Urban Planning
Bahador Zamani; Ehsan Babaei Salanghooch
Abstract
In recent years, the use of grounded theory methodology has increased in scientific fields related to the built environment, especially in urban planning and design. On the other hand, researchers' lack of attention to the foundations and methodological considerations of grounded theory and its readings ...
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In recent years, the use of grounded theory methodology has increased in scientific fields related to the built environment, especially in urban planning and design. On the other hand, researchers' lack of attention to the foundations and methodological considerations of grounded theory and its readings has sometimes led to a type of methodology with eclectic readings, which sometimes lacks and conflicts the nature of the grounded theory methodology and the primary considerations of the intended reading. Despite this, the review and evaluation of the quality of such research in the scientific fields related to the built environment, particularly urban design and planning has been done less. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to systematically evaluate the studies using the grounded theory methodology in urban planning and design in order to understand the appropriate application of the key tenets of this methodology in this field of knowledge and to provide suggestions for future applications. In this regard, the eligible studies have been selected by systematic search of papers published in reliable Persian-language scientific databases applying the systematic review method. After screening the existing studies based on the specified criteria, 44 studies published until 2019 were selected and evaluated based on the evaluation criteria of the grounded theory methodology. The results of the methodological evaluation of the conducted researches based on the grounded theory methodology showed that despite the increasing use of this method in urban planning and design research, many of these research have been unsuccessful in fully and accurately applying the principles and stages of the grounded theory methodology and its readings, and their results have been reduced to a diagram, model and conceptual framework instead of a theory as the expected achievement from the application of this method. In addition, the results of the present study showed that a number of the research only use a set of techniques of the grounded theory methodology including coding or memo writing. Neglecting important processes such as theoretical sampling, constant comparison and in-depth analysis of categories, has caused that these studies did not go beyond the level of description, and while limiting themselves to presenting descriptive themes and narratives, they rarely achieve theory building as the aim of the grounded theory methodology. Based on the findings of this paper, improving the quality of research based on the grounded theory methodology in the field of urban planning and design requires researchers with a correct understanding of the nature, characteristics and principles of the grounded theory and a deep insight of the readings of this method and their differences, in order to measure the appropriateness and justify the choice of the appropriate reading based on the aims and characteristics of the research.
Urban Design
Nina Ghaslani; Azadeh Aghalatifi; Marjan NematiMehr; Hamid Nadimi
Abstract
Architecture and urbanism are related to the environment; The environment is the container of individual and collective experiences of people and forms the memory. Memory studies is a growing field of research that focuses on a wide range of disciplines such as social sciences, humanities, landscape ...
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Architecture and urbanism are related to the environment; The environment is the container of individual and collective experiences of people and forms the memory. Memory studies is a growing field of research that focuses on a wide range of disciplines such as social sciences, humanities, landscape studies, and architecture and urbanism. There have been researches in Iran and the world regarding memory in man-made environments and each of them has looked at the issue from a different perspective. This article aims to analyze and interpret what has been published so far in Iran, and to prevent repetition in this field and to find existing research gaps, it has analyzed the qualitative studies. This research is a systematic review of previous studies and 38 articles and 4 Ph.D theses in the country, where memory was their main topic, were selected and analyzed based on the shape of the Prisma. By studying their structure and content, it has been achieved to outline the current perspective of memory research. The results show the growing volume of memory studies focusing on collective memory. Repetition of the content of memory research, very little attention to special users of the environment such as children, elderly, etc., the focus of a large number of studies on the city of Tehran, the lack of examination of memory in different age periods of humans and the lack of attention to the individual memory of people from Special places such as childhood places are among the problems of studies in this field. Among the frequent categories combined with memory, we can mention identity, belonging to a place, attachment to a place, and revival and reconstruction. Also, the largest number of studies have focused on memory in urban public spaces and urban squares.
Regeneration and revival of historical context
Reza Alishahi; Najma Esmailpoor
Abstract
Urban regeneration, despite the past decade’s consideration in Iran, has rarely been investigated comprehensively. Accordingly, this study examines the synthesis of the dimensions and components of urban regeneration in scientific research publications on urban planning during the 1390s and researchers' ...
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Urban regeneration, despite the past decade’s consideration in Iran, has rarely been investigated comprehensively. Accordingly, this study examines the synthesis of the dimensions and components of urban regeneration in scientific research publications on urban planning during the 1390s and researchers' attitudes towards it. This paper was conducted with a qualitative approach and the inductive reasoning method in three phases. The desk study method was used in order to extract the components and dimensions of urban regeneration. Afterward, related dimensions and components were identified and verified through the application of the content validity index in accordance with expert opinions. A systematic review was conducted in the second phase to select articles regarding urban regeneration. The content of these articles was analyzed using MaxQDA2020 and VOSviewer software. Finally, a Conceptual model was developed. As a result of the findings, the dimensions of society, economy, and culture, as well as the components of social participation, city and neighborhood economies, and cultural heritage, have received the greatest amount of attention and participation in the synthesis of urban regeneration research. However, the dimensions of environment, management, and law, as well as the components of laws and regulations and environmental pollutants, have received the least attention. According to the findings of the research, in the 1390's, two approaches of economic application of cultural heritage for the purpose of economic prosperity with the ultimate goal of social prosperity in the inefficient areas of the cities and taking advantage of the social potential of the urban areas in order to conduct urban regeneration received the most attention. Thus, a balanced approach should be adopted in order to increase the productivity of research by incorporating both new perspectives, such as paying attention to the capability of urban events as a concept linked to both. Aligning Iran's urban regeneration policies with theories like the Eventful Cities, and Iranshahr can enhance development success. This approach revitalizes urban spaces while preserving cultural and historical aspects, contributing to sustainable development and heritage preservation.
Urban Scape
Hajar Assadpour; Mahmoud Ghalehnoee; Armin Bahramian
Abstract
Highlights- The six layers of the research onion include research philosophy, approach to theory development, methodological choice, strategy, time horizons, and techniques and procedures including data collection and analysis.- The researchers developed the research onion for the concept of urban landscape, ...
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Highlights- The six layers of the research onion include research philosophy, approach to theory development, methodological choice, strategy, time horizons, and techniques and procedures including data collection and analysis.- The researchers developed the research onion for the concept of urban landscape, visual evaluation of landscape, and visual management of landscape through a systematic review. - The urban landscape research onion model was presented in seven layers along with researcher guidelines using the idea of word clouds.- The researcher must choose among the three categories of objectivist, structuralist, and subjectivist, as mentioned in the philosophy layer.- Techniques and procedures were proposed in the central core of the urban landscape research onion and divided into the direct (by asking people) and indirect (through specialist analysis) categories. IntroductionThe urban landscape is part of the understandable objectivity of the reality of the existing space around people in the city. As a phenomenon, urban landscape cannot be assumed to have only subjective or objective dimensions. The connection between different methodological components in different fields of landscape research is always necessary. The research aims to strengthen the necessary foundations of research in urban landscape with a holistic, comprehensive viewpoint by examining the components and layers that the onion model of urban landscape research includes. Therefore, a systematic review was applied of the articles conducted in the field of urban landscape. The identification and analysis of the cases used in the majority of the research onions presented by Saunders et al. led to the urban landscape research onion through changes applied to this model. Researchers can choose their lines of research more accurately and faster using the research onion.Theoretical FrameworkSpecifically in the field of research methodology, a book entitled Research in Landscape Architecture: Methods and Methodology was published in 2017 by Routledge Publications. This book deals with the conflict between objectivists and subjectivists. It states that pragmatism is the only solution to this duality (Hashemizadegan, 2019: 55). In addition, many studies have been conducted with an emphasis on urban landscape and its relationship with other urban concepts. However, there has not been a comprehensive viewpoint on their methods and processes. The research onion (moving from the outer layers to the core) was developed by Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2016) for business studies. It is widely used in social sciences to construct a theoretical framework for research. In various studies, the layers proposed in the research onion model have been modified and changed according to the field of study. The research onion consists of six main layers: research philosophy, approach to theory development, methodological choice, strategy, time horizons, and techniques and procedures including data collection and analysis (Melnikovas, 2018: 33; Sahay, 2016: 1).MethodologyAfter a search of article titles and keywords for the concept of urban landscape, more than 110 with more citations were selected. After a study of the article abstracts and other preliminary studies, 71 articles were selected, analyzed, and categorized using the qualitative method and content analysis. Finally, the research onion for each of the areas (the concept of urban landscape, visual evaluation of landscape, and visual management of landscape) was drawn and explained. Then Comprehensive research onion could use in landscape study and research compiled.Results and DiscussionThe research conducted in Iran in the field of visual management of landscape has generally been carried out at the macro scale (city), medium scale (watercourses and parks), and micro scale (streets). The survey research method and the descriptive-analytical approach have been adopted to investigate and analyze the current situation with the questionnaire tool. Many articles in the field of visual management have evaluated the visual aspects of landscape. Visual evaluation of the landscape is proposed as an independent concept in the field of landscape. In the field of evaluation, it is possible to become closer to people’s experience; therefore, quantitative methods, an experimental approach, a variety of techniques and analytical tools, such as visual protection levels, and Philip Thiel’s technique were used.The concept of urban landscape was addressed further with a view of the landscape as a whole. Aesthetic, critical, and semiotic theories were proposed as the theoretical support for the studies. The research process pursued in most of them is qualitative and analytical, and comparative, inductive, interpretive, and descriptive methods have been used therein. After choosing the desired method, the authors have used the Delphi technique, aerial photos, cluster analysis, systematic review, in-depth interview, review of narratives, photography, and collaborative mapping as data mining and data analysis tools. The model presented in this article involves an extra layer with respect to Saunders’s research onion model. The outer layer, which includes the ontology of the research, corresponds to the stage that specifies the researcher’s beliefs in the research process. The researcher must select their position from among the three categories of objectivist, structuralist, and subjectivist, as considered by Deming and Sowfield.A) The descriptive approach is added to the analogical inductive one proposed in Saunders’ research onion.B) In the strategy layer, experimental simulation and descriptive, correlational, hermeneutic, and analogical-adaptive analysis are added.C) In terms of time horizon, all studies are placed in one of the two categories of longitudinal and transverse research, and most of them are conducted with a longitudinal time horizon.D) Techniques and procedures are proposed in the central core of the urban landscape research onion. Research techniques are divided into two general categories with an emphasis on the opinions provided by experts: direct (by asking people) and indirect (through specialist analysis) (Karimi Moshaver, 2013; Tveit et al., 2006; Briggs & France, 1980).ConclusionThe urban landscape research onion model is composed of seven layers. It can be of different types according to the research problem, questions and objectives, choice of ontology, methodology, approach, strategy, and appropriate tool for analysis of the collected data. Given that most of the conducted studies applied various techniques, it is necessary to consider other layers of the research onion. This model attempted to provide a comprehensive overview of urban landscape research and introduce an integrated framework of the diverse, scattered types thereof. The model can help determine the paths of the research and avoid confusion and incorrect choices of analytical tools. The onion of urban landscape research can open the doors to researchers in the field. In future research, emphasis can be made on the specific concepts of landscape such as cultural landscape and vernacular landscape. On the other hand, similar research onion models in the field of urban landscape can be investigated with an emphasis on landscape scale (micro, medium, or macro).AcknowledgmentThis article is extracted from the first author's PhD thesis in titled "Explaining a semantic model of the urban landscape; a case study of the urban landscape of Shiraz". It is in progress at the Art University of Isfahan under the guidance of Dr. Mahmoud Ghalehnoee (the first guide) and Dr. Armin Behramian (The second guide).
Urban Sociology
Narges Ghodsi; mahin nastaran; Vahid Ghasemi
Abstract
Highlights
- A systematic classification of studies based on questions of what, why, and how with a systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis.
- The importance of reviewing the phenomenon of segregation from a wide range of dimensions (physical-spatial, political-management, and socio-economic).
- ...
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Highlights
- A systematic classification of studies based on questions of what, why, and how with a systematic review and qualitative meta-analysis.
- The importance of reviewing the phenomenon of segregation from a wide range of dimensions (physical-spatial, political-management, and socio-economic).
- The importance of qualitative research explaining whats, focusing on conceptual modeling, and modeling measurement.
- The importance of research explaining whys, and focusing on identification and examination of the contextual factors affecting segregation.
- The importance of research explaining hows and identifying and examining the policies and effective trends according to all the dimensions.
Introduction
An inherent characteristic of cities, segregation pertains to the social distance between residents and their physical separation. When this phenomenon prevents some groups from accessing services, activities, and spaces, it leads to urban problems. Due to the interdisciplinary nature and large scope of this phenomenon, many researchers from different expert groups have investigated it in the past three decades. Although the number of studies is not small, it is important to note the dispersion of the principles and topics and the lack of coherent conceptual frameworks as a result of the variety of relevant specialties. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to study the diagnostic status of the scientific Persian articles addressing the concept of segregation and to analyze the nature and quality of these research topics and present a systematic categorization thereof.
Theoretical Framework
The review of the literature shows different concepts proposed for definition of segregation. In the middle of the 20th century, segregation was first recognized as a social issue (Legeby, 2013), the main purpose of which is to investigate the distinction between two demographic groups (Feitosa et al., 2007) or the separation of several groups (Morgan, 1975; Sakoda, 1981; Jargowsky, 1996; Reardon & Firebaugh, 2002). In the 1970s, new studies were conducted for identification of the causes of the segregation of social groups, linked with spatial analysis (Morgan, 1975; Sakoda, 1981; Jargowsky, 1996; Dupont, 2004; Lima, 2001: 494; Reardon & Firebaugh, 2002; Smith, 2009: 682; Romero et al., 2012: 76).
Depending on whether one has the freedom to choose to separate, segregation can happen in two ways: voluntary and involuntary (Izadi et al., 2016: 83; Lotfi & Ghazaei, 2019: 20). Therefore, segregation includes various dimensions, such as socio-economic and spatial dimensions, in which terms it has been investigated in recent studies under the title of socio-spatial segregation.
Systematic review is made using regular methods to identify, select, and critically evaluate the conducted research and collect and analyze the obtained data in order to respond to a specific question (Crocetti, 2016: 3). A function of this technique is to examine the history of the research and extract and summarize it to improve the approaches to the study to obtain appropriate results (Ghazi Tabatabaei & Vadadhir, 2010: 59). Generation of the meta-analysis involves the statistical analysis of a large set of results from individual studies, which is performed for integration of the findings (Glass, 1976: 3). Although this technique is usually considered as part of quantitative methods, however, it can also be used for qualitative approaches (Tizchang & Azam Azadeh, 2020: 10).
Methodology
The qualitative research approach is adopted here. The method of data collection is based on the basic text type using documentary methods. The systematic review and open coding techniques were used for data analysis, followed by qualitative meta-analysis. For this purpose, 50 Persian articles based on the topic of segregation and published from 1996 to 2021 were selected and reviewed in 15 categories. The research was conducted in four stages. First, all available information from the selected studies were collected and summarized. Then, classification and coding was performed based on the evaluation parameters (principles and categories) in two groups of structural and content features. Next, all the information extracted from the studies were processed, analyzed, and interpreted based on their frequency and percentages. Finally, the research questions were answered.
The structural section sought to investigate the general characteristics of the selected articles to explain the state of research in the field of urban segregation in Iran using the results. The content section attempted to outline the researchers’ views of the original concept, research method, type of research, attributes used for segregation, type of main question, thematic principles, and aspects investigated in the field of segregation.
Results and Discussion
The findings helped to categorize the selected articles based on the types of their main questions (what, why, and how) in the form of 5 main thematic principles. These principles include investigating the concept and methodology of segregation, examining the lived experiences of residents, identifying background factors affecting the formation of segregation, and investigating the relationship between segregation and contextual factors affecting it. In addition, the evolution of the concept of segregation in the research conducted in the field was divided into four general periods: early, middle, late (current period), and future, which were then compared. Socio-spatial separation was defined on that basis. The results demonstrate that segregation is an interdisciplinary, multifaceted, context-oriented issue involving socio-economic, physical-spatial, and political-management dimensions. In the current research conditions of the country, there is need for qualitative research on subjects such as conceptual and measurement modeling of segregation (to explain what it is), identifying and investigating the background factors affecting segregation, including the structures and compositions of cities (to explain why), and identifying and examining policies and trends effective on segregation (to explain how) considering all the dimensions. In this case, it is possible through a correct understanding of the concept to more precisely investigate its spatial patterns over time in the fields of urban development, planning, and design.
Conclusion
Since segregation is an interdisciplinary discourse, many researchers from different fields have investigated it from their specialized perspectives. The necessity of using methods such as meta-analysis can be explained by the large, increased amount of available research, the authors’ different views of the subject, and the need to summarize and combine them and to identify the repetitive and problematic research areas. The results of the research demonstrate that there are still many ambiguities about the meaning of segregation despite the abundance of research and urban science experts’ greater concern in the past ten years. This is confirmed by all the results highlighted in this research, concerning the use of different Persian translations of the concept, multiple attributes involved in its description, and unclear optional or mandatory aspects of the phenomenon. Therefore, it is necessary to review the multifaceted phenomenon of segregation in Iran in the form of new issues, taking into account its wide range of dimensions, to obtain a better, more accurate, more comprehensive understanding thereof.
