Urban Management
javad mahdianpoor; mohammad taghavi zavareh; hamidreza saremi
Abstract
Urban development, population growth, and intensified urbanization have led to a variety of issues such as physical distress and decay in most cities around the world. Besides triggering physical effects, this has imposed plenty of economic and social consequences on residential neighborhoods. Therefore, ...
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Urban development, population growth, and intensified urbanization have led to a variety of issues such as physical distress and decay in most cities around the world. Besides triggering physical effects, this has imposed plenty of economic and social consequences on residential neighborhoods. Therefore, it seems essential to investigate, assess, and acknowledge these consequences and to adopt solutions to alleviate the present conditions. The purpose of this study is to explain the urban acupuncture approach for improvement of the quality of residential neighborhoods and presentation of local solutions for management of the problems encountered in residential neighborhoods. In fact, the research seeks to address the notions, principles, and criteria in urban acupuncture in the urban neighborhood scale and apply them to the Tajrish neighborhood in Tehran, Iran. In general, urban acupuncture involves three stages of executive action. In the first stage, the objectives of the interventions are determined after an analysis of the conditions and dominant economic, social, and environmental system. Once the goals are defined, the intervention range is specified, and the points within each region, sub-systems, and stimuli are then determined. In the second stage, the measures and interventions pertaining to each point and the effects and results of the interventions are explained. The important point here is the necessity of appropriateness of the interventions to the conditions of each point and to the effective area for achievement of the desired and expected outcomes. In the third and final stage of measures, the intervention times are planned. The present descriptive-analytical survey involves a fundamental and applied study. The Tajrish neighborhood was selected as the area under investigation. It is a historic core of the city with an extra-local role due to its several potentials, but is confronted today with problems such as physical distress and decay and environmental, economic, and social issues. For evaluation of urban acupuncture solutions within the area investigated in the present study, the theoretical framework, tools, and solutions in urban acupuncture were first reviewed, and the systems affecting the physical, environmental, social, and economic aspects were then explained for specification of the zones of intervention. Next, we analyzed the results obtained by factors such as the influential beneficiaries, probable outcomes of urban acupuncture, and effective stimuli within the area using the method of network analysis and the DC, PRP, and PCI indicators. For the application of urban acupuncture stimuli to the intervention zones, they were then prioritized using thirty mental images for the examination of the residents’ spatial perception, Hierarchical Analysis Process (AHP), and the Expert Choice software, followed by an analysis of the intervention zones using the SWOT technique. A comparative method was used for presentation of the solutions given successful acupuncture experiences and the facilities and limitations of the neighborhood. The research results indicate that sites such as Tajrish Market, Maqsud Beyk River Valley, Arezu Park, and Museum of Music are the most sensitive points in the neighborhood for application of the intervention stimuli.
Urban Design
Leila Rahimi; Islam Karami
Abstract
Existing experience suggests that the perceptual environment of citizens plays an essential role in the perception of the quality of urban environments. Given the wide variations in urban life, in particular urban life in Tabriz as a metropolis, it is particularly important to recognize the quality of ...
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Existing experience suggests that the perceptual environment of citizens plays an essential role in the perception of the quality of urban environments. Given the wide variations in urban life, in particular urban life in Tabriz as a metropolis, it is particularly important to recognize the quality of urban and neighborhood environment. Therefore, Golshahr and Parvaz neighborhoods are considered as newly designed neighborhoods (less than 30 years old) with appropriate architectural and urban spaces and a high level of facilities and services. This paper presents an instrument for measuring perceived residential environment quality in urban environments. This instrument consists of 11 scales categorized into four criteria including spatial aspects, human aspects, functional aspects, and contextual aspects. The spatial aspects include three scales: architectural-planning space, organization and accessibility of roads, and green space. The human aspects involve one scale: people and social relations. Functional aspects include four scales: welfare, recreational, commercial, and transport services. Contextual aspects cover three scales: pace of life, environmental health, and upkeep. The paper aims to identify and measure perceived residential environment quality and improve the related psychometric qualities. Cognitive psychology is the conceptual framework of this research that focuses on environmental perception. This paper attempts to answer the following questions: 1- What level is the residents’ perceived quality of Tabriz neighborhoods (Golshahr and Parvaz regions)? 2- What factors affact residents’ perceived quality of Tabriz neighborhoods? The research method is descriptive-experimental and the data collection instrument is a questionnaire including 11 scales based on different dimensions of the research variables. The questionnaire comprised of 62 questions in the form of a five-point Likert scale. It was clustery distributed among 250 residents of Golshahr and Parvaz regions in Tabriz. The data was analyzed using the one-sample t-test, paired comparison, multiple regression analysis and path model analysis in SPSS software. Results confirm the factorial structure of the scale and indicate that, among the individual factors, sex and ownership affect the residents’ perceived quality of the neighborhood. Among the four main components, the social and then contextual components have a greater impact on the perceived quality of the neighborhood, while these two dimensions have the lowest score among the inhabitants of the neighborhoods. Among the scales, the green space scale from spatial aspect, discretion and civility from the human aspect, transportation services from the functional aspect, and upkeep and maintenance from the contextual aspect have the highest impact on the residents’ perceived quality of the neighborhood. Thus, the impact on the perceived quality of neighborhood increases when moving from the physical to the social-psychological-mental space, but the emphasis of the decisions of urban planners are more on the spatial and functional dimensions. Another interesting result is that, in addition to the social dimension, attention should be paid to the contextual dimension of the neighborhoods in order to promote inhabitants’ perceived quality of the neighborhood.
