narrow streets are far more limited than those on wide alleys and streets. Thus, speed is higher at the beginning and end of an alley than at the middle. In scenarios where building height is set between 10.5 and 14 meters, therefore, proper conditions are provided for urban air quality, ventilation, and air pollution.
Urban Sustainability
Zahra Babaei frooshani; Yones Changalvaiee
Abstract
Highlights Evaluation and comparison of key indicators of wind energy flows and their evaluation in the sustainability of urban morphology. Investigation of wind flow in three real urban patterns that represent the three general morphologies of the city of Isfahan. Numerical simulations were performed ...
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Highlights Evaluation and comparison of key indicators of wind energy flows and their evaluation in the sustainability of urban morphology. Investigation of wind flow in three real urban patterns that represent the three general morphologies of the city of Isfahan. Numerical simulations were performed to visualize the steady state of three real urban patterns. Several urban morphological indices were found with high correlation with wind energy indices. Intervention and development strategies to reduce the negative effects of wind flow for urban management of Isfahan. Introduction The development of wind energy in built environments is an old topic concerning sustainable urban residents, which has appealed to many researchers with the enhancement of new technologies and CFD techniques. This work seeks to study wind energy flows from the perspective of urban morphology. Methodology In this research, the average numerical wind data have been collected from Isfahan meteorological station on the hottest day (21 July 2017) and the coldest day (20 January 2018) in the corresponding Iranian year for CFD studies on wind distribution in three urban configurations (traditional, gridded, and high-rise buildings) in local scale, which represents the overall structure of the morphological types in the city of Isfahan, Iran. The CFD have been numerically simulated and illustrated in the ENVI-met and DesignBuilder software to visualize the wind energy results obtained from each urban fabric. Results and Discussion The simulation results demonstrate the following. 1) The results for the traditional fabric based on the maximum value of wind speed and direction obtained from the software include 2.26 m/s on the hottest day and 2.68 on the coldest, lying in the category of gentle breeze based on the Beaufort scale. In terms of the comfort zone for activities such as sitting, standing, and walking, this does not cause problems for citizens, and the texture lies in the comfort zone. 2) The results involving the maximum value of wind speed and direction in the gridded fabric include 2.73 m/s on the hottest day and 2.80 on the coldest. For high-rise buildings, maximum wind speed is 4.26 m/s on the hottest day and 4.08 on the coldest. On the basis of the Beaufort scale, therefore, gridded and high-rise buildings lie in the medium breeze category. Moreover, the comfort zone for the sitting and standing activities in the gridded fabric is not a problem for citizens, but makes them feel a little uncomfortable with the walking activity. For high-rise buildings, however, there are many problems, and citizens feel plenty of discomfort based on the comfort range for the sitting, standing, and walking activities. 3) The results obtained from the study of the two pieces of software demonstrate that the power and accuracy of the numerical simulation made by ENVI-met is greater than that of DesignBuilder due to the focus and design of the former software in the field of urban planning, providing researchers with more accurate documentation. Conclusion The results of the analysis are as follows. 1) The traditional fabric has been designed entirely based on the principles of sustainability. The urban morphological parameters indicate the important role that urban architects and designers can play in optimal energy consumption with respect to wind flow by determining the morphological parametric criteria. 2) The overall analyses of the geometry of the two new fabrics (gridded and high-rise buildings) demonstrate that modern urban planning is in less accordance with the natural environment, including climatic conditions and indigenous culture. 3) The large differences between the three fabrics in terms of the different characteristics of urban morphology and the different effects of wind energy flow indicate the significant effect of urban morphology on potential wind flows, showing that the urban morphological indicators are significantly correlated with wind flow. 4) The results can be used as a practical guide for evaluation of the effects of urban wind flows and their interaction with urban morphology. The methods proposed in this study can be used as maximal analyses made for practical measures taken to reduce the negative effects of wind flow for urban management in Isfahan. Future extensions of this study, which is currently under investigation, will be aimed at a comprehensive examination of all climatic factors affecting urban morphology and, finally, achievement of an optimal, sustainable model for Isfahan and all climates in Iran along with the factors examined in this research.
Urban Sustainability
Farshad Noorian; reza ghazi; seyed sajad abdullahpur
Abstract
Concern for happiness and its strategic dimensions plays a key role in provision of desirable environment quality in urban neighborhoods, ignorance of which is an issue with which cities, metropolises such as Mashhad, Iran in particular, are faced as a requirement for man to achieve sustainable urban ...
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Concern for happiness and its strategic dimensions plays a key role in provision of desirable environment quality in urban neighborhoods, ignorance of which is an issue with which cities, metropolises such as Mashhad, Iran in particular, are faced as a requirement for man to achieve sustainable urban life. In recent decades, new and old developments have been made in Mashhad, and neighborhoods have been created that do not meet the desired level of quality, and suffer many problems such as lack of public areas, insecurity, lack of visual beauty, lack of local facilities, poor sense of belonging, environmental pollution, and inappropriate conditions for neighborhood relations. This has actually lowered the level of happiness and vitality as a missing, neglected factor in the citizens’ lives, highlighting the need for proper, happy environmental design. Among the newly-developed neighborhoods is the Fareghottahsilan neighborhood, and Tabarsi is one that has been developed long ago. The purpose of this study was to assess the dimensions and indicators of happiness in old and new areas of Mashhad with different characteristics, to identify the dimensions and indicators of a happy city to solve the problems in urban neighborhoods fundamentally and efficiently towards achievement of greater sustainability in local communities. The present applied-developmental, quantitative, descriptive-analytical research was based on library studies. 320 citizens were randomly selected from among the residents of the Tabarsi and Fareghottahsilan neighborhoods to fill out the questionnaires. Data analysis was made in SPSS using statistical tests including Friedman, Mann-Whitney, Spearman, Chi-square and Cramér’s coefficient. According to the results of the analysis, it was only the physical dimension among those of happiness that exhibited relatively favorable conditions only in the Fareghottahsilan neighborhood (3.22), and both neighborhoods had unfavorable conditions in the other dimensions. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the indicators of happiness in the old and new neighborhoods. Another finding was that the average rate of happiness in the Fareghottahsilan neighborhood (167.90) was higher than that in Tabarsi (135.45), which demonstrated that the residents of the new neighborhood were happier than those of the old neighborhood, but the difference between the two in terms of happiness was not big. Happiness was positively related to income, residence ownership, ethnicity, employment, marital status, and family size, and it was negatively related to age. Finally, the greatest correlations with happiness and vitality were observed for job security in both neighborhoods from an economic perspective, level of safety and quality of lighting in the old neighborhood and access to green spaces and quality of water spaces in the new neighborhood from a physical perspective, level of security in the old neighborhood and participation in local celebrations and participation in solving the problems in the new neighborhood from a social perspective.
Urban Sustainability
seyed majid mofidi shemirani; seyedeh maryam hoseini; haniyeh sanayeiyan; gholamreza japalaghi
Abstract
Throughout the past century, cities have lost their vital connection with the nature due to the fundamental changes in their functions and physical forms. The development of urbanization and attachment of villages to metropolises in recent years have led to destruction of vegetation in these regions. ...
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Throughout the past century, cities have lost their vital connection with the nature due to the fundamental changes in their functions and physical forms. The development of urbanization and attachment of villages to metropolises in recent years have led to destruction of vegetation in these regions. The importance of identifying the effects of cities on their climates can be indicated only through accurate research and quantitative assessment. The overall increase in air temperature as a result of urbanization is 1-3 degrees Celsius. In stable climatic conditions, however, the air temperature difference between urban and suburban areas can be as high as 10 degrees Celsius. Increasing the amount of vegetation, planting trees, and developing ecological networks are some of the effective passive methods available for improvement of microclimates. Similar methods have been used in the ancient cities of Iran, where the temperature inside the cities has always been lower than that of the surrounding areas due to the utilization of a special type of urban planning which has been capable of providing appropriate climatic conditions at micro scale by controlling climatic elements. Ozgol is one of the northern neighborhoods of Tehran, where green spaces have diminished as a result of the development process and space quality at the centralized focal points has decreased. This study attempted to identify the relationship between green areas and temperature decrease on the hottest day of the year to help improve the quality of the public spaces and increase thermal comfort at the focal points of the neighborhood. This research used a hybrid methodology based on logical reasoning and software-assisted assessment to study a site in the Ozgol neighborhood under two conditions: current status and optimal design. The data on the current situation of the neighborhood were obtained by field measurements, and those on the latter situation were obtained via computer simulation and addition of plants to the area. Then, the PMV model was used for assessment of the comfort conditions and specification of the exact effect of plants on microclimate elements. The two conditions were compared, and the impact of urban design with plants on environment quality was evaluated. The evaluation criteria included temperature and relative humidity. The measurements were made at a height of 1.65 meters to prioritize pedestrian comfort. The findings suggested that allocation of a low percentage of city space to greenery can greatly improve microclimatic conditions. The computations indicated that every square meter of green space added to the area under study would expand the comfort zone by 3.71 times. The results also demonstrated that retention of the amount of relative humidity can reduce air temperature by 1.5-2 degrees Celsius. The findings of this study highlighted the significance of preserving the current green spaces over the neighborhood and the necessity of avoiding any change in the land use of the remaining gardens (about 6,000 m2 in the 4-hectare area of the site). The computations also showed that addition of the existing green spaces over the area by 2.69% can expand the area within the range of thermal comfort to twice as wide as the pre-intervention area. One the other hand, the issue of global warming, the 1-degree rise in the world’s temperature during the past century, highlights the value and significance of this 1.5-degree temperature decrease. Thus, it is possible to make significant changes through extension of the results of this study to a larger scale to involve the entire city.
Urban Sustainability
mojde erfani; Hossein Bahrainy; Manouchehr Tabibian
Abstract
Abstract Lack of attention to the “dynamic” concept of the landscape, the “holistic” approach to it, and the use of conventional methods in the study of urban development projects has shaped an urban landscape that is unable to meet the demands of its inhabitants over time. Therefore, ...
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Abstract Lack of attention to the “dynamic” concept of the landscape, the “holistic” approach to it, and the use of conventional methods in the study of urban development projects has shaped an urban landscape that is unable to meet the demands of its inhabitants over time. Therefore, considering the ineffectiveness and divergence of the study method in the urban development plans of Iran and given the variability of today’s city, it is necessary to adopt an appropriate approach to today’s urban conditions. Landscape Urbanism theory, with a general approach to the concept of landscape and accepting the uncertainty of the evolving city, has raised a new field in the global literature. This theory, with an approach to confronting the complexities of the contemporary city, sees the “landscape” as an active phenomenon over time and emphasizes functional dimensions beyond its purely aesthetic aspects. At present, there are criticisms about putting the theoretical aspects of this approach to practice. Since the highest application of this theory is in the field of landscape architecture, most of its criticisms relate to the field of urbanism knowledge, the application of its theoretical framework to the city scale and the lack of executive instances. In this regard, the correct understanding and analysis of the theoretical issues of urban planning and its adaptation to the concept of sustainability, as a basis for thinking, can reveal its hidden dimensions. It is clear that further research on the application of this theory, along with the formulation of design principles, is an important factor in reducing the gap between theory and practice, solving structural problems and identifying the potential of this new approach to urban planning. The purpose of this research is to describe the theoretical framework of “landscape urbanism” theory as a new approach in urban design that aims at achieving a sustainable landscape. This study tries to emphasize the “procedure” and “substantive” dimensions in the design of sustainable urban landscape while developing the theoretical framework of this approach based on sustainability concepts. In this regard, the present paper seeks to confirm the following statements: - Understanding the dynamic concept of landscape and its “holistic approach” in today’s urban conditions leads to the formation of a landscape that can be “sustained” on a time scale. - The “stability” of the city’s main structure, along with the “flexibility” of open urban areas and urban neighborhoods against the changing conditions and needs of the community, can provide the ground for the formation of a sustainable landscape in the present situation. - The approach of “landscape urbanism”, as an efficient approach in the studies of urban development projects in Iran, in addition to “substantive dimensions”, needs a “infrastructure” for realizing its theoretical framework in the field of action. Based on the results of the research, the concept of sustainability in the theory of landscape urbanism includes the “stability” of the main structure of the city and the “change” of activities and programs proportionate to the changing conditions over time. Thus, the theoretical framework of landscape urbanization, with the features of “uncertainty” and “change”, can be used to design “open spaces” within and around the city as well as “urban neighborhoods” that are more “adaptable” and “flexible”. In this regard, the emphasis is on participatory planning from the bottom up, the design of the process-oriented with an integrated approach from regional to local scale in the urban landscape, and on the local identity.
Urban Sustainability
Islam Karami; parisa mohamadhoseini
Abstract
Mehr housing developments typify the problem of increasing building density in modern urbanism, a state of affairs with manifold repercussions. The Mehr housing complexes in Ardabil consist stereotypically of apartment buildings tightly jammed together, without regard to every environmental and human ...
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Mehr housing developments typify the problem of increasing building density in modern urbanism, a state of affairs with manifold repercussions. The Mehr housing complexes in Ardabil consist stereotypically of apartment buildings tightly jammed together, without regard to every environmental and human aspect. As rather densely populated complexes and prospective accommodations for upcoming generations, they warrant serious attention in terms of social sustainability. It is indeed possible to make amends for the human and social aspects overlooked in the original designs by enhancing the physical environment. Hence, the present study explored the role of sociable public spaces in social sustainability of residential complexes, seeking to promote social identity and vitality in contemporary urban structures. The examined cases were three Mehr housing developments in Ardabil, namely Niayesh, Vahdat, and Andisheh. Our hypothesis stated that the presence of sociable public spaces at the concerned developments correlated significantly with their social sustainability. The adopted method combined qualitative and quantitative approaches, and the applied strategies included logical reasoning, comparison, and correlation. At first, documentary and analytical studies were embarked on to extract the facets and variables of social sustainability and sociability of the spaces. To measure the two concepts of “space sociability” and “social sustainability”, the designed models incorporated the spatial-physical components of the former and the human and social dimensions of the latter. Questionnaires designed with respect to the research components were distributed among the local residents. The variables of the two concepts and their correlation at the complexes were interpreted by analyzing the data from the questionnaires through one sample t-test and Pearson’s correlation using SPSS. Results of these analyses suggest that establishing sociable spaces will positively contribute to social sustainability of residential complexes, and that Andisheh exhibits relatively higher levels of the two concepts among the examined cases. The next step involved the analysis of spatial and physical facets of the public spaces of the complexes. The data resulting from the analysis of the questionnaires were related to the results of interviews and observations. The variables and environmental attributes pertaining to the sociability of public spaces of the residential complexes were then extracted and classified. The paper concludes by offering a series of solutions, including provision of sociable spaces such as green areas, children’s playgrounds, and commercial and cultural centers, allowing for proper physical-social sizes of the spaces, enhancing environmental welfare, and taking account of visual diversity, all of which will ensure sociability of public spaces at the residential complexes, thereby promoting social sustainability. Sociable places can be regarded as multi-purpose spaces that can accommodate various activities and appeal to different groups, thus intensifying human interactions. The physical-social size of a space is correlated with the sense of security, sense of affinity, and identification with the environment. Environmental welfare is related to being satisfied with the physical environment and to the desire for spending more time at and relishing the space, whereas visual variety makes the space appealing and inviting.
Urban Sustainability
Ahad Nejad Ebrahimi; Nastaran Najdaghi
Abstract
There are some problems in the historic fabric that eclipse values of these sites in cities. Sustainable urban regeneration approach is the best approach to solve these problems. Due to the nature of this approach and the intervention platform, the role of education must be clarified in this process. ...
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There are some problems in the historic fabric that eclipse values of these sites in cities. Sustainable urban regeneration approach is the best approach to solve these problems. Due to the nature of this approach and the intervention platform, the role of education must be clarified in this process. This study was conducted with the aim to determine the effectiveness of education on urban regeneration. At first, the viewpoints of experts were collected by Delphi technique and then a consensus was reached on the positive impact of education on residents. Afterwards, the women living in Sang-e-Siah neighborhood were chosen as the statistical population to assess the viewpoints of residents. This study is an applied research employing the descriptive and analytical methods. The main objective is to elucidate the effectiveness of education for women living in the Sang-e-Siah neighborhood in Shiraz on sustainable urban regeneration. The main question is “How much effective is the education of the culture of citizenship, preservation of historic heritage, vocational skills, and environmental protection on successful implementation of urban regeneration plans?” Data was collected through questionnaire, interview, and field study. T-Test and one-way ANOVA were used to assess the factors’ effectiveness. The results show that there is a significant positive relationship between women education and sustainable urban regeneration. Women have selected as the target population because of their higher presence in the neighborhood during the day and their higher impact on the education of children. The data collected from the study population was used to clarify the effect of education on the implementation of urban regeneration plans. Experts’ opinions and the views of women living in the neighborhood were compared. According to experts’ opinions, educating residents is the most effective approach of education-oriented urban regeneration with such effective components as social, physical, environmental and economic factors. However, based on the views of women living in the neighborhood, the most effective factors on women education in order of importance are environmental, social, physical and economic factors. As the mean value of t statistic was more than 3 for all the four factors, it is concluded that the effect of women education on all the four factors is above average. Also, research findings indicate that differences in individual characteristics of respondents can change the impact of sustainable urban regeneration programs with age being the most effective factor. It is therefore suggested that educating residents will be set as the objective of sustainable urban regeneration plans as a pivotal element of urban planning. In addition, to develop the theoretical approach, it is suggested that residents’ education will be classified according to different age groups. Finally, it is recommended that the impact of education on urban regeneration process will be measured by determining the feedback from educated subjects.
Urban Sustainability
Golnaz Mortezaei; Mahmoud Mohammadi; Farshad Nasrollahi; Mahmoud Ghalehnoee
Abstract
Rapid progress in technology and, consequently, the increasing growth of urban population has inevitably led to the development of residential neighborhoods. Changes in the form of urban texture and their inconsistency with climatic features, together with the rise of energy demand, have had manifold ...
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Rapid progress in technology and, consequently, the increasing growth of urban population has inevitably led to the development of residential neighborhoods. Changes in the form of urban texture and their inconsistency with climatic features, together with the rise of energy demand, have had manifold adverse consequences such as global warming and climate change. According to previous research, most energy in cities is consumed by residential buildings which is highly affected by the city shape, an issue which needs to be amended. Therefore, since buildings account for a significant portion of energy consumption in cities, wise decisions should be made for designing new urban textures that reduce energy consumption. Research on urbanism and energy efficiency has offered different views. The vast majority of studies conducted on the optimization of energy consumption in urban areas have focused on the impact of urban shape on fuel consumption in transportation or have evaluated energy consumption in micro scales. But, as thermal performance changes in scales beyond the building scale, researchers must analyze the thermal performance of buildings in larger scales such as neighborhoods. The missing part in this field is the assessment of energy consumption in neighborhoods. To fill this gap, the present paper attempts to assess the primary energy consumption of cooling, heating and lighting systems in new patterns of residential texture on neighborhood scale. Afterwards, on the basis of primary energy criterion, efficient and inefficient patterns are identified and, finally, some strategies are provided for optimizing energy consumption in new residential areas. The present study is an applied research conducted using descriptive-analytical method. Data was collected by documentary and field methods. In the first step, the concepts of primary energy, energy efficiency, and typo-morphology approach are described and analyzed in order to formulate the theoretical framework of the research. The relationship between microclimate and morphology is also investigated. Then, following the typo-morphology approach, the residential texture of Sepahan Shahr, Esfahan, Iran, is categorized on the neighborhood scale. Finally, simulating the primary cooling, heating, and lighting equipments’ energy consumption in the residential textures via Design Builder software, results are analyzed based on the comparative approach and statistical tests. The results show that there is a strong correlation between primary energy consumption and indicators of design layout, mass placement, form of the building, height of the building, and open spaces. Also, there is a moderate correlation between primary energy consumption and block proportions. Moreover, based on the results from the variance analysis, common row patterns and square-shaped patterns are the most and least efficient patterns of new residential textures, respectively, though the lighting systems’ energy consumption is lower in square-shaped patterns. Other patterns, such as H, T, I, and L shapes are in mid-level for primary energy consumption. Among these patterns, the H-shape is the best choice for four-storey buildings with high-density.
Urban Sustainability
Sina Razzaghi Asl; Farzaneh Khoshghadam
Volume 6, Issue 22 , May 2017, , Pages 59-74
Abstract
Urban authorities and residents of urban deteriorated areas have faced many problems including, among the most important, unstable social condition of these areas. Social problems are one of the most important issues in renovation of and intervention in these kind of urban fabrics. According to the literature, ...
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Urban authorities and residents of urban deteriorated areas have faced many problems including, among the most important, unstable social condition of these areas. Social problems are one of the most important issues in renovation of and intervention in these kind of urban fabrics. According to the literature, definitions of urban regeneration have evolved over time and now are strongly influenced by the concept of sustainability. In fact, intervening in urban deteriorated areas is quite a social issue. There are different approaches for intervention in urban deteriorated areas. Regeneration and its recent approach - urban renaissance - is considered as the newest concept for intervention in recent years. On the other hand, the dominant and recent view of urban regeneration is social sustainability. Therefore, the subject of social sustainability seems essential in the intervention with the social approach in urban deteriorated areas. This study tries to review the existing literature about social sustainability and then extract and analyze the key factors of social sustainability in deteriorated areas of Shiva Neighborhood in Tehran. The aim of this study is to examine social problems of deteriorated areas of the study area and evaluate the effective factors on improving social sustainability. This research is a descriptive survey in the context of library studies which uses SPSS to analyze data. The study is also a qualitative–quantitative research with an applied goal. The results of this study indicate that the most important indicators affecting social sustainability in deteriorated areas, in Shiva Neighborhood in particular, are sense of belonging, walkable neighborhood, vitality, security, supply of affordable housing, social participation, equitable distribution of resources and services, creating job opportunities, education, activity in the place, residents’ empowerment, environmental health, sense of satisfaction, free time, and satisfaction with income. These indicators were grouped in seven categories of equity, quality of life, social security, social interaction, social justice, social participation and social cohesion. These seven categories have respectively the most impact on improving social sustainability in deteriorated areas of Shiva Neighborhood. Equity represents the economic situation of residents. Based on the conditions of deteriorated areas, it seems reasonable that this factor is the most effective one. Despite the importance of this factor, its impact was negative and reduced social sustainability. Social security and social interaction were other factors having a negative impact on social sustainability after renovation in the neighborhood. Quality of life, social justice and social participation were the factors that improved social sustainability in this neighborhood. The impact factor of social cohesion shows that the measures taken have not been considerable in the eyes of the residents. Overall, based on the average of all factors, social sustainability increased after renovation in Shiva Neighborhood, but the amount of this increase was very low and required more serious efforts. It will be very effective to consider these factors in the future planning process of renovation in this neighborhood, an issue that will prevent behavioral, mental, occupational and identity disorders.
Urban Sustainability
bakhtyar khosravi
Volume 5, Issue 20 , November 2016, , Pages 5-16
Abstract
Development is an idea or practice which came into existence in the early 19th century. This notion differs from that of progress. Key features of urban sustainability which are mostly expressed in documents and literature are intra-generation equality, inter-generation equality, natural environment ...
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Development is an idea or practice which came into existence in the early 19th century. This notion differs from that of progress. Key features of urban sustainability which are mostly expressed in documents and literature are intra-generation equality, inter-generation equality, natural environment protection, minimum use of non-renewable sources, economic survival and diversity, self-reliant society, individual welfare and meeting peoples' basic needs in a society. Moreover, sustainable urban development is a form of development which provides the capacity for the continuous development of cities and future generation of urban communities. From a structural point of view, development brings about changes in land use and density levels and can meet city residents’ needs in the area of housing, transportation, and leisure so that with the lapse of time, the city becomes habitable environmentally, life is rendered endurable from an economic standing and remains coherent socially. Each city, given the extent to which it is influenced by local and global forces, needs to formulate their own local strategies for sustainable urban development to take into account environmental conditions as well as its social and economic structures. In this regard, border cities, due to their own peculiar situation and functions, are amongst cities whose sustainability is affected by both local and global forces. Because on the one hand, cities, like their counterparts, are affected by environmental conditions, residents' social relations, and relations with their surrounding settlements, they have roles and functions within their national policy and economic systems. On the other hand, given border situations, these cities are also influenced by trans-national and even global economic, political, social and environmental developments. For this reason the issue of sustainability in such cities is more important and is deemed to be more challenging compared to other cities. Currently, sustainability in a considerable number of cities in the country depends directly on their border situation. Therefore, any strategies, polices and development with regards to a country's borders affect a substantial part of the country's borders directly and indirectly. In this regard, cities in Kurdistan, as one of border provinces in the country, is constantly influenced by the border situation of this province, and development, especially sustainability, has always been a function of their border situation (due to numerous ups and downs in relations and ties between Iraq and Iran). Accordingly, the main issue of the research has been directed at border cities' sustainability for achieving sustainability in such cities. To answer these questions in this paper, analytical-descriptive methods, as well as such methods as numerical taxonomy, strategic planning methods and statistical tests based on SPSS software were used for assessing sustainability in the city of Marivan.
Urban Sustainability
Mahdi Montazerolhodjah
Volume 5, Issue 20 , November 2016, , Pages 17-28
Abstract
Urban sprawl and population growth impact urban quality significantly by reducing livability and human comfort causing areduction in outdoor leisure and recreation activities. In addition, busy lifestyles of the urban community also affect the lack of time for leisure and recreational activities in public ...
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Urban sprawl and population growth impact urban quality significantly by reducing livability and human comfort causing areduction in outdoor leisure and recreation activities. In addition, busy lifestyles of the urban community also affect the lack of time for leisure and recreational activities in public outdoor spaces.
Leisure is defined as free time that does not involve work or performing other life sustaining functions. Leisure and work are rivals for time. If one increases, the other decreases. This is the same for individuals and for society as a whole in every culture and society. Social role and function of public parks can be important for lower income groups. While the conditions in such areas are less attractive to those of the higher income area, the urban public park can provide lower income citizens opportunities for fun and entertainment within a place with environmental quality. Nowaday, most of a community’s leisure activities take place indoorsin such places as cinemas, coffee shops, restaurants, and shopping centers. The use of indoor rather than open and green outdoor spaces during leisure activities has led to a greater passive lifestyle in urban communities. People in urban spaces neglect the fact that physically active outdoors lifestyles are important in terms of physical and mental health to enhance the quality of life. Urban public parks and their design are important factors which influence citizens’ leisure activities. The objective of this research is to identify the impact of the community perception on leisure activities at two urban public parks in the city of Yazd. Kuhestan Park and City Grand Park were selected for this study.
The literature review was carried out to gather information and findings and determine the study criteria of previous research regarding leisure in urban public parks.
The results from the literature review and observation survey served very well in codifying the variables and attributes for structuring the questionnaire to examine citizen perception of leisure activities in public parks of Yazd.
According to this study, the use of parks has changed from quiet activities during the day to more community activities in the evening and night.
People dispersed throughout the parks during the day, while in the evenings and at nightfall the areas became more vibrant with social leisure activities.
The questionnaire survey was carried out atvarious times and different locations of the parks using random stratifying technique.
This study reveals the positive perception of the community towards night-time leisure activities at
urban public parks in both case studies.
Four types of variables were studied in relation to night-time leisure in urban public parks: comfort, convenience, safety and aesthetics.
The findings of this study showed that the urban park users’ perception of safety and related factors had the greatest correlation with increase in leisure activities in urban public parks.
The results of this research could be used to improve the Yazd local authority strategies and guidelines regarding future urban public park planning and design. This study has identified crucial factors contributing to citizens’ comfort, convenience, and safety in public parks as well their aesthetic views of such places in relation to leisure activities.
Urban Planning
a m; a p
Volume 3, Issue 11 , August 2014, , Pages 49-62
Abstract
Introduction
Today environmental, social, and economic problems and issues concentrated in cities have necessitated attempts for undertaking research on sustainable development. Considering the role of neighborhoods as the mosaics of development, neighborhoodism and neighborhood-based planning is a ...
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Introduction
Today environmental, social, and economic problems and issues concentrated in cities have necessitated attempts for undertaking research on sustainable development. Considering the role of neighborhoods as the mosaics of development, neighborhoodism and neighborhood-based planning is a key approach that has receiveda great deal of attention in contemporary world literature. Neighborhoods, as the smallest space units in urban divisions, are the building organs of a city, in which the notion of citizenship grows. In this regard, Ardebil city has been facing many problems related to sustainability because of rapid urbanization, urban sprawl, mismanagement, unplanned skeletal structures, and weak economic structures and lack of attention to development projects in the field of urban planning. In this article, attempts have been made to measure the sustainability level of neighborhood development in the framework of skeletal, social, economic, environmental, and managerial (institutional, political) criteria using a field method. The studied neighborhoods include Niar, Kolkhuran, Golmaghan, Molabashi, and Mollayusef. The mentioned neighborhoods were originally villages that merged with the city.
Data and Methodology
The present research is practical in terms of its aim and is descriptive-analytical in terms of research methodology. To do this research, first exploratory studies were carried using library-documents method and the major part of this investigation was survey based using questionnaires and interviews. To measure the sustainability of neighborhoods, the five dimensions of skeletal, socio-cultural, economic, environmental, and institutional-political were used along with 20 criteria. The sample population consisted of the citizens of Niar, Golmaghan, Kolkhuran, Mopllabashi, and Mollayusef neighborhoods, among which 378 citizens, based on the Cochran formula, were chosen as thesample. The samplingmethod was random classified sampling where questionnaires were distributed and completedin proportion to each neighborhood population.To analyze the data obtained from the field operations of the two descriptive and inferential statistics, SPSS 22 Software with its one-sample t-test, one-way ANOVA/F (and the Scheffe test) as well as Kruskal-Wallis ranking were used. Furthermore, in order to specify the neighborhoods under study, Arc GIS Software was used. It should be noted that for measuring neighborhood sustainability, 20 criteria were used in five relevant dimensions with a 9-choice Likert scale, because the larger the number of scales, the closer the results to reality.
Findings and Discussion
The findings of the study reveal that among the 20 criteria investigated here,only the two criteria of neighborhood legibility and spatial devotion of the neighborhood were reasonably sustainable regarding averages larger than the theoretical averages of the research, while other criteria did not have a suitable condition. In comparing neighborhood sustainability using the significant difference test, it was observed that apart from the four criteria of access to services, social capital, participation, and good governance, the rest of criteria in this research significantly affected the sustainability of the studied neighborhoods. In other words, in the target neighborhoods there was a significant difference between the mentioned criteria.Overall, the neighborhood sustainability ranking in these five neighborhoods revealed that Niar was first while Kolkhuran was last.
Comparing the findings of this study to previous research theories reveals that neighborhood sustainability largely depends on management and planning at this level. In a similar vein, poor civil participation and lack of proper developmental plans influence the increases or decrease in the sustainability of neighborhoods. Yet, the role of urban and meta-urban economic and social factors should not be ignored.
Conclusion and Suggestion
This research illustrates that the studied neighborhoods are at an unsustainable and underdeveloped level. The largest inequality is related to socio-economic criteria and the lowest one to environmental and managerial criteria. The level of unsustainability is different in the neighborhoods. Some neighborhoods such as Kolkhuran are facing severe unsustainability, while others such as Niar are afflicted with less sustainability. The solution to the problem of underdevelopment requires comprehensive and integrative measures in all the sectors related to development within the framework of management and neighborhood developmental planning. Accordingly, citizen participation, planning at the neighborhood level and empowerment of neighborhood residents socially and economically is essential in that it is effective in the development of neighborhoods. In this regard, attention to space planning at the neighborhood level is essential.
Urban Planning
h b; m i; m m
Volume 3, Issue 9 , February 2014, , Pages 17-30
Abstract
This paper investigates the evolution of development approaches from “Urban Reconstruction” to “Sustainable Urban Regeneration” emphasizing “social sustainability” (the most recent approach).The decline of environmental quality, social status and ...
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This paper investigates the evolution of development approaches from “Urban Reconstruction” to “Sustainable Urban Regeneration” emphasizing “social sustainability” (the most recent approach).The decline of environmental quality, social status and economic vitality have been amongst the most fundamental problems in the concept of urban development. In recent decades, various policies have been implemented in cities, especially in inner cities, to address this critical situation. Developed countries have examined different approaches for solving in theory and practice such issues as the post-industrial shift from manufacturing to service industries, Fordism to post-Fordism, natural or non-natural disasters (earthquakes, war…), globalization and social change. Developing countries have also been confronted by such problems as a result of rapid growth and its consequences. By looking at these policies from an analytical and historical perspective, distinct stages from “Urban Reconstruction” to “Urban Regeneration” can be defined based on prominent attributes, political approaches and institutional frameworks. “Sustainable Urban Regeneration” has been propounded in recent years, introducing sustainability and sustainable development in the field of urban development. The question and the objective of this research are forged explicating this approach, its aspects and components; exploring “what the components and aspects of “Sustainable Urban Regeneration” are and how they could be defined under the recent approach of “Social Sustainability”. The research method is a "documentary" one based on "Content Analysis" and "Logical Argumentation". This paper seeks to summarize the approaches that have affected change since the mid- twentieth century and to define the components and dimensions of sustainable urban regeneration taking into account the most recent approach of social sustainability.
Urban Planning
غ خ; ظ ظ; ش ی
Volume 2, Issue 8 , December 2013, , Pages 31-46
Urban Planning
ف ن; س ح
Volume 2, Issue 8 , December 2013, , Pages 83-91
Urban Planning
z m; h sh; a r
Volume 2, Issue 7 , July 2013, , Pages 73-88
Abstract
Abstract: The history of the old city centers , due to the geographical center , easy access , and feature historic center of economic gravity - the cultural potentials are high , despite the positive features of downtown , the texture of physical problems ( exhaustion ),environmental problems , in the ...
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Abstract: The history of the old city centers , due to the geographical center , easy access , and feature historic center of economic gravity - the cultural potentials are high , despite the positive features of downtown , the texture of physical problems ( exhaustion ),environmental problems , in the context of complexity and poor infrastructure suffer. With such a central feature of the city center is the city of Khorramabad The core fabric of the city is mostly worn and in need of restructuring andRehabilitation. The main objective of this research is to broaden the scope of the problem in this context the following objectives of sustainable development is the development of these tissues . In this regard, research on how to achieve physical and environmental dimensions of sustainable development in the context of Rehabilitation core has Khorramabad. The purpose of this study applied descriptive - survey is to introduce the basic concepts and methods of data collection in the library and in the documentation gathered through field studies (questionnaires, interviews and observation's). Methods This study was a descriptive - survey and data collection documents two studies and field) Interview questionnaires and observation's (Population of residents part of the fabric core with a population of over 2797 people in Khorramabad are. According to consider the characteristics of the economical, social , physical and environmental scope of the case study and data analysis of the combined AHP-SWOT methods, the results of the final evaluation of SWOT within the AHP model shows that in the group of strengths , the existence of valuable historical element ( final weight ,./ 272) , existence of activity axis along the Imam Khomeini and Shohada streets ( final weight , ./176 ) and easy access to other parts of the city ( final weight , ./134) are the most important strengths and low quality buildings ( final weight ,./206 ) , microlithic parts ( final weight , ./161) and the narrow and impermeable streets ( final weight , ./135) are the most important weaknesses . However, the high potential of uncultivated area ( final weight ,./ 239) , the potential of constructing tourism spaces ( final weight , ./183 ) and the historical area and promoting an inclusive culture ( final weight , ./139 ) in series are the most important opportunities of the case study, also neglecting adapt to changing demands (final weight ,./266 ) , insecurity and impermeability passages ( final weight , ./194 ) and not defining public open space in quarters ( the final weight ,./143) are the most important threas to the desired range .The overall results indicate that most physical problems and After that, the environmental problems ,economic problems , management problems, social problems , most of it is devoted to . Well as the physical aspects of, poor quality buildings , including the most difficult passages microlithic parts and impermeable tissue study.are . According to final analysis,in this study pivotal offers in order to exploit these strengths, opportunities, reducing weaknesses and threats in the form of SWOT model key strategies for improving the old texture of the city of Khorramabad in the text has been stated in detail which the components of sustainable urban development have been applied.To achieve the goal of sustainable urban development in the sustainable urban development will be stable with a high quality of life for all residents. Thus, in order to improve the quality of life offered as a guide decisions on development strategies, planning and creating new instruments of communication between decision-making factors, decision making and enforcement of the emphasis is.
