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 Design
sara salehi; Hassan sajadzadeh; Mohammad Saied Izadi; kasra ketabollahi
Abstract
Highlights- The relationship between the city and the movies was addressed, and the cinematic sequences were evaluated.- Movie locations and the need to benefit from the diversity of urban spaces in Iran were addressed.- The streets of big cities in Iranian movies are places to pass through, not to attend.
Introduction
The ...
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Highlights- The relationship between the city and the movies was addressed, and the cinematic sequences were evaluated.- Movie locations and the need to benefit from the diversity of urban spaces in Iran were addressed.- The streets of big cities in Iranian movies are places to pass through, not to attend.
Introduction
The bond between the city and the movies is a two-way, strong one more than a century old. The movies has always been defined with respect to the city and urban spaces since the first days of its creation—late 19th century.
If the audience perceives urban spaces as having various functions and appropriate spatial qualities in the movie, the perception is associated with the real space and causes different feedbacks than those spaces in the long term.
Despite the increasing global desire to use the cinematic image of the city to achieve various layers of information, the Iranian movies still fails to present a correct image of the city. The beating heart of every city, urban spaces are still not used in the Iranian movies in the general sense.
While large, important cities such as Paris, London, New York, and Berlin are always in a two-way relationship with the movies and urban spaces, where the city and the various relevant issues are always exposed to cinematic representations as everyday, critical, or praiseworthy matters, reflection on such issues is still heretical in Iran. Especially, critical reflection about Tehran, as the main location in the Iranian movies, has not received much attention. A way to understand the urban space is to represent the city, urban spaces, and the complex, contradictory whole using the movies. Therefore, the main purposes of this research are to 1- examine the characteristics of different periods of the Iranian movies from the beginning of its formation to 2019, 2- examine different dimensions of selected works of the Iranian fiction movies after the Islamic Revolution of 1978, 3- extract urban space creation criteria in the fiction movies works, and 4- represent the image of a more human-oriented urban space in the Iranian movies. The latter suggestion is made because it is assumed that the Iranian cinematographer can achieve a dialectic of indicating the positive and negative aspects of the existing spaces in the country’s cities by using the correct criteria for representation of urban spaces in the movies, thereby nurturing informed, insistent viewers and causing active measures on the part of environmental designers to create more humane spaces.
Theoretical Framework
The final criteria were evaluated with the methods of analyzing the content, watching the movie, and surveying the city in the movie. Based on the conceptual model, the final criteria include the following in the order specified from the filmmaker’s point of view: the qualities of the urban space in the movie, diversity in the use of urban spaces, method of payment for the place, types of urban space, and types of character. The criterion of diversity in urban spaces, which concerns the use of these spaces in different parts of the city (not only in a specific region) with the urban surveying method in the movie, seeks the diversity of urban spaces presented in the city of Tehran in the fiction movies of choice produced after the revolution, and the final map is generated in the GIS software. 5 more criteria were examined first in the most important movies produced after the revolution with the method of content analysis and movie watching.
Methodology
In a comparative study, what can help the researcher to achieve his goal is greater emphasis on simultaneous analysis and examination of contrasts, as practiced in this research.
Findings and Discussion
All the above points indicate that the Iranian moviemaker still considers the city and its imposed modernity to be the source of many problems.
Another issue emphasized by Iranian moviemakers is to demonstrate the constant development of the city and its spaces regardless of the events of the story and peoples’ wishes. In some movies, no emphasis is placed on the urban space if actually depicted, and it is regarded simply as a background for the events of the story. All locations are focused on certain areas in Tehran and the like.
Conclusion
The results of the research demonstrate that we have not been very successful in creation of urban spaces in the past decades, and the few spaces that have been created and recreated have not been welcomed by cinematographers for various reasons. Moreover, the represented urban areas have been restricted to certain areas in Tehran, which has been subject to the conditions mentioned in the section on findings.
Furthermore, most of the selected movies in the fiction and urban fields were filmed in Tehran, and we are faced all around Iran with a pure centralism in terms of selection of the location of filming in urban spaces despite the availability of a variety thereof. This process should be corrected to address different aspects of various cities in Iran in fiction movies.
Urban Architecture
Masoumeh Mirsafa; zeinab Talebi; Mansoureh Kianersi
Abstract
Highlights
- Children’s Independent Mobility (CIM) is affected by their interpersonal characteristics, the social environment, and the quality of the built environment.
- Based on the Grounded Theory, childhood obesity, regulations and controlling process, and social and urban situation ...
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Highlights
- Children’s Independent Mobility (CIM) is affected by their interpersonal characteristics, the social environment, and the quality of the built environment.
- Based on the Grounded Theory, childhood obesity, regulations and controlling process, and social and urban situation introduce casual, contextual, and intervening conditions, respectively.
- CIM can be promoted by various spatial qualities such as walkability, safety and security, playfulness, health, attractiveness, and access to nature.
- The social acceptance and awareness of the community play a role in promotion of children’s independent mobility.
- Promotion of CIM through effective planning and design guidelines results in higher degrees of mental and physical health among children.
Introduction
In the past few decades, the social conditions of cities have changed the children’s urban life and imposed a huge impact on their freedom of movement and independence in the public realm. Moreover, many parents are caught in “social traps,” and are consequently more likely to restrict their children’s independent, active movement in the public realm. While Children’s Independent Mobility (CIM) originally focused on their independent travel to and from school, the concept has further expanded to embrace their independent, active mobility and play around their neighborhoods without adult supervision or accompaniment. Thus, this paper attempts to study the shared spaces in residential complexes, providing a child’s first independent outdoor experience, and identify the qualities that can contribute to and improve (CIM) in such areas.
Theoretical Framework
As an essential quality of a child-friendly environment, CIM is an indicator of children’s acceptance in the society, which provides them with the opportunity to be present in the public, play in the neighborhood without adult supervision or accompaniment, and interact with others and develop their social circles. It provides a wider variety of opportunities for socialization and hangouts among children and contributes to their sense of identity. Therefore, CIM is considered as an important quality that aids children’s physical, social, and cognitive development. The main factors that influence CIM include interpersonal characteristics, a sense of community and social environment, and the quality of the built environment.
With regard to children’s interpersonal characteristics, one has to take into consideration the importance of age and sex in their mobility and play patterns in the public realm. Children aged 8 to 12 years are more likely to receive permission from their parents to go out and play than younger children. There are also clear differences in the ways that boys and girls use and experience urban neighborhoods and spaces; generally, boys enjoy greater freedom of mobility and are more visible in neighborhoods and playgrounds.
The social environment of a neighborhood is influenced by the level of social cohesion, the existence of shared values and norms, a family’s mental image of their place of residence, their concerns about the presence of strangers, the likelihood of crime and delinquency, and child abuse in the area. In turn, it exhibits impacts on the level of independence that children might experience in their use of public spaces in the neighborhood.
The Physical characteristics affect CIM on two scales: the neighborhood where the residential complex is located and its shared spaces. At the larger scale of the neighborhood, the compact city form, which provides children with short distances between various destinations, increases their chances of active, independent mobility. Furthermore, such areas improve children’s sense of security in public spaces as they enjoy higher population density. In the shared spaces of residential complexes, the characteristics that are closely associated with CIM include density, pedestrian-friendliness, cleanliness, access to green spaces, and proximity to nature. One has to take into consideration that other environmental characteristics, including the climate conditions, air quality, and temperature affect the time for which children would like to stay and play in public areas.
Methodology
The research employed the grounded theory methodology to construct a theory from the collected data. Due to the necessity of obtaining insights from various groups of stakeholders, the data were collected through 107 semi-structured interviews to reach saturation. This included 53 children, 38 parents and caregivers, and 16 professionals. Given the importance of the physical qualities of the environment, direct field observations were also made in 15 selected residential complexes in Tehran. The qualitative data analysis was carried out through the MAXQDA software, where 74 concepts, 25 principal codes, and 9 categories were extracted. The codes and categories were integrated and optimized, and their relationship with the core of the research was specified.
Results and Discussions
The results of the data analysis demonstrate that the causal and intervening conditions of children’s independent mobility include the inadequacy of the legal framework and the inefficiency in implementation of plans and their monitoring and evaluation systems. Moreover, CIM is affected by the qualities of the social environment where children live, and the social acceptance and awareness of the community can thus play a role in promotion of CIM strategies. The results further reveal that strategies used to improve the social atmosphere within the residential complex in favor of more independent, freer presence of children include improvement of the physical qualities of the environment, involving attempts made to keep children safe and secure from all possible risks and threats, to plan for playful spaces, to facilitate access to nature and green spaces, and to keep the spaces clean and healthy. As a consequence, the children will enjoy higher degrees of mental and physical health.
Conclusion
Social traps and lack of responsive quality control and evaluation systems for child-friendly residential complexes emphasize the necessity to develop a qualitative framework to promote opportunities for children’s independent mobility and unsupervised play in shared spaces in residential complexes, while meeting parents’ expectations from the quality of the built environment to permit CIM within these spaces.
Urban Ecology
Mostafa Karimi; Samaneh Khosnavaz; Aliakbar Shamsipour; Masoumeh Moghbel
Abstract
Today, urban development and air pollution are the most important issues concerning urban climate that can affect the quality of urban life. Despite the significant progress made in the fuel and engine technology, emission of pollutants in urban environments is still prevalent. As in many other countries, ...
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Today, urban development and air pollution are the most important issues concerning urban climate that can affect the quality of urban life. Despite the significant progress made in the fuel and engine technology, emission of pollutants in urban environments is still prevalent. As in many other countries, the environmental issue is particularly evident in the large cities of Iran such as Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Arak, and Karaj. The rapid urbanization, industrialization, and increasing trend in the use of motor vehicles have caused numerous environmental issues, including the production and distribution of different types of air pollutant, especially in Tehran, the capital. Tehran’s confinement by mountains and meteorological factors such as temperature inversion, the persistence of high-pressure systems with cold air, and local winds exacerbate pollution. Hence, numerous studies have been conducted on air pollution in Tehran. The results have indicated that 73% to 85.5% of the air pollution observed at urban stations is caused by temperature inversions, which are influenced by high pressure and surface radiation. According to the above research, the key factors involved in the spread of pollution over the streets besides the spatial and natural factors that can affect the distribution of air pollutants (i.e. geographic location, topography, etc.) include the arrangement of the buildings, particularly in terms of street width and orientation, distance, and intersections. It should be noted given the significance of the issue that the pollution can have extensive effects although it occurs at the street level, due to the interaction of the dispersal and diffusion of pollutants through meteorological conditions (wind speed and direction and atmospheric stability), the configuration of buildings, and the orientation of streets. Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to specify the characteristics of pollutant flow and dispersion on urban passages in micro scale. For that purpose, the meteorological data, including air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction, were extracted from Iran Meteorological Organization (IMO) Geophysics Weather Station (the closest station to the area under investigation) for a 20-year statistical period (1991-2010). Two areas (1 and 2) in Municipal District 6 were specified as making up the area under study in this research. Then, the pollutant dispersion data were obtained based on the relationship between traffic volume and pollutant production during two winter and summer months (July and January) and at three times of the day (morning, midday, and afternoon). Finally, the distribution of air pollutants was simulated using the ENVI-met microscale model for building configuration and street orientation in the area under investigation. The results demonstrated that street and pathway orientation plays an important role in the accumulation or distribution of pollutants. Accordingly, the density of pollutants is higher in streets that are perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Furthermore, the concentration of pollutants in the main streets of the area under study exhibited a significant relationship with their directions. Pollutant concentration was moderate in streets with prevailing north winds, while the highest and lowest amounts of pollutant concentration were observed in streets with south and southwest winds, respectively. It can be concluded that consideration of the climate conditions in urban design and development (wind speed/direction in particular) can be effective in improvement of air quality in urban areas. Air Pollution, Street Orientation, Wind Speed/Direction, Tehran, ENVI-met Model.
Urban Planning
mohammad mehdi Azizi; Reza Asadi
Abstract
Large shopping malls have been a popular phenomenon in recent urban development plans and projects in many developed and developing countries. In Tehran, the capital of Iran, these projects have been largely noted and developed in recent years. This phenomenon can have major effects in various aspects ...
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Large shopping malls have been a popular phenomenon in recent urban development plans and projects in many developed and developing countries. In Tehran, the capital of Iran, these projects have been largely noted and developed in recent years. This phenomenon can have major effects in various aspects that need to be recognized, analyzed and evaluated. One of the aspects of these projects is their morphology in terms of their scale, position and role in urban development (community or regional shopping malls). This paper aims to find the criteria and indicators for classifying these shopping malls. The main questions of the research for Tehran shopping malls are: “Which variables are appropriate to classify shopping malls in Tehran?” “How suitable are these variables to be used in shopping malls of the city?” “If shopping malls in Tehran cannot be classified in any global categories, what are the reasons? One of the well-known shopping malls constructed recently in Tehran is “Korush Shopping Mall”, located in the western part of the city, District 5, which was selected as the case study of this research. The related literature and experiences were reviewed to analyze physical, economic, management, and ownership aspects as well as the limitations of the project. Various criteria, variables and indicators were used for evaluation of data collected using questionnaire and field research. Among these are travel time and distance, shopping mall site and land area, types of commodities, employment opportunities for local residents, shops’ ownership, aims of shopping for consumers, and the extent of entertainment facilities. Classification of the case study was done according to indexes and variables. Two data sources were used to analyze the variables: first, data collected from the site and features of the shopping mall; second, data collected from 380 surveys filled out by consumers. The results showed that Korush Shopping Mall could not be classified into any specific type of shopping mall in the literature review and the global categories. It has various features from each type so it could not belong to any type of shopping malls, especially community or regional shopping malls. Specialized goods, the number of retail shops, tenants, and limited site area are the main factors in categorizing shopping malls, but Korush Shopping Mall lacks these features. One of the major results of the research was that most people visiting this shopping center aim for entertainment rather that shopping. The main reason for this is that most items in the shops are products of famous brands and their prices are much higher than what low and middle class people can afford. Furthermore, based on the results, the law and guidelines related to the construction of retail markets in the Master and Detailed Plan of Tehran are among the main reasons. There are not any special rules for shopping malls, an issue which allows for lots of mixed variable in any shopping center in Tehran. Although the area of regional shopping malls should be at least 4ha, the regulations in the Master Plan of Tehran clearly mention that 1 ha site area is suitable for retail centers on the city scale. As a final note, it can be claimed that shopping centers, such as Korush Shopping Mall in Tehran must be planned and constructed based on their roles, sizes and locations. It is thus recommended to conduct feasibility studies for their aims and effects in advance.
Urban Planning
Reza Ramyar; Esmaiel Zarghami
Volume 6, Issue 23 , August 2017, , Pages 39-52
Abstract
Objectives:
Residential and neighborhood open spaces are more than a simple space. They are the most important places for people living in urban areas and are part of their sense of living. The literature of neighborhood environments has always been attempting to describe neighborhoods in terms of the ...
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Objectives:
Residential and neighborhood open spaces are more than a simple space. They are the most important places for people living in urban areas and are part of their sense of living. The literature of neighborhood environments has always been attempting to describe neighborhoods in terms of the criteria of their overall quality. Social and individual attachment are two major factors having an important effect on the overall quality of residents’ lives. Psychological and sociological aspects of people’s behavior in these spaces are addressed in the disciplines of environmental psychology and sociology. These two knowledge areas have evolved with development of new methods and knowledge improvements. In these two disciplines, different and almost independent, sometimes contradicting, theories have been proposed to in a complementary way. Finding a relationship between the proposed theories in these two fields is rarely considered. Investigating one of the most important concepts in environmental psychology, i.e. place attachment, and using this concept to improve social life of residential neighborhoods, this paper tries to establish a link between these separate disciplines. Most studies conducted on place attachment and meaning of place have been at the individual level addressing mostly individual emotions and experiences. Also, in the social domain, only social emotions and experiences have been discussed. Focusing on social participation and place attachment, this research first tries to show the complexity and multi-dimensionality of these concepts and then attempts to from a framework for social planning in common areas like residential open spaces.
Research method:
Structural Equation Modeling (SEM), as a vigorous regressive multivariate analysis technique, is used to examine the hypotheses in this research. SEM is a multivariate statistical analysis technique suitable for analyzing structural relationships. Its ability to define relationships between unobserved constructs (latent variables) and observable variables has made it a common justified method in social sciences. In the modeling method here, we use SEM that allows complex relationships between one or more independent variables and one or more dependent variables.
Findings:
Based on the findings, place attachment and participation have a significant impact on social capital. The direct correlation between participation and social capital is stronger than that of place attachment, showing higher significance of participation in affecting social capital. Participation has also a great impact on place attachment.
Results:
Place attachment is a complex process that significantly affects social factors. It spreads and gets shaped over time. It is not only the place, but also social relationships produced in that place that support the maintenance and development of local community relations. Places are formed by individuals, groups and neighborhoods, and neighborhood groups are shaped by their place. According to this research, certain places with a strong sense of identity, higher communication, social capital and collective actions such as participation create a higher sense of attachment in the residents.
Urban Design
nesar daneshpayeh; F H
Abstract
The sense of place is a comprehensive and complex concept of human emotions about the environment that is created by human adaption to and use of place. It is also one of the important concepts in improving the quality of human environment and formation of the communicational bases of environmental users. ...
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The sense of place is a comprehensive and complex concept of human emotions about the environment that is created by human adaption to and use of place. It is also one of the important concepts in improving the quality of human environment and formation of the communicational bases of environmental users. This research explores the concept of sense of place through investigating different schools of study in the field and developing the principles and concepts in the theoretical framework. The research is looking for answers to this question: What are the criteria for explaining the process of creating a sense of place in the new developments in Tehran and what is their role, position and how do they communicate with each other? This research is a descriptive-analytical survey. The data was collected through documentary and library studies along with distributing questionnaires and doing interviews with professors teaching architecture and urban planning, as well as interviews with residents of the studied towns, the Cheshmeh and Dehkadeh – Olympic towns in District No. 22 of Tehran – and the Hakimyeh town in District No. 4 of Tehran. Samples were collected using simple random sampling. The criteria used for sampling included the lack of significant and fundamental changes, the evolution and stability of neighborhoods over time after their formation, proper access, and the information and statistics required for the selected research. In this regard, the ten main criteria, including visual richness, visual proportions, physical-spatial quality, legibility, perceptability, identity, accessibility, flexibility, comfort, place invitation in three physical, perceptual and functional aspects as well as meaning, the relationship and influence of each of the factors on locating a sense of place were investigated. In relation to each of the ten criteria, 4, 5, 8, 4, 4, 3, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 4, 2, 4, 3, 2, 4, 2, and 4 variables were measured. The statistical methods of structural equation modeling, confirmatory factor analysis, maximum likelihood estimation, Pearson correlation test, and multiple linear regression were used to explain the nature of the relationship between the sense of place and the variables. Finally, it is possible to plan a 10-factor model for studying and measuring the sense of place in urban new development areas. The adequacy of this model due to its different indices shows that the model has an acceptable fitness in terms of data coordination with its functional structure. Based on the findings of the research, all three main physical, functional and perceptual components had a significant relationship with the dependent variable of sense of place. Visual richness, spatial quality and visual proportions had the most causal effect on the sense of place, which shows the higher effect of physical components on the sense of place from the viewpoint of the citizens, as compared with perceptual and functional variables. In conclusion, the creation of sense of place in new urban areas is based on the interaction between the residents and residence, and thus the person and place as well as the process of the creation of a sense of place is related to the physical, functional and perceptual dimensions of physical environment.
Urban Design
m f; a a
Volume 2, Issue 7 , July 2013, , Pages 3-14
Abstract
Abstract Immigration, differences, permanent displacement and rapid population growth in Tehran are some barriers of social interactions in its neighborhoods. While the social interactions is one of the main parameters in formation social capital of the city, the role of citizens social interactions ...
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Abstract Immigration, differences, permanent displacement and rapid population growth in Tehran are some barriers of social interactions in its neighborhoods. While the social interactions is one of the main parameters in formation social capital of the city, the role of citizens social interactions are neglected in urban regenerations as an interventional approaches in urban restoration methods. The urban regeneration with regards to its essence and strategies could be the only way for urban planners in contemporary Tehran. In this issue, landscape regeneration of Tehran public squares could be known as a key factor in increasing citizens social interactions. In this research, a qualitative method with inductive approach has been applied. Besides, 10 squares of the Tehran have been analyzed as case studies. Four factors defied for choosing these ten squares which categorized as a) having historical backgrounds, b) Participation in social and cultural transformations, c) having sufficient dimensions and proportions, d) the presence of the square in the citizens mind. According to these four factors the case studies have been chosen which named Azadi, Engelab, HassanAbad, Toupkhaneh, Vali-e-Asre, Ferdowsi, Vanak, Imam Hussein, RahAhan and Ghazvin. As, social interactions have time-place factors, environmental factors that effect on it has been studied by analyzing objective elements (physical and natural) and subjective elements (memories and human relations) of landscape of the case studies. According to the results or this survey the three square that received the most points, selected for further study with SWOT matrix. Each square have been visited by the authors and by field survey the points and matrix have been extracted. Aerial photos help the authors to have a similar approach in analyzing the landscape factors, too. Results of this part of the research, shows that most of the central green spaces of the squares used only for its greenery and no activity or social interactions could be seen in these areas. Besides, absence or lack of urban furniture especially awning or any kinds of shelters, are one of the most weakness parts of the case studies. Rapid urban traffic flow with absence of safe connection pedestrians’ ways to the central part of the squares are the next noticeable factor which have a great roll in decreasing the social activity. In conclusion, some strategies of landscape correction of the squares have been established: organizing natural elements and urban furniture, organizing pedestrian and vehicle flows, increasing selective functions and regenerating squares memories of the past and the present or future. Process of landscape regeneration of urban squares has been recognized as a diagram consists of analyzing natural, artificial and human factors. The natural factor consists of vegetations pattern, water quality, vista elements. The artificial factors, included, buildings and functions. While the humanity factors are based on citizens’ behavior pattern and memories in social and individual scale. By, discovering each factor patterns, strategies of regeneration based on increasing social interactions of citizens could be defined in combination. Each square has its own regeneration strategy based on its social, historical, natural and environmental condition.
Urban Planning
Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, , Pages 27-34
Abstract
Nowadays, a special attention is given to the role of urban planning and the built environment and their impacts on neighborhood walkability and residents’ walking behavior. A large number of studies have been conducted about this issue in developed countries, but little has been done in this ...
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Nowadays, a special attention is given to the role of urban planning and the built environment and their impacts on neighborhood walkability and residents’ walking behavior. A large number of studies have been conducted about this issue in developed countries, but little has been done in this regard in the context of a developing country such as Iran. These researches emphasized the strong relation between accessibility to parks, recreational and sport services. They applied two main approaches of objective and subjective. The objective criterion has some advantages like lesser measurement error, standardization and easy quantification and transferability into policy making. Some researchers believe that subjective approaches have more affinities with real perceptions especially in behavioral sciences. Thus, a considerable number of researchers recommend the use of both objective and subjective approaches. Evidence showed that the dimension of physical problems is more sophisticated in larger urban centers. Tehran mega-polis as capital center of Iran experiences a wide range of socio-economic problems due to the rising level of air pollution. According to the official records of heath organizations, obesity and heart diseases are on the increase among the population of large urban centers. Therefore, it seems that physical activity can partly help reduce the pressure of different physical and mental disorders. Obviously, urban planners play a significant role in carrying out the arrangement of urban land use on different scales from city to neighborhood. The present study examined the relationship between neighborhood walkability and adults’ walking behavior in Metropolitan Tehran. Three built environment measures of net residential density, land-use mix, street connectivity, and socio-economic status (SES) were calculated using geographic information systems (GIS) on a census block scale across Metropolitan Tehran. As participants, 657 subjects were recruited from neighboring areas in terms of both neighborhood walkability and SES scores. The amount of weekly walking was obtained using a self-reported method and, then, it was compared with the neighborhood walkability. The data were processed and classified using SPSS and anylsed via different statistical models. The results of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between the neighborhood walkability and residents’ walking behavior. People who lived in high walkable neighborhoods reported more weekly walking than those who lived in low walkable neighborhoods. These results highlighted the role of urban planning and the built environment in enhancing residents’ physical activity which, in turn, leads to the improvement of residents’ physical and mental health. The main conclusion of this research was that the method and measurement of physical activities in urban areas has definite connection with the socio-economic conditions of people. Thus, urban researchers need to employ social and economic indexes to identify the real requirements of urban neighborhoods and facilities to help members of society, especially the older people, to take part in physical activities. This research, however, recommended further studies in this regard to deepen our understanding about the relation between the features of built environment and the tendency of residents towards more physical activity.
Urban Transport
Pooya Alaedini; Elham Fayezi
Volume 1, Issue 1 , March 2012, , Pages 77-90
Abstract
With respect to the urban sustainable development ideal, during the last decades, implementation of the bike-sharing projects has attracted the attention of the planners of different cities including Tehran. Since the first bike-sharing projects were not successful, evaluating/assessing new tentative ...
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With respect to the urban sustainable development ideal, during the last decades, implementation of the bike-sharing projects has attracted the attention of the planners of different cities including Tehran. Since the first bike-sharing projects were not successful, evaluating/assessing new tentative preparation at different stages is required. This article examines the short-term achievements and challenges of the bike-sharing pilot project implemented during the last two years in Tehran Municipality’s Region VIII. A set of indicators including access, awareness, safety, commuting effects, beneficiary satisfaction, sustainability, and cultural advocacy were probed through field observations, information obtained from key stakeholders, and a quantitative survey of direct beneficiaries (a sample of 250 among ~8000 registered beneficiaries). Our findings indicated that the project has been successful in attracting and satisfying (male) users. Meanwhile, a number of shortcomings with regard to information dissemination, traffic signals, and maintaining the quality of bicycles and bike paths as well as cultural advocacy (particularly to include women) still need to be addressed. Furthermore, project sustainability hinges upon availability of funds for the maintenance and geographic expansion of facilities as well as periodic renewal of the fleet through secure budget allocations and sales of advertisement rights.
