Slum Settlements
Mojtaba Arasteh; mohammad hosein pour hasan zadeh; Maryam Baghaei
Abstract
Highlights- COVID-19 has revealed gaps in health management along with a high rate of infectious diseases in informal settlements.- We focused on three components and eight indicators of resilience to evaluate the performance of NGOs in the control of the COVID-19 outbreak.- The vulnerability of informal ...
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Highlights- COVID-19 has revealed gaps in health management along with a high rate of infectious diseases in informal settlements.- We focused on three components and eight indicators of resilience to evaluate the performance of NGOs in the control of the COVID-19 outbreak.- The vulnerability of informal settlements in the city of Urmia, Iran to COVID-19 was based mainly on economic-livelihood components. IntroductionIn recent years, the global crisis of the coronavirus pandemic has placed cities and urban management in difficult conditions. Plenty of evidence and research emphasizes that the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 was severer in informal settlements due to the low quantitative and qualitative characteristics of these areas. These settlements are always encountered with many problems such as poverty and unemployment, lack of security and various social damages, socio-economic injustice, health-environmental problems, and lack of concern from the municipality. Furthermore, people living in these settlements face greater risks due to the high population density, improper waste management and low-quality drainage systems, and very poor health conditions and high rates of transmission of infectious diseases. In recent years, therefore, it has turned into one of the most important challenges for urban managers in these areas to examine the ways to address and control the spread of this pandemic disease and increase the resilience of informal settlements against it. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the role of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the promotion of the resilience of informal settlements in Urmia against the COVID-19 pandemic.Theoretical frameworkPlenty of research investigates various indicators of resilience. This research is focused mainly on the explanation of the components and indicators of social resilience. Based on the theoretical framework, the three main components of social resilience include the socio-cultural, socio-economic, and environmental-physical components. In the following, the effective indicators for promotion of societal resilience in informal settlements are explained.Elimination of the panic caused by problems. When a crisis occurs, residents of an informal settlement should not feel that they are alone, and it is necessary for government institutions and NGOs to support them.Increase in the level of knowledge. Through a rise in the level of knowledge and information of the residents of informal settlements, appropriate conditions can be provided to control crises and increase their resilience.Provision of education to everyone. In many cases, the conditions required for facing a crisis can be provided with inclusive, targeted education, especially upon social, economic, physical, and health crises.Enhancement of participation. An important achievement of NGOs is to enhance public participation and increase social capital, which can establish a powerful link between the society and government.Enhancement of coordination between people and executive institutions. A specific effective role of NGOs is to function as an intermediary between the government and society.Financial and subsistence aid. The social, economic, physical, and health crises that occur in an informal settlement often lead to severer poverty and deprivation, where many families need direct financial and subsistence aid.Employment. Assisting administrative bodies, NGOs are considered as appropriate trustees for the implementation of job preparation, vocational training, entrepreneurship, and marketing and creation of a business environment.Public health. Through improvement of public health in an informal settlement, the quality of the environment can be raised, and the spread of infectious and pandemic diseases can be reduced.The quality of the environment. The quality of the residential environments in these settlements is often low, and many citizens living in these areas do not have proper access to services, facilities, infrastructures, and public spaces.MethodologyThis is a descriptive-analytical study with a quantitative approach. The research population includes all NGOs in the city of Urmia, Iran that are active in the field of countering COVID-19. The simple random sampling method was adopted using a lottery. The data were analyzed using descriptive mean statistics and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Friedman tests in SPSS.Results and discussionThe results demonstrate that the activity of NGOs to improve the resilience of informal settlements in Urmia against COVID-19 in the socio-cultural component is above average, with a score of 3.66. Moreover, the economic-livelihood component exhibits an average of 2.95, which is equivalent to average and below, and the environmental-physical component shows an average of 3.11, which is evaluated as a moderate score.Hence, it can be stated that the NGOs in Urmia have failed to provide a balanced, coordinated, fair approach with respect to the socio-cultural, economic-livelihood, and environmental-physical components due to the lack of coherence and integrated management in the face of unexpected crises such as the COVID-19 disease. The similarity of this research to others lies in the unified, integrated, coordinated management of government and local institutions upon crisis. Moreover, most researchers emphasize the management authority and social power of NGOs. Generally, it should be stated that NGOs must be equipped with effective financial, support, and educational tools in order to increase the resilience level of the residents of the settlements against crises. They should be strengthened to facilitate institutions’ provision of financial services, economic empowerment, and job creation.ConclusionOverall, we conclude that NGOs have performed appropriate activities to improve the resilience of informal settlements in Urmia against the COVID-19 disease. However, their performance has been different in a comparative analysis of components and indicators. The results of the Friedman test on the indicators demonstrates that the NGOs in the informal settlements of Urmia have exhibited effective activities on most socio-cultural and environmental-physical indicators (such as essential skills against COVID-19, provision of sanitary products, prioritization of disadvantaged people, encouragement of the benefactors to help the poor, disinfection of the environment, and encouragement of residents to help clean their neighborhoods). However, most economic indicators have failed to function effectively. Finally, we suggest that NGOs focus on attraction of financial and economic support from the governmental institutions, because this study shows that this pandemic disease has the most tangible impact on the economy of residents of informal settlements. It is also necessary to pay particular attention to provision of incentives and financial support packages to protect the health and economic and social security of people living in these settlements.
Urban Architecture
Raheleh Abdollahi; Islam Karami; Ahad Nejad Ebrahini; Leila Rahimi
Abstract
Highlights
• The favorable situation of Tabriz Historic Bazaar was revealed in terms of resilience, contextualism and spatial capabilities.
• The relationship between contextual components and spatial capabilities with spatial resilience was explored.
• The greatest effect of ...
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Highlights
• The favorable situation of Tabriz Historic Bazaar was revealed in terms of resilience, contextualism and spatial capabilities.
• The relationship between contextual components and spatial capabilities with spatial resilience was explored.
• The greatest effect of adaptability and climatic context on resilience of Bazaar was revealed.
• Emphasis was discovered on paying attention to both factors of contextualism and spatial capabilities in achieving resilience.
1. Introduction
A new topic in the field of resilience, spatial resilience seeks space dynamism and vitality by preserving identity and function through focusing on particular features of space which provide an appropriate platform for possibility of vitality over time while maintaining efficiency and attendance. However, the existence of unused and abandoned spaces in cities and the importance of concern for the durability of spaces and their role in sustainability are among the leading challenges in metropolises, which seem to be modifiable and improvable due to their compatibility with the context and possession of environmental features that lead to the resilience required in addressing disorders. The purpose of the present study, designed to promote sustainability and urban identity, is to investigate the effects of contextualism and spatial capabilities on resilience in Tabriz Historic Bazaar.
2. Theoretical Framework
Spatial resilience concerns the possibility of different applications, adaptations, and capabilities and even the acceptance of changes without modification of identity. Therefore, the four components of flexibility, adaptability, variability, and reactivity were evaluated in a case study as spatial capabilities affecting the survival of spaces through analysis of the key concepts in different areas of resilience studies. On the other hand, the significance of the context in the discussion of spatial resilience can be considered for assessment of the success of spaces in achievement of the resilience required by the degree of their contextualism. The four physical, historical, cultural, and climatic components were examined in the case study as important contextual components affecting the survival of spaces. In other words, the effects of contextualism and spatial capability on spatial resilience were investigated through assessment of the relevant relationships.
3. Methodology
This applied descriptive-analytical research was based on the analysis of questionnaires through a correlation strategy. The contextual variables and spatial capabilities were assessed as independent variables, and spatial resilience was examined as a dependent variable. To specify the sample size using Cochran’s formula, 357 clients at Tabriz Historic Bazaar were selected to constitute the sample. For assessment of the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was calculated as 0.899, which indicated the reliability of the research instrument. To analyze the data, the independent t-test was used to assess the current conditions, and correlation and regression tests were performed to examine the synchronous relationships between the variables.
4. Results and Discussion
The findings of the data analysis demonstrated that Tabriz Historic Bazaar was in favorable conditions in terms of resilience, contextualism, and spatial capabilities, and there were significant relationships between space resilience and the contextual components )physical, historical, cultural, and environmental-climatic) and spatial capabilities (flexibility, adaptability, variability, and reactivity) with coefficients of 0.773 and 0.834, respectively. There was also a significant relationship between contextualism and spatial capabilities with a coefficient of 0.767. The greatest impact on the resiliency of the bazaar space was associated among the four spatial capabilities to the adaptability and reactivity of the space with beta coefficients of 0.365 and 0.351, respectively, and among the four components of contextualism to the climatic and historical contexts with beta coefficients of 0.378 and 0.212, respectively. However, the lowest score was associated with the adaptability and climatic context of the space, and the highest with its flexibility and historical context. This indicated, on the one hand, that the capability of adapting to changes and new conditions and of adopting spontaneous response strategies against changes was most effective on the continuity of the space activity. On the other hand, adaptation to climatic conditions and environmental comfort and to native species and collective memories played a major role in maintenance of the space vitality over a long period of time. Given that previous research has emphasized the high degree of resilience due to the characteristics and capabilities of the environment, the present study was focused on concern for both contextual factors and spatial capabilities that are effective in the achievement of resilience and reduction of vulnerability to change. This was considered as the innovative aspect of the research.
Furthermore, the findings indicated that all the four contextual components had the appropriate spatial characteristics required to continue the activity due to the significant relationship between contextualism and spatial capabilities. However, the cultural and climatic contexts were in favorable conditions in terms of spatial capabilities.
5. Conclusion
The results demonstrated that Tabriz Historic Bazaar was influenced more by spatial capabilities than by contextual components in terms of resilience. That is, contextual components must be taken into account in addition to spatial capabilities to enhance resilience. Emphasis on both features will be effective in reduction of vulnerability and enhancement of resilience, and achievement of resilience requires the alignment of space with the context, where the ability to cope with disorders is realized as the capability of the space is raised through its inherent potentials.
Urban Ecology
SEPIDEH MOVAHED; Manouchehr Tabibian
Abstract
Man’s most complex products, cities are confronted with great risks due to both the wide range of risks and changes involved in them and their multiple vulnerabilities. These changes include numerous disorders, some of which are known and predictable, while most are unpredictable and beyond expectation. ...
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Man’s most complex products, cities are confronted with great risks due to both the wide range of risks and changes involved in them and their multiple vulnerabilities. These changes include numerous disorders, some of which are known and predictable, while most are unpredictable and beyond expectation. It therefore seems necessary to address the modern approaches to encountering disorders and disasters. The prevailing perspective has shifted from a mere focus on vulnerability and reinforcement to an increase in resilience against disorder. Therefore, the current research was focused on the idea of resilience as a newly-emerging concept in urbanism issues, and sought to enhance the capability of cities of confronting disorders, particularly environmental crises, as dynamic, self-organizing systems by introducing the notion of resilience to the domain of urbanization through formulation of an integrated model. The significance of the present paper lay in the appreciation of urban resilience thinking as a tool for recognition of the capabilities of urban systems of adapting to changes or absorbing disorders by helping to understand the dynamicity, complexity, processes, and patterns in these systems. Through knowledge of this thinking and the factors affecting its different aspects, the capability of socio-ecological systems such as cities could be increased for adaptation to changes and self-organization. The purpose of this paper was to analyze ecological resilience and determine the factors effective on it based on urban ecology thinking, to identify the criteria, and to generate a model for enhancement of the ecological resilience of cities. It was a qualitative study, where the data were collected from multiple sources using various library methods to be validated through triangulation. Thematic analysis and the thematic network tool were used for data analysis. Through identification of around 45 themes, obtained through examination of more than 50 theoretical and applied studies, and analysis of the relationships between them, the thematic network resulting from their clustering was formulated, consisting of basic, organizing, and comprehensive themes. Based on the qualitative analysis, a series of factors most effective on urban resilience were categorized into six major groups that formed the proposed urban ecological resilience scheme, including natural structure, ecosystem functions and processes, socio-economic functions and processes, urban shape, institutions, and knowledge. Each of the above categories affected urban resilience differently, where the first and the second had direct effects, while the other four influenced it indirectly, by affecting natural elements and biological species as urban assets and affecting ecosystem functions and processes through disorder or reinforcement of ecosystem services. The research results demonstrated that the ecological resilience of cities based on knowledge of urban resilience was affected by dynamic interactions between socio-economic and biophysical processes, where the formulated model and the criteria set as subcategories in the proposed model made it possible to enhance urban resilience. The formulated model serves as a general guide for urban planners, designers, and managers for achievement of ecological resilience in socio-ecological systems such as cities. Furthermore, it covers the gap identified as resulting from absence of an integrated framework in the ecological dimension of urban resilience is covered thanks to the integration of the factors affecting resilience.
