Urban Planning
Mohammad Reza YazdanPanah Shahabadi; Zeinab Adeli
Abstract
Identifying the Factors Affecting the Place Attachment in 3 scales: home, Neighborhood, city Abstract Place attachment serves as a pivotal metric in assessing the spatial quality of space, primarily due to its psychological dimension and its integral connection to the sense of place concept within urban ...
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Identifying the Factors Affecting the Place Attachment in 3 scales: home, Neighborhood, city Abstract Place attachment serves as a pivotal metric in assessing the spatial quality of space, primarily due to its psychological dimension and its integral connection to the sense of place concept within urban spaces. While extensively utilized in research across various place-related fields, less attention has been devoted to comprehending the influence of the "scale of place" on the development of place attachment.This study aims to uncover the influential factors shaping place attachment across different scales—namely, home, neighborhood, and city. Employing a qualitative approach, the research seeks to identify the factors impacting attachment through in-depth interviews conducted in six neighborhoods in Tehran. The qualitative content analysis method has been instrumental in extracting key concepts affecting place attachment, delineated into categories across the three scales.In the scale of the home, four discernible categories—housing structure, social belonging, environmental efficiency, and semantic belonging—emerge. At the neighborhood level, four distinct categories materialize: neighborhood efficiency, belonging to the neighborhood, social capital, and institutional-cognitive values. Meanwhile, the city scale reveals four categories: vitality, accessibility and efficiency, social dependence, and perceptual-semantic value.Significantly, the research findings underscore the neighborhood scale as the pivotal intermediary in shaping place attachment across all scales. Furthermore, the nature of the categories influencing place attachment is delineated as concrete and objective at the house scale, intangible and subjective at the city scale, and intermediate at the neighborhood scale.Keywords: Place Attachment, Scale of Place, House, Neighborhood, City
Urban Design
Toktam Roshandel; Bakhtiar Bahrami; Mehdi Saidi; Goran Erfani
Abstract
Highlights: Parents' consent emerges as a highly influential factor.Children require a secure and enjoyable pedestrian route from home to school.Environmental affordances usable during both day and night play a pivotal role. Introduction:Children's physical activity and mobility are pivotal ...
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Highlights: Parents' consent emerges as a highly influential factor.Children require a secure and enjoyable pedestrian route from home to school.Environmental affordances usable during both day and night play a pivotal role. Introduction:Children's physical activity and mobility are pivotal for their overall health. This study, conducted in Mashhad City, Iran, explores children's perspectives on environmental characteristics that impact physical mobility and activity.Theoretical Framework:Utilizing a theoretical framework comprising 28 measures, this research aims to unveil the environmental features within neighborhoods contributing to the improvement of children's physical mobility and activity.Methodology:To accomplish this, the present study collected the perspectives of 450 children aged 9 to 13 (43.8% girls and 56.2% boys) regarding a specific set of these attributes within Mashhad City, Iran. Utilizing exploratory factor analysis, a model was constructed based on the children's responses to the survey measures.Results and Discussion:This model identifies seven factors and 24 measures influencing the mobility and physical activity of children in their neighborhoods: Parents' Approval: Encompasses measures associated with "parents' permission and concern" and reflects "children's desire for independence and agency." Results suggest that parental concern about the autonomous presence of their children in neighborhood spaces significantly inhibits the children's mobility and independent activities. Walking Path: Associated with measures conveying the concepts of "optimal and joyful mobility on paths," this factor emphasizes features like adequate width and appropriate flooring. The potential for 'playing along the route from home to school' is crucial for children's mobility. According to children, this pathway serves not only as a route for the essential journey to school but also should provide opportunities for social and optional activities, including play and enjoyment. Social Security: Linked to measures reflecting 'the sense of security regarding strangers and bullies' in neighborhoods. An interesting result is the association of "creating a pleasant atmosphere such as colored sidewalks" with social security. Children believe that the use of specific colors on sidewalks not only provides a fun atmosphere but also establishes spaces for local socialization, consequently reducing the threat of bullying and outsiders. Environmental Affordance: Associated with activities reflecting children’s physical abilities, such as climbing trees and running in open spaces without obstacles. The results indicate that children test these capabilities through movement and exploration of their surroundings. Additionally, the inclusion of "night lighting" as a measure in this factor suggests a preference among children for exploratory play during the night. Legibility: Aligned with Lynch's theory of legibility, this factor involves measures related to way-finding by architectural elements. The findings indicate that children use 'buildings' and 'stores on the ground floor' as landmarks for navigation in their neighborhoods. Diverse Environment for Exploration: Associated with measures representing attractive routes, various play equipment, and nature connectedness. Children's positive assessment of the existence of winding paths in the neighborhood indicates that engaging in exploratory activities along these paths can increase their mobility in their community. Furthermore, integrating a variety of natural elements and play equipment in their neighborhood can enhance children's movement and exploration, making the experience deeper and more enjoyable. Mobility Safety: The final factor is associated with measures indicating safe mobility in neighborhoods. In addition to the fear of a car accident, children's desire for age/gender-appropriate play equipment highlights their concern for their physical safety. The results indicate that inappropriate play equipment and car traffic have the least impact on children's mobility in their neighborhoods. Conclusion:Interventions targeting these factors can significantly enhance children's mobility experiences, promoting not only physical activity but also social interaction and a deeper connection with their surroundings. The recurring theme of children's desire for playful activities emphasizes a fundamental need for quality movement and physical activities.
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 Planning
negin mozafari; bita latifi; naser barakpour
Volume 5, Issue 17 , February 2016, , Pages 77-92
Abstract
Residential satisfaction has been a major and popular research topic for the following reasons. First, individual's evaluations of housing and neighborhoods determine the way they respond to residential environment and form the basis for public policy feedback. Second, residential satisfaction is recognized ...
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Residential satisfaction has been a major and popular research topic for the following reasons. First, individual's evaluations of housing and neighborhoods determine the way they respond to residential environment and form the basis for public policy feedback. Second, residential satisfaction is recognized as important components of an individual's quality of life. Furthermore, high satisfaction among residents encourages them to stay on and induces others to move in, and low satisfaction with the neighborhood environment urges current residents to move out.
On the other hand, although physical characteristics of housing units are known to be very effective in the residential satisfaction rating by many scholars, it should be noted that the dwelling unit itself is not the only factor of satisfaction but it is only a subsystem of the whole residential livability system. In this sense, humans interact with multiple components in their living environment, and continuously influence the environment and are affected by it. This interaction alters an individual’s feeling toward their residential environment. thus, this interaction can be examined in the form of a system that includes residential units, neighborhood and neighbors. In regards to neighborhood satisfaction, although some researches find that the physical characteristics are the most important factors and planners support the importance of physical characteristics, residents consider social factors more important in judging a neighborhood. The current study assesses the level of residential satisfaction in two neighborhoods of Tehran and compares them to create a basis for evaluating urban policies and decisions in recent years and shows the effectiveness of different factors on the satisfaction of residents of different neighborhoods by comparing them. For this purpose, the operating model to measure satisfaction was derived by examining studies of different researchers in the form of approaches (including the belief-affect approach, the commitment approach and the availability approach), factors (individual's characteristics, characteristics of residential environment, feeling and perception of residents etc.) and models (Amerigo model, comparing the level of satisfaction in culturally homogeneous and heterogeneous neighborhoods model etc.). In the proposed model, attention has been paid to all three levels of person, dwelling unit and residential environment and factors which affect satisfaction have been classified under five categories: objective criteria related to the individual, objective criteria related to the environment, objective criteria related to the dwelling unit, subjective criteria related to the individual and subjective criteria related to the environment through a survey questionnaire. Satisfaction levels of residents of neighborhood 1 (located in region three of Tehran municipality) and residents of neighborhood 2 (located in region 11 of Tehran municipality) were compared with each other. A total of 100 questionnaires were completed for each neighborhood. Findings of the study show that the highest and lowest satisfaction in neighborhood 1 were linked to the objective criteria related to the dwelling unit and objective criteria related to the environment and in neighborhood 2, to subjective criteria related to the environment and subjective criteria related to the individual. Overall satisfaction in neighborhood 1 (between moderate and satisfied) was higher than neighborhood 2 (between dissatisfied and moderate).
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.
