Urban Planning
Abstract
Land-use and development density decisions have always been amongst the most controversial issues in urban planning. Various approaches have been proposed to deal with these decisions. However, these approaches have been mainly theoretical rather than practical. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is ...
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Land-use and development density decisions have always been amongst the most controversial issues in urban planning. Various approaches have been proposed to deal with these decisions. However, these approaches have been mainly theoretical rather than practical. Transit Oriented Development (TOD) is amongst the most recent approaches to urban planning and, consequently, land-use and development density decision-making. TOD has been defined as “a compact, mixed-use, community, centered around a transit station that, by design, invites residents, workers and shoppers to drive their cars less and ride mass transit more.” This paper aims at proposing a mathematical model for land-use and development density decisions based on the principles of TOD. TOD is generally considered to have three dimensions: design, density and diversity. Design needs to be prepared according to specific conditions and circumstances of each particular station area. On the other hand, planning for development density and diversity needs to be developed from a holistic viewpoint, regarding different macro-scale objectives and constraints. In this paper, the problem of development density and diversity optimization based on the principles of TOD is modeled as a mathematical programming problem with multiple objectives. The first objective is to maximize development density in station areas, and the second objective is to minimize the difference between each station’s ratio of job-housing balance and its ideal value (ratio of employed people to the number of residential units) in each TOD area. Several constraints related to the objectives of Tehran master plan have also been incorporated into the model. The resultant nonlinear model was transformed into a Multiple Objective Linear Programming (MOLP) problem using simple mathematical transformations. Then, using AUGMented Epsilon CONstraint (AUGMECON) technique, it was transformed into a single objective Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problem. Finally, the model was applied to a real case study in the 12th District of Tehran metropolitan area and the results were thoroughly analyzed. Statistical analysis of the results shows that the elasticity of diversity to development density is -1.017. In other words, 1% improvement in diversity leads to a 1.017% decrease in the development density index. Optimal trade-off between these objectives depends on (1) their relative impact on car ownership ratio, vehicle-miles travelled and similar criteria, (2) particular micro-scale issues of each station area as well as the goals and strategies of the municipality for each station area. Previous studies show that land-use diversity has a higher impact on the aforementioned criteria than development density. However, these results depend highly on urban development, urban transportation patterns and the behaviour of citizens. Hence, proper decision-making needs a separate study on the aforementioned impacts on travel behaviour of the citizens in the context of Tehran. Furthermore, the Pareto solutions of the proposed model provide a set of alternative development policies and enable the policy-makers to select among them based on their specific conditions and limitations. The proposed model results can be applied to future urban development plans.
Urban Planning
Farshad Noorian; seyed sajad abdullahpur Razkenari; reza ghazi
Abstract
Mashhad megalopolis has experienced a rapid and dispersed physical development over the past decades. It has also witnessed problems such as environmental degradation, lack of attention to traditional patterns of the main urban fabric, ignorance of urban identity, etc. Meanwhile, there are abundant internal ...
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Mashhad megalopolis has experienced a rapid and dispersed physical development over the past decades. It has also witnessed problems such as environmental degradation, lack of attention to traditional patterns of the main urban fabric, ignorance of urban identity, etc. Meanwhile, there are abundant internal capacities and potentials in the city such as worn-out, less developed and undeveloped lands (including empty, abandoned, desolate ones, etc.) in the form of single lot and extensive zones, which could serve as appropriate opportunities for development and growth within the borders of the city of Mashhad. Among the districts with a high potential for development from within is District 6 of Mashhad, which about 20% of its total area is gross urban lands (such as agricultural, barren and ruinous lands). According to the Mashhad Master Plan, most of the neighborhoods in District 6 are considered to be worn-out. However, in most cases, there is room for development within the city boundaries. One of the most appropriate options for development is utilizing the infill development approach. Infill development, i.e. development from within, or endogenous development is a sort of urban development which forms on desolate, abandoned and unused lands within the limits of existing urban fabric. One of the main factors supporting infill development is urban zoning. Zoning should support infill development programs. Among the methods used in urban zoning is transect zoning which is generally one of the tools for implementing smart codes of development. In the meantime, it is important to consider the factors which support infill development strategies and policies. Due to its nature, transect zoning is considered as one of the zoning methods which can support the infill development approach. Therefore, the following article aims to provide a discussion on transect zones and to prioritize infill development strategies in these zones in District 6 of Mashhad. The study method is analytical. Documentation, field observation and survey (which includes completing questionnaires by the experts) are used for collecting data. The final weight of each criterion was calculated using the AHP method in the Expert Choice. The transect zoning of the scope was proposed after overlapping thematic maps and adding weights related to the criteria to the maps using the WOI method. SWOT analysis was been used to provide strategies. Subsequently, based on experts’ opinions, the strategies were weighed and prioritized using the Friedman test in SPSS. According to the analysis carried out in the form of AHP method in the Expert Choice, the criteria of density (0.482), texture feature (0.219), accessibility (0.114), and distance from the land use (0.064) gained the most weight among the transect zoning criteria. The case study was classified into four T-zones (T1, T2, T3, T4) and two special zones (agricultural and power station zones). Also, the most important infill development strategies for T-zones of the city core were respectively identified to be restoring unused lands to the cycle of city activity (S4O3: 0.107), reduction of activity incompatibility (W3T3: 0.103) and strengthening public participation (W2T3: 0.1).
Urban Planning
gholamreza malekshahi; Amer Nikpour; Sanaz Habibi
Abstract
IntroductionSatisfaction with the residential environment is an important factor for attaining life satisfaction. One of the most important measures of the Iranian state is the provision of housing for low and middle income classes in cities through the Mehr Housing Project. It seems that the policy ...
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IntroductionSatisfaction with the residential environment is an important factor for attaining life satisfaction. One of the most important measures of the Iranian state is the provision of housing for low and middle income classes in cities through the Mehr Housing Project. It seems that the policy behind this project paid particular attention to quantitative aspects of housing rather than its social and economic characteristics. The Mehr Housing Project is the biggest national housing plan which needs to be studied in terms of its outcomes due to its broad and new character in Iran. The present research aims to investigate and compare the satisfaction level of the residents of the state-initiated andself-owned Mehr houses in Amol. Methodology The research methodology was based on descriptive and analytical approaches and the required data was collected via field survey and secondary documents. The number of samples was determined using Cochran formula to be 253. Due to data abnormality, nonparametric tests were applied to analyze the residents’ satisfaction. Also, the binomial test was used to investigate and identify the satisfaction level with both state-initiated and self-owned Mehr houses. The Mann-Whitney U test was applied to compare the satisfaction level between state-initiated and self-owned Mehr housing project. Finally, Friedman’s test was used to rank the satisfaction level of residents. Amol state Mehr housing, with 546 households, is located in Hezarsangar Avenue, Amol, Iran.These complexes were constructed by 4 different cooperative companies. In addition, there are 3 other self-owned Mehr housing complexes, includeing the Paniz complex with 64 units and Pahlevanzadeh complex with 64 units, both located on the Taaleb-e Amoli avenue, and Royal-Roz complex with 182 units located on the Mirzahashem-e Amoli boulevard. The socio-economic condition, landscape and access in the self-owned Mehr housing is better than that in the state Mehr hosing.Cochran’s method was used to determine the sample size. Eventually, 253 households(153 households from the state Mehr hosing and 100 households from self-owned Mehr housing)were interviewed. Due to data abnormality, nonparametric tests were used to analyze the residents’ satisfaction. The applied methods include the binomial, Mann-Whitney and Friedman tests. Results and discussionIn this article, we tried to evaluate the objective and subjective factors that affect residents’ satisfaction with the state and self-owned Mehr hosing. The results show that the satisfaction level is low in all the housing components, the minimum satisfaction level being associated with the facilities, visibility and landscape. In Mehrself-owned housing, a dissatisfaction is observed with the components of facilities, visibility and landscape. As for the other components, given that the significance level was 0.05, the satisfaction or dissatisfaction level with any of the components was not significant. However, the degree of satisfaction with Mehr self-owned housing is relatively higher than that of the state.According to the results, Mehr housing complexes do not meet the expectations of residents. It can thus be argued that certain quantitative aspects along with the apperance of the houses have been prioritized in planning the construction and implementation of the Mehr housing project. The results are consistent with previous research results for mostcomponents. As a result, neglecting the quality, needs and satisfaction of residents has led to dissatisfaction with Mehr housing project. Therefore, managers and planners need to review the objectives and receive feedback from residents. Conclusion In providing housing for low-income groups, quality improvement, particularly in the area of the quality of physical space, the provision of educational, health and commercial services, the provision of sports equipment, playgrounds and greenery, the reinforcement of public transport and landscaping are necessary and effective on the satisfaction of residents. It is thus suggested to develop some strategies to achieve the above objectives for the Mehr housing complexes in Amol.The culture-led urban regeneration and cultural tourism are two sides of a coin in the renovation of valuable urban areas. The first is a comprehensive process for saving the deteriorated urban areas of the city from the destruction of physic and activity, and the latter is the most effective way of promoting people’s participation, culture and art and mobilizing social and cultural forces for old urban areas. Culture-led urban regeneration is one of the most recent approaches to sustainable urban regeneration, which, after many years of experience, has proved its legitimacy not only as a theoretical approach, but also as a practical strategy for the modernization and improvement of the old neighborhoods. The contribution of the cultural and human heritage of valuable neighbors to the process of regeneration can be realized because the local economy and related businesses would be supported through tourism development and tourists’ interest in such neighborhoods. Therefore, the culture-led urban regeneration through tourism development can be considered as one of the most promising solutions for the sustainable regeneration of old towns.When tourism is considered as way of rehabilitation of the underlying culture, culture-based tourism is clearly intended. Cultural tourism is defined as a type of tourism whose main purpose is to spread the horizons of knowledge through the discovery of artistic heritage or architecture of a land. This article investigates the interaction of the two in the framework of strategic planning of cultural tourism development in the old fabric of Rasht, which covers the Zahedan and Sagharisazan neighborhoods. The research method is descriptive-analytic, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative tools, including a questionnaire, for data collection. The internal and external factors are evaluated through a panel of 30 local experts, including experts from the Municipality and Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department. The sampling method was snowball sampling due to the uncertainty of the population.The results show that, despite having its own cultural resources, the old fabric of Rasht has not been able to use local resources due to the weakness of the cultural tourism infrastructure and the lack of creativity in the use of art and culture in the process of culture-led urban regeneration.Prioritized strategies, executive policies and action plans were developed for mobilizing cultural and artistic sources in developing cultural tourism while actively protecting cultural heritage and identity simultaneously. Creating new and different tourist attractions through reviving ritual traditions, improving historic buildings by planning attractive activities for tourists and pedestrinization of Bazar-Khahar-e- Imam –Zarjub are among the most prioritized strategies designed for cultural-led urban regeneration through urban tourism in the old fabric of Rasht. Besides, the results of this article show that the plan for tourism development in the Iranian historical neighborhoods should be a long-term plan that prioritizes the provision of infrastructure and changes in short-term views towards urban management.
Urban Planning
musa pazhoohan; zahra poormoghadam
Abstract
The culture-led urban regeneration and cultural tourism are two sides of a coin in the renovation of valuable urban areas. The first is a comprehensive process for saving the deteriorated urban areas of the city from the destruction of physic and activity, and the latter is the most effective way of ...
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The culture-led urban regeneration and cultural tourism are two sides of a coin in the renovation of valuable urban areas. The first is a comprehensive process for saving the deteriorated urban areas of the city from the destruction of physic and activity, and the latter is the most effective way of promoting people’s participation, culture and art and mobilizing social and cultural forces for old urban areas. Culture-led urban regeneration is one of the most recent approaches to sustainable urban regeneration, which, after many years of experience, has proved its legitimacy not only as a theoretical approach, but also as a practical strategy for the modernization and improvement of the old neighborhoods. The contribution of the cultural and human heritage of valuable neighbors to the process of regeneration can be realized because the local economy and related businesses would be supported through tourism development and tourists’ interest in such neighborhoods. Therefore, the culture-led urban regeneration through tourism development can be considered as one of the most promising solutions for the sustainable regeneration of old towns. When tourism is considered as way of rehabilitation of the underlying culture, culture-based tourism is clearly intended. Cultural tourism is defined as a type of tourism whose main purpose is to spread the horizons of knowledge through the discovery of artistic heritage or architecture of a land. This article investigates the interaction of the two in the framework of strategic planning of cultural tourism development in the old fabric of Rasht, which covers the Zahedan and Sagharisazan neighborhoods. The research method is descriptive-analytic, using a combination of qualitative and quantitative tools, including a questionnaire, for data collection. The internal and external factors are evaluated through a panel of 30 local experts, including experts from the Municipality and Cultural Heritage and Tourism Department. The sampling method was snowball sampling due to the uncertainty of the population. The results show that, despite having its own cultural resources, the old fabric of Rasht has not been able to use local resources due to the weakness of the cultural tourism infrastructure and the lack of creativity in the use of art and culture in the process of culture-led urban regeneration. Prioritized strategies, executive policies and action plans were developed for mobilizing cultural and artistic sources in developing cultural tourism while actively protecting cultural heritage and identity simultaneously. Creating new and different tourist attractions through reviving ritual traditions, improving historic buildings by planning attractive activities for tourists and pedestrinization of Bazar-Khahar-e- Imam –Zarjub are among the most prioritized strategies designed for cultural-led urban regeneration through urban tourism in the old fabric of Rasht. Besides, the results of this article show that the plan for tourism development in the Iranian historical neighborhoods should be a long-term plan that prioritizes the provision of infrastructure and changes in short-term views towards urban management.
Urban Planning
Abstract
National population aging is one of the issues that has been taken into consideration in recent years. In this regard, the United Nations also called 1999 the International Year of Older Persons (IYOP). The population aging rate is now higher in the developed countries, but this does not mean that the ...
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National population aging is one of the issues that has been taken into consideration in recent years. In this regard, the United Nations also called 1999 the International Year of Older Persons (IYOP). The population aging rate is now higher in the developed countries, but this does not mean that the developing countries do not face this issue. Because of the change in the population pattern in the coming years, there is a potential for population aging in developing countries such as Iran. Despite being one of the very young countries in the world with more than 50% of its population being under twenty years old, Iran will experience a transition phase in the age structure of the population from youth to aged people due to the current population control policies, the promotion of nutrition and health quality and an increase in the life expectancy. In this regard, the head of the Welfare Organization considers the issues regarding the elderly to be very critical and believes that “If you are not already thinking about these issues and the costs involved, in the years to come, even the entire country’s budget will not be enough for the elderly.” Ignoring the situation of the elderly in urban planning is a shortcoming. Therefore, it is imperative that national laws and regulations be established for this purpose. The research method is descriptive-analytical with an applied purpose. In the present research, documentary studies were used to select the indices and theoretical bases. The selected indicators are derived from Zarghani’s study (2015), which is in accordance with WHO criteria. In this research, four major social (10 items), cultural and recreational (10 items), health (7 items) and communication indices (8 items) in the city of Bokan were examined using the Likert scale (complete disagreement to full agreement). The study population consisted of 100 citizens over 40 years of age in Bokan. A 35-item questionnaire was distributed among 154 people over 40 years of age in Bokan, and 100 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Data was analyzed in SPSS. T-test was used to compare the mean values. Findings show that the average value of all the considered criteria (social, communicative, cultural-recreational and health-care) is lower than the standard. That is, they do not even meet the basic needs of the elderly, which is indicative of a great failure in the related services. Also, the research findings indicate that the status of some of the studied indicators is worse, such as lack of job opportunities for the elderly, lack of suitable space for communication with educational centers (e.g. computers, the Internet, etc.), absence of signs for facilities and services in the elderlies’ homes, the impossibility of free membership of the elderly in all governmental and nongovernmental libraries, absence of shopping malls for the purchase of the elderly, lack of proper physical design of the buildings of physicians, clinics, offices, etc. for the use of the elderly and non-provision of the necessary education to families in the field of self-care and the elderly. The older people in Bokan are mostly disappointed with the above indices. Therefore, future planning must prioritize the welfare of the elderly.
Urban Planning
Manouchehr Tabibian; negin mozafari
Abstract
Geographical location and seismic records of many Iranian cities, including Tehran, draw attention to the vulnerability to earthquake hazards in various fields and specialties. Due to its nature, urban planning examines this issue in the urban fabrics. In line with this, the present study investigates ...
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Geographical location and seismic records of many Iranian cities, including Tehran, draw attention to the vulnerability to earthquake hazards in various fields and specialties. Due to its nature, urban planning examines this issue in the urban fabrics. In line with this, the present study investigates the texts and documents related to the earthquake and the role of urban planning in reducing its effects in terms of safety issues of settlements as well as crisis management. The residential fabric planning and its dimensions and features (including land use, plotting, texture formation, density, communication network, open space, service centers), as interfaces between the residential fabric and vulnerability, and thus the linkage between crisis management in these contexts and urban planning provides an operational model for earthquake vulnerability assessment of the residential areas in the 6th District of Tehran. This model is based on two important issues related to earthquake: the destruction rate and the number of human casualties, divided accordingly into two categories of factors and sub-factors. Based on this model, indicators were determined to study the vulnerability level. The physical resistance index of the fabric was extracted from the first category of the model sub-factors and the post-crisis fabric accountability index was extracted from the second one. Based on these 15 indicators, the vulnerability of the 6th District of Tehran was investigated separately for the residential neighborhoods. The vulnerability of residential neighborhoods was evaluated based on the values of evaluation factors extracted using the AHP method. Finally, the goals, strategies and policies needed to reduce the vulnerability according to the coefficient of significance were obtained separately for 7 neighborhoods using the same method. Based on the results, the following measures can be effective in promoting the safety of neighborhoods in the 6th district against earthquakes: setting objectives for increasing the physical strength of the fabric in order to reduce the destruction rate and increase the fabric efficiency in post-crisis response and relief efforts to reduce human mortality, and adopting strategies for increasing resistance in residential buildings and to strengthen the role and efficiency of open spaces, creating and strengthening an effective access network appropriate for the population, and controlling and guiding demographic indicators. In general, the proposed solutions are developed in five categories: the general form of residential fabric (segmentation, distribution, neighborhood...), green spaces and public open spaces, access networks, population density, and construction monitoring and supervision. Finally, the spatial priority of the implementation of proposed policies for neighborhoods, as well as the priority of policy implementation in each neighborhood is determined to look at the developed goals and strategies more efficiently.
Urban Planning
Rasoul Farjam
Abstract
Physical urban growth has had different social, economical and physical outcomes. From the perspective of social effects, urban population displacement and mobility could be the most important outcome. Physical dimension of rapid urban development can be defined in terms of urban sprawl, spatial fragmentation, ...
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Physical urban growth has had different social, economical and physical outcomes. From the perspective of social effects, urban population displacement and mobility could be the most important outcome. Physical dimension of rapid urban development can be defined in terms of urban sprawl, spatial fragmentation, different urban forms and changing of urban mixed land uses. Consequently, changes in the combination of appropriate, consistent and diversity of land uses has become more evident in central parts of cities. These changes have been very prominent in the case of Shiraz. From the perspective of location efficiency or land use intensity, Shiraz central part has had a combination of appropriate, consistent, diversity and mixed land uses in the past. Whenever those conditions have changed, urban decline has emerged too. On the basis of Hoppenbrouwer and Erik Louw’s research on Rowley’s concept, we can develop typology for mixed land use from a spatial perspective and represent four dimensions: shared premise dimension, horizontal dimension, vertical dimension, and periodical dimension. Therefore, this survey has focused on this basic question: what is the relation between urban mixed use dimensions and land use intensity? The main objective of the research is tied to the question, so the research wants to define urban mixed use dimensions as one of the effective variables for analyzing urban land use intensity and zoning inner city intensity. The study domains of mixed land uses and inner-city decay are different. Therefore, one of the challenges of this study is to find a model capable of extracting the relationship between the phenomena of inner city decay and mix use development. Attempts in this line of inquiry led to the selection of the evaluation method regarding locational strength of the urban land uses. This method is based on micro economy theories since they deal with areal extent regarding the intensity and strength of urban land uses. This model is well applied to those areas which accommodate mix land uses, especially the new ones. It tries to find out whether mixed land use pattern is an effective measure or not. It determines the areal extent of both strengths and weaknesses of land uses regarding well-designed and pleasant spatial structure. Therefore, the research method is a combination of Yinan and Chen’s land use intensity zoning control and mixed use dimensions. The application of Yinan and Chen urban land use model and its extension based on analytical hierarchical process and Arc GIS software package regarding determination of areal extent and zoning of degree of strength and weakness of the land uses is being considered as the best method in this regard. Spatial analysis is an appropriate method for analyzing their relations. Also, other statistical methods such as Chi-Square Test, Pearson Correlation, ANOVA and Coefficients have been used. As a result, it is argued that share premise; horizontal, vertical, and periodical dimensions of mix used development approach are capable of explaining 19.1 percent of spatial behavior of Shiraz inner city decay. Regression coefficient associated with both dependent and independent variables indicates that with 1 unit increase in dimension of urban mix land uses located in Shiraz central part, one could see 4.6 unit decrease in the level of inner city decay.
Urban Planning
h k; m j
Abstract
Statement of the problemIn the present age, health describes a comprehensive concept of quality of life. One of the important health issues is healthy housing. As an area where people spend a significant part of their lives, housing plays an important role in providing people with peace and well-being. ...
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Statement of the problemIn the present age, health describes a comprehensive concept of quality of life. One of the important health issues is healthy housing. As an area where people spend a significant part of their lives, housing plays an important role in providing people with peace and well-being. Therefore, healthier homes can prevent many physical and mental illnesses and affect the health of the individual and the community. On the contrary, unhealthy housing affects multiple dimensions of health and causes many problems for the individual on the micro and macro levels. Today, due to the sharp decline in the quality of housing and residential areas and the increase of environmental pollution, including air and noise pollution, inappropriate management of waste and the harmful effects of chemicals, etc. in cities, it is necessary to pay more attention to healthy housing and the provision of safe housing for citizens; this is especially important in the developing countries. Therefore, research on healthy housing can make the ground for residents to live in healthy housing and prevent contaminated diseases and accidents due to incomplete and non-standardized residential units. In this regard, it is important to study the cities the wide variety of their dwelling places. This research uses descriptive-analytical method in the form of documents and field studies to collect information. It investigates the level of utilization of urban areas of Ardabil in terms of having healthy housing indices. Accordingly, the statistical population of this study was all residential units in urban areas of Ardabil. Using Morgan table, 420 residential units were selected as the sample population. The research instrument was a researcher-made questionnaire. Data was analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics, chi-square test, F test, Duncan test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used to test the research hypotheses.FindingsThe findings show that about 81.2%, 83.6%, 74.8%, 79%, 80.2%, and 65.2% of the residential units of Ardabil are suitable in terms of comfort, convenience, safety, health, sustainability, and vitality indices, respectively. Finally, in terms of the total index of healthy housing, about 83.3% of residential units of the city are in a favorable condition and about 16.7% are not.ResultsThe results indicate that Ardabil has a relatively favorable status in terms of having healthy housing indices, but there is a significant difference between its urban areas. The difference is such that District 3 is the best district in terms of indicators of healthy housing and District 4 has the most unfavorable condition in terms of these indices. Districts 1 and 2 are respectively in the second and third places. The results also show that there is a direct correlation between the desirability of socioeconomic characteristics of residents of urban areas and having healthy housing indices and that there is a reverse relationship between building age and healthy housing indices.
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 Planning
Volume 6, Issue 23 , August 2017, , Pages 53-68
Abstract
District 1 of Ahvaz is one of the busiest and densest sites in the city due to the presence of many shopping centers, official departments, entertainment centers and inter-city connecting paths. Also, the worn-out urban fabric and Akhar Asphalt neighborhood has caused many problems in this area, such ...
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District 1 of Ahvaz is one of the busiest and densest sites in the city due to the presence of many shopping centers, official departments, entertainment centers and inter-city connecting paths. Also, the worn-out urban fabric and Akhar Asphalt neighborhood has caused many problems in this area, such as decreased sense of security, mostly for the local women. Therefore, the goal of this research is to study the sense of security in women living in the said neighborhood. This study is an applied research using descriptive and survey methods, including structural equation modeling, to collect data. Data collection was carried out by a questionnaire consisting of 7 indicators (supervision, social, behavioral, skeletal, furniture, environmental, and accessibility factors) and 35 items based on the answers of the local women with a sample size of 381. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS21 and smart-PLS software. The results show that supervision, both official (police supervision and CCTVs) and unofficial (citizens), has the most impact on the sense of security. Due to the warm climate of the city, some areas of Ahvaz become deserted during the hottest days making the city look like the city of the dead, an issue that causes the transportation to be done in a stressful atmosphere. For the same reason, most of the street usage in Ahvaz happens in the nighttime. After supervision, the skeletal factor has the highest impact on women’s sense of security. District 1 consists of the most worn-out urban fabric. It also encompasses Akhar Asphalt neighborhood with its inappropriate social and skeletal conditions. The accumulation of buildings and dense urban texture in this area has made the skeletal indicator one of the most influential ones on the sense of security. The next influential factor is social factor due to overpopulation of the area because of its migration opportunities, the multi-racial quality of the area, presence of stranger passengers who aim to shop, and presence of parks in which the young people hang out regularly. The next indicator affecting the sense of security of women in this district is the environmental factor covering such items as noise pollution, dirty streets full of trash and sewage, abundance of nuisance animals/pests, and buildings with inappropriate and scratched appearance, again due to the worn-out urban fabric, slum conditions, and usage of all free spaces by boards and traffic signs. Based on the research findings, the respondents believe that the high number of bus terminals and taxi stations, did not let the women feel safe and secure enough. Also, density, worn-out urban fabric, and lack of sidewalks has decreased the feeling of security in women. According to the respondents, external indicators, such as skeletal and environmental factors, have the most effect on the behavior of urban women. They believe that the behavioral indicator has less effect than the environmental one. As for the furniture indicator, aside from the brightness item, other items such as the quality of pathways, traffic signs, and the usage of colors have less importance according to the respondents. This makes the furniture indicator the least effective factor on women’s sense of security.
Urban Planning
Volume 6, Issue 22 , May 2017, , Pages 3-14
Abstract
Today, the distribution method of urban services is one of the major requirements of urban life. However, using traditional methods of land supply for urban services in Iran (such as compulsory acquisition, dispersed incentive policies, etc.) has led to the destruction of agricultural land, gardens and ...
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Today, the distribution method of urban services is one of the major requirements of urban life. However, using traditional methods of land supply for urban services in Iran (such as compulsory acquisition, dispersed incentive policies, etc.) has led to the destruction of agricultural land, gardens and other valuable land. It has also led to non-optimal use of land with the capacity for development. This has not left a choice to urban managers and planners other than turning to new approaches, including transfer of development rights which is based on respecting ownership rights. The transfer of development rights (TDR) is a voluntary and market-based land use management mechanism. In this approach, land development is introduced to more suitable areas to protect the land with higher agricultural value, the environmentally sensitive areas and open spaces. The concept of TDR is to establish an exchangeable market of transferable development rights. In this applied research, quantitative techniques were studied in the city of Shiraz using theoretical background concepts. It was attempted to answer these questions: “What are the conditions required for using the TDR approach in Shiraz metropolis? Which metropolitan area is suitable for the implementation of this approach?” Analytic hierarchy process (AHP), expert questionnaires and Arc GIS software were used to answer these questions. Based on the TDR method, the case study regions were divided into regions transferring and receiving development rights. In this context, each of the regions has an indicator. The results showed that in the receiving regions the participation rate of citizens ranked first with a weight of 0.271. The desire to increase density and having the passage network ranked second and third, respectively. In the transferring regions, parameters of monuments and historic buildings ranked first with a score of 0.273. Citizen participation was the second and gardens was the third priority. Based on the results, District 5 of Area 1, District 7 of Area 4 and Districts 2, 3 and 4 of Area 8 have a very high potential to get developed. Also, District 1 of Area 1, Districts 1 and 6 of Area 2 and District 2 of Areas 6 and 8 have a very high potential to transfer development rights. The results indicate that this approach needs to be implemented in Shiraz metropolis as it enjoys lands which are valuable for their historical, natural and ecological properties, such as Ghasredasht gardens and the central historical texture of the city. The main requirements for the implementation of this model are high level of people's participation, firm legal guarantees, the presence of a coherent administrative structure, and respect for private property and public interests. The present research has been conducted academically based on the available information and resources. The participation of organizations and executive authorities is required to apply the results. In fact, this research has investigated the necessity of implementing the TDR model with an emphasis on Shiraz metropolis. It has identified priorities related to executive issues and urban management for each district of Shiraz.
Urban Planning
sh s; Samad Ebrahimzadeh Sepasgozar
Volume 6, Issue 22 , May 2017, , Pages 27-42
Abstract
Understanding individual acceptance and technology application is one of the most mature streams of technology adoption research. There have been several theoretical models, primarily developed from theories in psychology and sociology, employed to explain technology acceptance and use. The advancement ...
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Understanding individual acceptance and technology application is one of the most mature streams of technology adoption research. There have been several theoretical models, primarily developed from theories in psychology and sociology, employed to explain technology acceptance and use. The advancement and availability of digital technologies may facilitate the implementation of smart cities and e-government systems. Many policy makers tend to enhance the smart city performance in their countries, while there is not deep understanding of key factors and barriers to adopting required technologies by users. Digital technologies such as laser sensors for collecting data from urban environments, web-based versions of Geographic Information Systems, positioning systems and smartphones may help to collect and process more accurate data. There is a considerable amount of studies focusing on the introduction and development of the above-mentioned technologies, but current literature does not provide a deep understanding of the technology adoption process in developing countries. Furthermore, the process of technology adoption has not been investigated in the field of urban planning and management. Current studies in e-government are not fully focused on the local city council e-services. The present study aims to develop the Urban Technology Adoption Model consisting of such key constructs as Low Quality Services, Cost Reduction, Energy Saving, and Time Saving. This paper intensively reviews the literature and identifies nine key constructs to use for modeling the adoption process. The constructs are identified from different domains such as technology acceptance in information systems, project management and sustainable technologies. However, the concept of technology acceptance is used in the smart city context. A survey-based method was used to test the proposed model using the Structural Equation Modeling method. The proposed model was first modified based on a sample of 110 participants in a selected major city (MC1). The modified model was validated based on the data collected from four more major cities (MC2 to MC5). The analysis shows that five constructs are critical for predicting the participants’ adoption behavior including Self-Efficacy, Operation, Work Facilitation, Relative Advantage and Compatibility. These factors were the top priorities of MCs’ users. Low priority factors as determined by the participants included such constructs as Low Quality of Services, Perceived Security and Energy Saving. This model is a valuable tool to predict the process of technology adoption at the level of local government in the field of urban e-services and management. The results of the present study are important in preventing any unsuccessful technology implementation at local level. The findings are also critical for urban planners and technology managers in developing countries since they are the main target of modern technologies. The presented model in this paper should be modified for different contexts as a future research agenda. In addition, a decision-making framework should be developed in the future based on an exploratory study recruiting participants from the management level.
Urban Planning
Farshad Nourian; Parsa Arbab
Volume 6, Issue 22 , May 2017, , Pages 43-58
Abstract
This research aims to explore the outlook of global cities in developing countries through the critical analysis. Global or globalizing cities have emerged in the developing countries during the past two decades. Some of the latest cases include Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, ...
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This research aims to explore the outlook of global cities in developing countries through the critical analysis. Global or globalizing cities have emerged in the developing countries during the past two decades. Some of the latest cases include Bangkok, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Shanghai, and Taipei. Other older cases involve Hong Kong, Sao Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, and Mexico City.Questions about the concepts and meanings of the global functions for development of these cities are raised when considering their role as part of the global cities network. The main body of literature on the patterns of the global city attempts to use the framework of the prime examples and paradigmatic cases of the global or globalizing cities such as London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo for evaluating the evidence of the globalization of cities in developing countries. Moreover, the success and the status of these cities are considered and measured mainly based on western criteria. This issue is due to the domination of western (Anglo-American) framework in the field of the globalization and the city.
In contrast, an increasing number of academic researchersbelieve that the relationship between the global city concept and the issues of power, actors and institutions - that operate globally - is exaggerated. In their view, this challenge has led to the underestimation of the local context and probabilities. Hence, the application of the current dominant paradigm of the globalization for the outlook of the global cities in the developing countries has been criticized by them. They argue that achieving a general set of comprehensive and universal results is a barren probability. Meanwhile, a type of ethnocentrism dominates the literature of globalization and global cities. Moreover, it is problematic to focus the research on the limited and specific factors and criteria of globalization, especially when such research attempts to explain the results and outcomes of the global cities in the developing countries. Therefore, alternative approaches, differentiated with the current dominant ones, have been proposed in this regard. Other models based on the complexity and diversity of the effects and consequences must be adopted. Serious consideration for the valuation of the local and native capacities, priorities and differences is essential for any theoretical and empirical study on the process of the globalization in the developing countries. It is necessary to operationalize distinct types of measures instead of the current global city label in reference to them. Accordingly, it is very important to use innovative models or patterns through the adoption of new frameworks based on the various roles, positions, capacities, dimensions, effects and consequences. Instead of absolute acceptance of the dominant Anglo-American approaches, it is more useful to conduct further studies on the interaction between the global and local actors. Such approach, presented as an alternative conceptual framework in this paper, could act as a basis for further studies on new cases in the developing countries.
Urban Planning
A K; T G
Volume 6, Issue 22 , May 2017, , Pages 89-97
Abstract
The issue of waking and providing suitable environments to encourage walking level has become one of the main strategies to improve quality of environment in cities. The issue is constantly attracting much more attention as it has been confirmed that walking has positive effects on citizens’ health, ...
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The issue of waking and providing suitable environments to encourage walking level has become one of the main strategies to improve quality of environment in cities. The issue is constantly attracting much more attention as it has been confirmed that walking has positive effects on citizens’ health, reducing traffic and pollution and increasing social interaction between people. Planning and design approaches that focus on sustainability, density, security, etc. consider walkability of urban spaces as an available strategy for achieving these concepts. Many prior surveys have considered the level of walking and walkability of urban spaces as an important factor in sociability and quality of urban spaces. Although prior surveys have generally focused on determining physical and spatial dimensions effective on walking, the effect of each physical and spatial factor in different urban areas (residential, downtown…) on different types of walking (business and recreational) is not the same.
Since people walk for different objectives and as various aspects of the built environment have different effects on encouraging people to walk in urban environments, this study tries to seek how spatial-physical factors influence the walking level of citizens at residential districts. This research poses two main questions: which aspects of people’s walking are affected by physical-special factors of residential districts? Which physical-special factors have more impact on the level of walking? In this research, theoretical studies on the spatial-physical factors of urban areas and walking indicators revealed that several environmental factors are effective on the walking level of people including continuity of paths, mixed usage, quality of paths, safety and security, beauty and desirability, and residential density. These factors are in a way parts of the wider spatial system of a city (or are affected by them). This wider system includes type of components, quantity of components, density, context, structure and spatial distribution. After developing the conceptual model of the research, the walking level of residents (business and recreational walking) in three neighborhoods of Nowshahr was evaluated through a questionnaire. Then its relationship with spatial-physical factors resulting from theoretical studies was measured through multivariate linear regression.
The results of the study showed a significant relationship between spatial-physical variables of urban neighborhoods and recreational walking (first hypothesis). The reason for this could be that business walking is a required activity for individuals which should be done in all circumstances regardless of the environment. However, recreational walking is not an obligation and is encouraged in favorable contexts and conditions, so environmental conditions and form of urban areas can significantly affect it. ANOVA results also indicated high correlation between walking level of citizens and land use, density and accessibility factors among the physical-spatial factors of the city (second hypothesis). Accordingly, urban physical-spatial features that represent mixed use, physical density and more pedestrian roads will be more favorable because in this case the rate of recreational walking will increase significantly.
Urban Planning
M B
Abstract
ObjectivesTourism, on the one hand, is important from the point of view of economic values and, on the other hand, from cultural, political and social viewpoints. It is important to geographically analyze the power and sufficiency of tourism because it provides an active and dynamic field for development ...
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ObjectivesTourism, on the one hand, is important from the point of view of economic values and, on the other hand, from cultural, political and social viewpoints. It is important to geographically analyze the power and sufficiency of tourism because it provides an active and dynamic field for development in every region. Accurate scientific studies are needed to recognize the high potential of tourism in different regions of Iran and its effect on social and economic life of residents these regions, and to realize the link between tourism growth and its role in economic and environmental development of host areas. One of the touristic regions of Iran which attracts large numbers of internal and foreign tourists is the historical city of Kashan. Kashan’s historical, cultural and social attractions, its sport attraction in the Maranjab desert, rose-water festival, waterfalls, etc. have attracted native and non-native tourists and developed the city. Hence, the present study seeks to answer the following questions: how much does tourism development influence urban development? In addition to the modeling, what are the effective factors on tourism development? What are the effects of tourism development on urban development? FindingsIn line with effective factors on tourism development and its role in urban development, a list of variables was identified and arranged according to theoretical basis of the study. Then, the variables’ validity was checked and confirmed. Afterwards, the variables were evaluated in the form of a structural model. The results of analyses indicate that tourism has been effective on environmental, framework, economic, and social factors of the region. The economic factor plays the most important role in specifying the effects of Kashan tourism development. Income growth is the most tangible indicator affected by tourism development in the region. Capital increase and job diversification are other important indices which are influenced by tourism development in Kashan. Social factor is another crucial factor affected by tourism in Kashan. Four indices are loaded in this factor, including decrease in residents’ peace, increase in local and family income, realization of value of the local culture and efforts for protecting it and increased quality of life. Environmental factor is another factor which is affected by tourism development. The factor has dedicated maximum number of variables to itself which shows that it is largely influenced by tourism development of the region. The last affected factor is framework. Unfortunately, tourism development of the region has been accompanied by many framework destructions.ResultsThe results demonstrate that tourism development has an important role in urban development. This effectiveness was 0.29 at the significance level of 0.000. Therefore, with a confidence of 99%, tourism development influences urban development. Tourism development in Kashan accounts for 0.67% development in cultural services (library, mosque, etc.), 0.66% development in facilities and infrastructure services (water and sewage network, transmission, etc.), 0.65% improvement in residents’ living and 0.52% increase in common services (hygienic service, accumulation of garbage, etc.).
Urban Planning
asghar abedini
Abstract
The growing population and increasing urbanization have caused a phenomenon known as urban sprawl in major cities of the world. This issue has imposed much economic and environmental consequences on cities. According to this review, it is necessary to recognize and assess this phenomenon. This study ...
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The growing population and increasing urbanization have caused a phenomenon known as urban sprawl in major cities of the world. This issue has imposed much economic and environmental consequences on cities. According to this review, it is necessary to recognize and assess this phenomenon. This study is a theoretical-practical research in terms of objectives and a descriptive-analytical one in nature. Today, landscape metrics and spatial data are used widely throughout the world to measure and evaluate urban sprawl. In the present study, to measure urban sprawl in Urmia, the spatial-temporal data and landscape metrics are used for the first time to measure urban sprawl in Iran. In this regard, satellite images related to the years 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2015 were collected. Then, the data was classified into two categories of constructed and unconstructed lands using artificial neural network. Afterwards, changes were detected by ENVI4.8 software program and the urban sprawl in Urmia was assessed applying landscape metrics (shape index, fractal dimension index, contiguity index, number of patch index, largest patch index) using the Fragstats4.2 software program.Investigation of shape index indicates the sprawl trend in Urmia. During 1991-2011, this index continuously declined, indicating the reduction of sprawl trend in the Urmia during this period. From 2011 onward, the trend has taken an uptrend that shows the increase of sprawl trend in the city. This points to the irregularly made patches that lead to random growth and unplanned development of urban areas.Fractal dimension describes the complexity and fragmentation of each patch by perimeter to area ratio. Increased complexity and fragmentation causes increased perimeter and thus increased fractal dimension. Therefore, increased fractal dimension shows an increase in the urban sprawl intensity. During 1991-2011 in Urmia, the intensity of sprawl was declining partially. However, during 2011-2015, the phenomenon of sprawl and developments in suburb areas intensified in the city.The high value of Contiguity Index means more compaction. This index had a balanced trend during 1991-2011 and maintained its existing compaction. However, during 2011-2015, this index transformed and went through a significant downtrend, showing the tendency for sprawl in the city.Number of Patches Index intensifies when the extent of sprawl increases. The investigation of this index in the study area indicates the reduction of sprawl area during 1991-2011, so the intensity of sprawl reduced to some extent. But, after this interval, i.e. from 2011-2015, sprawl intensified in Urmia.The investigation of this index in the study area shows an oscillating trend in a way that the trend reduced during 1991-2001 and, thus, the sprawl intensity in the region reduced. During 2011-2011, the value of this index increased and the studied area tended more intensely toward urban sprawl. Finally, sprawl intensity in Urmia increased significantly during 2011-2015.The results of the present study show that urban sprawl in Urmia has followed a descending trend during 1991-2011 and an ascending trend ever since.
Urban Planning
ahmad shahivandi
Abstract
The creative city perspective is based on the use of all city potentials to improve public spaces, culture, security, safety and communications. One of the most important tools to do so is new technologies including communication and electronic networks. Technologies, including ICT, are instrumrnts that ...
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The creative city perspective is based on the use of all city potentials to improve public spaces, culture, security, safety and communications. One of the most important tools to do so is new technologies including communication and electronic networks. Technologies, including ICT, are instrumrnts that can act as a mechanism for the establishment of creative cities using the global experiences. The dissemination of information through Internet, communication through e-mail and municipalities’ websites, and the use of virtual reality communication to highlight the results of a planning process serve as a new tool to achieve transparency, accountability and efficiency in urban systems. With the passage of time and rapid evolution of technologies in Isfahan , as one of the cultural and historical cities of Iran, there is a need for changes in the attitude and style of architecture and urban design that fit people’ everyday needs and problems. Electronic tools seek to create a virtual world. In the field of urban planning, they seek to create shopping places, offices, banks, etc., such that there would be little need for physical construction and creative people would use their technical knowledge and intelligence to provide high quality services, and physical buildings would be replaced with communications and network infrastructure. At the same time, a large part of urban spaces would be changed into recreation and leisure time places.Therefore, this research investigates the impact of new technologies on creative city with an emphasis on Isfahan. In this research, some features such as “variety, universality and being up-to-date”, as ICT’s criteria, have been studied in order to fulfil the indexes of creative city including “creativity and domestic potential, physical-spatial structure of the city and socio-economic properties”. This research is practical in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytic in terms of methodology. Library studies and inquiry method are used to gather information. The field study data is obtained by distributing questionnaires among 210 urban experts and 30 IT experts in Isfahan. After entering the variables and editing them in SPSS, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling in Amos Graphic was used to classify variables and demonstrate the relationship between new communication technologies and creative city. Likert scale was used to measure the variables. The obtained results show that the factor of being up-to-date has an impact on all aspects of creative city such as creativity and domestic potential, physical structure of city and socio-economic properties; the effect of this factor is more significant than other factors (such as universality and variety of new technologies). The universality factor only affects creativity and improving domestic potential and variety of new technologies factor only influences the socio-economic function of the city.In other words, we can say that being up-to-date in different sites and providing online information can increase creativity and improve the domestic potential, change physical and spatial structure of the city, improve social science and reduce personal referrals. Based on the results, the impact of being up-to-date on the factors of creative city is more significant than that of other factors, but the ideal situation for realization of creative city will occur when the new technologies in different aspects are able to have positive effects on the social and physical structure of the city.
Urban Planning
seyed hossein mirzade
Volume 5, Issue 20 , November 2016, , Pages 65-78
Abstract
It is fortunate that many fine scholars and theorists, in the past and present, have focused their attention on cities. Nowadays, we know a great deal about how cities influence the evolution of their people and culture, how they are organized spatially, what economic functions they perform, how they ...
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It is fortunate that many fine scholars and theorists, in the past and present, have focused their attention on cities. Nowadays, we know a great deal about how cities influence the evolution of their people and culture, how they are organized spatially, what economic functions they perform, how they are planned and governed, and their probable futures. In recent years, cities have found much importance in Iranians’ economic and social lives and a great deal of people have immigrated to cities in recent decades. Thus, many cities in Iran have a rapid physical spread in new valuable areas such as agricultural lands. One of the main problems of urban planners in comprehensive plans and urban development is determining the exact boundary of the city. Planners try to detect the boundary of cities with particular objectives such as protecting rich agricultural lands from long-term spread of the city, and protecting ecological and natural environmental zones around cities The Urban Development and Architecture Supreme Council of Iran in Article 7 of the ratification dated 6/7/2005had determined the size of cities boundaries should be 3 to 5 times the legal city limits . In the article, we are going to evaluate this decision in the urban planning system of Iran. There is increasing emphasis on importance of research projects as part of the planning process by urban researchers and extensive use of this word in many operational and scientific research shows the importance of evaluation. To achieve this aim, the following three questions must be answered: 1. What role do laws play in measuring the size of city boundaries? 2. Does the Urban Development and Architecture Supreme Council focus on the position and function of each city?,? 3. Do laws have any flaws in determining city boundaries? To answer these questions, 50 cities were chosen as the study sample in order to evaluate the ratification of the council and survey the level of compatibility of the cities’ status in Iran with the mentioned act. Tables of current and suggested use are extracted using the comprehensive plan of each sample and the results are compared with the act of the Great Council. The method used was descriptive- analytical and the research is applied in nature. The results imply that in the act some issues such as different climates, roles and positions of functions and ethnic-cultural and economic problems are disregarded. The investigation revealed that on average, city boundaries were 8.1 times greater than the legal limit of cities, and should be reviewed in this section of the ratification. Economic issues were often considered in determining the boundaries of the city which often were disproportionate to the shape of urban boundaries and little attention was paid to urban boundary limits. Therefore, the above decision must be reviewed. A review of methods to assess the logical framework of city boundary limits in the future development of cities have to be based on the physical and environmental aspects of lands because the reform of urban boundaries should protect agricultural land. If urban and regional planners disregard these points, local and national managers may face different problems that will cause some threats in the future.
Urban Planning
Mohammad Saeid Izadi; Mohammad Masoud; Amir Mohammad Moazezi Mehr-e-Tehran
Volume 5, Issue 20 , November 2016, , Pages 79-91
Abstract
Urban segregation as an undeniable urban reality is a multidimensional and multi-faceted phenomenon, which occurs in space and time. This phenomenon is determined not just by fragmented spaces or socio-economic differentiation but also by interaction of all dimensions (spatial, social and economic) and ...
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Urban segregation as an undeniable urban reality is a multidimensional and multi-faceted phenomenon, which occurs in space and time. This phenomenon is determined not just by fragmented spaces or socio-economic differentiation but also by interaction of all dimensions (spatial, social and economic) and their differentiations. Despite these varieties, there is no holistic approach to studying and dealing with this phenomenon. Although segregation has been regarded as a social issue, little attention has been paid to space and spatial structure of the city as effective factors in formation and development of urban segregation. Therefore, in anti-segregation practices, there are no hybrid analytical methods of spatial and socio-economic aspects.
In this paper, the research method is “theory development trajectory” which is based on literature review and its aim is to develop and complete the existing theory. Thus, the concept of urban segregation is developed as a precise and comprehensive exponent of reality with a high degree of predictability in implementation. In the process of conceptual development, urban segregation - based on its spatial connotation - is introduced as a spatial and socio-economic phenomenon. The designed conceptual model depending on the contribution of the aspects of urban segregation manifestation includes four parts: “areas with Spatial Segregation (absolute segregation)”, “areas with Involuntary Segregation (absolute segregation)”, “areas with Socio-economic segregation” and “areas without segregation (integrated areas)”.For testing the model, neighborhood areas of Isfahan were studied and analyzed because nowadays, urban segregation is involved at urban quarter levels and becomes visible through the socio-spatial gaps. For clarifying the proposed model at the level of neighbourhood quarters, data gathered from analyzing effective dimensions on urban segregation was synthesized and the state of Isfahan quarters were determined based on the development ranking and average value of integration. Appraisal of 188 quarters and their place at the model presents high conformity of results with reality. Deteriorated urban areas and quarters such as “Aligholi Agha”, “Zeinabieh”, “Vahid”, “Hemmat Abad”, Marchin”, “Juibareh”, “Koujan”, “Baboukan”, “Shahshahan”, Atsharan” and “Ghaemieh” were placed at absolute segregation area (part (3) of the model) and affluent quarters such as “Malek”, “Isfahan University distrct”, “Bagh e Negar (Ayeeneh Khaneh)”, “Abshar”, “Saadat Abad”, “Hezar Jarib”, “Barazandeh” and “Sheikh e Eshragh” which are in a good state in each dimension were placed in part (1) of the model showing areas without segregation (integrated areas). Therefore, in the test, most of the deteriorated urban areas and quarters were placed in absolute segregation area of the model and affluent quarters in the northern parts of the city were placed in areas without segregation (integrated areas).Therefore, the findings reveal the model efficiency in describing the situation and status of urban areas. Due to the placement of the quarters at each four parts of the model, different descriptions for their status were obtained. Thus, proposed priorities and actions for each urban quarter should be planned according to their placement in the model. It can be argued that this proposed holistic model can be used as an effective tool to support decision making regarding urban quarters and their level of segregation. The real and holistic image represented by this model acts as a base for defining priorities and types of necessary actions to establish balance and equality in the city.
Urban Planning
Isa Piri
Volume 5, Issue 19 , August 2016, , Pages 5-14
Abstract
Extended abstract
Modernization is the basic theme of the modernity project and is the reason of enlightenment in the different fields of thought, art and aesthetics. Two primary processes of the modernity project were the beginning of modern urban planning: ‘destructive creativity’ and ...
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Extended abstract
Modernization is the basic theme of the modernity project and is the reason of enlightenment in the different fields of thought, art and aesthetics. Two primary processes of the modernity project were the beginning of modern urban planning: ‘destructive creativity’ and ‘creative destruction’. Perhaps the best literary example of physical renovation and modern urban planning is Goethe’s Faust and it is the best tragedy of growth and development. Physical quality of a city and socio- cultural relations have mutual correlation with each other. Modern urban planning caused by instrumental rationality and economic profit – oriented view enters the city land as a valued commodity in supply and demand circles. Thus, physical urban planning is replaced with social urban planning. Spatial development of Tabriz like most other great cities of Iran is rooted in modernist epistemology and ontology. The most basic tragedy of modern urban planning is the destruction and renovation of neighborhoods and historical districts, and also the replacement of population and human groups. Modern urban planning is a type of spatial action and rooted in socio- economic changes which from the 16th century has attempted to replace liberation rationality with traditional myths. Therefore, if we define urban planning as an action similar to other social fields it involves two types of action. Max Weber in his analysis of social actions discusses two types of action named instrumental rational action and value rational action. Social capital involves the dimensions of social structure that facilitate public action and supply some resources to people to achieve their goals. Three dimensions of socio- spatial dialectic is : 1- social relations formed by space; 2- social relations limited by space; and 3- social relations mediated by space. “Friction of distance” causes diverse social experiences involving routine life patterns. Physical renovation which occurs in the center of a metropolis through instrumental spatial action causes the reinforcement of physical capital of central quarters. A tragic dimension of physical renovation is produced through dialectical logic. In other words, although with widening the streets and modernization of quarters, widespread public spaces have been created for greater human interaction, by damaging previous Gothic and Baroque spaces, using modern urban planning designs, replacing of communities and neighbors has led toa reduction in neighborly relations. The research hypotheses are as follows: 1- there are meaningful correlations between physical renovation and destruction of communities in central districts of Tabriz, 2- connecting social capital in central districts of Tabriz is greater than in more modern districts. 3- the interconnectedness of social capital in central districts of Tabriz is greater than in modern districts. The research method used was descriptive – analytical. Physical renovation is the independent variable and the quality of social capital is the dependent one. This phenomenon was clearly observed to have occurred through extensive physical renovation projects in the historical districts of Tabriz. Therefore, on the basis of social capital theory, a survey was conducted regarding social relations quality of replaced social groups in new districts and suburban areas. The conclusion shows that with rising density and physical renovation in districts like Raste Kuche, Darayi, Bazaar, and Amin most population groups relocated to new districts such as Manzariyeh, Valiasr, Roshdiye, Mirdamad and Zafaraniye. Physical renovation has caused the replacement of the central district's values with modern values. In other words, widening of streets and boulevards has in fact caused the reverse action of limiting and destroying of place based and historical social capital and communities. Assessment of community destruction, bridging and bonding social capital in old and central districts of Tabriz exposed to significant physical renovation has resulted in geographical and spatial movement from the old districts to new ones as well as lesser social capital in new modern districts compared to older ones.
Urban Planning
Bahram Amin zadeh Gohar rizi; saeid tohidi rad; Roshanak Asadi
Volume 5, Issue 19 , August 2016, , Pages 15-26
Abstract
Land-use location planning is one of the most important urbanism issues with different scales. The choice of location planning method is determined by the kind of problem and the importance of the supposed Land-use to be location planned. For example, to choose a location from some limited options, the ...
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Land-use location planning is one of the most important urbanism issues with different scales. The choice of location planning method is determined by the kind of problem and the importance of the supposed Land-use to be location planned. For example, to choose a location from some limited options, the multi-attribute decision making methods should be used; but when there is no initial option for location planning, the multi-objective decision making method should be used. Nowadays, the use of computational techniques for location planning is inevitable. The reason is that a manager's decisions in this field are influenced by various qualitative and quantitative factors, generally in conflict with each other, so that optimization of a factor may lead to the destruction of other factors. Thus, to prevent errors in decision-making, multi-objective decision-making techniques have been considered and used in recent years. There are different methods for solving multi-objective decision making problems which are categorized into two general groups: decomposition methods and direct methods. In the decomposition methods, first, the multi-objective optimization problem turns into a single-objective problem and then the problem is solved. However, in multi-objective optimization methods, the problem is solved in a multi-objective manner. Decomposition methods comprise of the 4 techniques of Weighted sum, Goal programming, Goal Attainment and -Constraint. Each of the 4 techniques tries to simplify the problem and solve it with specific measures. To turn a multi-objective problem into a single-objective one, these methods are forced to lose some of the space decision information. To solve this issue, the problem should be solved several times, which is very time-consuming. Furthermore, each time the problem is solved with these methods, a different answer is obtained. However, direct methods are not faced with this problem and are much faster and more accurate. The purpose of this study is to introduce an efficient technique of direct methods to solve all the multi-objective location planning problems and resolve classic and decomposition methods issues. Therefore, an airport location planning problem for the one of the major cities, based on Non-dominated Sorting Genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) was considered as a case study. Based on indicators such as easy access, noise pollution reduction, visibility, and access to infrastructure, the problem was modeled as a mathematical programming problem with 6 objective functions such as the minimum distance from main roads and highways, maximum distance from industrial factories, minimum distance from power transmission lines, maximum distance from the city and traditional gardens, minimum distance from the main gas transportation pipeline, the maximum distance from residential areas around the city and a certain number of required conditions. Finally, amongst the 200 final solutions of the proposed algorithm, including different front solutions, a solution with 4 points was chosen as the optimum location for the construction of the airport. Because of greater speed and accuracy, as well as providing a decision support system, the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) which is a direct multi-objective location planning problem solving method, can be considered as an appropriate alternative to the Decomposition and other traditional multi-objective location planning methods.
Urban Planning
Mojtaba Rafieian; shiva Ajilian; Aref Ahgasafari
Volume 5, Issue 19 , August 2016, , Pages 27-36
Abstract
Objectives: Housing has always been considered a need in different societies.This need more than its individual aspects, is considered a collective need. With the advent of the industrial revolution which was accmanied by unprecedented population growth and increasing urbanization , the issue of providing ...
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Objectives: Housing has always been considered a need in different societies.This need more than its individual aspects, is considered a collective need. With the advent of the industrial revolution which was accmanied by unprecedented population growth and increasing urbanization , the issue of providing housing for people in need who were sent to cities in the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution was introduced and by the expansion of its dimensions became more important to include in government intervention programmes. . Thus, the housing problem, as a common issue in most of the world’s cities, is how to connect the creation and planning of cities with different economic, political, social and cultural contexts. Nowadays, the limited resources of the government and rapid increase in demand for housing do not provide housing for all members of society. Hence, the framework of national development goals, especially the prioritized economic and social goals specify the housing share of low-income groups. In Iran, different policies have been planned and executed. One of these policies is the “Mehr Housing Plan”. Despite being the greatest and most highly discussed national plan proposed for solving the housing problems of low-income groups, it has caused social problems and residents’ dissatisfaction. “Mehr Housing” project focuses attention on determining role of the land price in housing prices and the action to eliminate this variable, controlling the price of housing in this way, and facilitating access of vulnerable people to suitable housing, but it has ignored a set of key issues. Therefore, the main question is how to improve residents’ satisfaction and/or what principles to employ in the policies for satisfying housing of low-income groups in order to improve residents’ satisfaction and to prevent problems in these districts. Therefore, this research aims at analyzing the policies for planning low-income group housing (Mehr Housing Plan) by measuring residential satisfaction in the Mehregan Town, Mashhad and identifying its principles, sizes and variables.Therefore, surveyswere conducted according to fundamental research method and inductive and deductive analysis. Questionnaires were then used for conducting an opinion poll on the variables to achieve residential satisfaction in the Mehr Housing Plan. The questionnaire data was analyzed using factor analysis methods, regression analysis, and structural equations modeling. LISREL 8.5, PSS, and Smart PLS softwares were used.
Findings :a “holistic view” was introduced as one of the major principles in the residential satisfaction in the Mehr Housing Plan which prevented concentration on only some parts of the problems using an integrated view to problems. On the other hand, “community-driven development” allows taking advantage of local community assets and social capitals through the presence of residents in all Mehr Housing processes. This way, the measures of Mehr Housing become close to the residents’ views and finally their satisfaction is gained. In other words, the “holistic view” and community-driven development” principles are among the major policies of Mehr Housing policies; if they are considered as a basis for the measures of Mehr Housing along with “process-orientation” principle, residents will be satisfied with its outcome.
Results: Finally, the model for communication method of the principles are depicted and proposed. Finally, the influence of “community-driven development” based on the principle of a “holistic view” is discussed.
Urban Planning
Javad khodaei; maryam Khazaei
Volume 5, Issue 18 , May 2016, , Pages 5-20
Abstract
Mosques are one of the most obvious faces of Islamic societies and play a fundamental role at both the spiritual and superficial levels. Moreover, in the history of Islamic cities, the three basic elements of mosque, bazaar and mahala have had fundamental and determinative roles in the development ...
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Mosques are one of the most obvious faces of Islamic societies and play a fundamental role at both the spiritual and superficial levels. Moreover, in the history of Islamic cities, the three basic elements of mosque, bazaar and mahala have had fundamental and determinative roles in the development and evolution of cities. Amongst the different types of mosques that exist, local mosques, as public spaces with social, economic and political dimensions, have had a great effect in representation of cultural values and Islamic traditions. As in western cities- based on the Peri theory regarding the mahala units- schools have a determinative role in the center of mahalas and residential zones and the local mosque is on the same level of importance as cultural and religious centers. The other amenities and facilities, such as educational and commercial facilities are on a lower level in the center of mahalas. In addition, these local mosques have helped raise the identity of small as well as large mahalas. However, contemporary mosques have many shortages and negative aspects including their location in unsuitable areas and their omission in the identity structure of mahalas as places for residency. In the process of modernity, local mosques are considered to be on a lower level in comparison to the other elements. The scale and position of local mosques does not suit new conditions and does not respond to the diverse demands of users in such a way as to decrease the sense of dependency on its function.
This research attempts to assess mosque selection site of based on the locating index of efficiency, compatibility and comfort (these indexes are more suited to the aim of this research, and other location indexes are omitted) and the accessibility of mahalas to the identity structure as a residential place. ). Thus, a conceptual model based on the comparison between the locating indexes and criteria of creating identity in mahalas is proposed.
This paper can be categorized as applied – development research. The method of this research is descriptive – analytical and uses both primary and secondary data from a mix of qualitative and quantitative methodology of research. The existing secondary data studied was based on two parts: firstly, the location of religious sites and mosques in the past and the effective indexes of creating identity in the residential contexts. The research is based on a case study approach focusing on the twelve zones of Mashhad city. The primary data gathered were firstly from direct observations via site visit of the case studies and secondly questionnaires completed by mosque users and local residents with a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. Then, the primary and secondary data was analyzed using SPPS, EXEL and ARC GIS softwares.
In the findings section, the selected local mosques was analyzed based on the conceptual model for each of the locating indexes qualitatively and quantitatively. This research demonstrates the degree of influence of the criteria of identity in locating local mosques by determining the level of consistency of selected local mosques with the conceptual model. In conclusion, the authors propose that in the contemporary period, mosque locating be based on the three mentioned indexes (efficiency, compatibility and comfort) .
Urban Planning
Fateh Habibi
Volume 5, Issue 18 , May 2016, , Pages 37-50
Abstract
In the twenty-first century, technological progress has given people more free time and wealth to spend on their leisure activities. In fact, the second half of the twentieth century should be called the era of the tourism industry. Nowadays, there is an intense competition between different countries ...
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In the twenty-first century, technological progress has given people more free time and wealth to spend on their leisure activities. In fact, the second half of the twentieth century should be called the era of the tourism industry. Nowadays, there is an intense competition between different countries to attract tourists. Furthermore, as a dynamic industry having unique features, tourism now accounts for a significant part of the economic and manufacturing activities of developed and developing countries. International tourism has developed rapidly in the last two decades and today tourism is one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing industries. The tourism industry has become a major economic sector that generates foreign exchange earnings in most countries. The number of international tourists in the world will increase to 1602 million by 2020, while revenues from tourism will reach approximately US$200 billion. The world travel and tourism council (WTTC) expects travel and tourism to continue to be one of the world’s largest industries. In 2015, the tourism industry contributed to 9.8 % of global GDP and accounted for 279 million jobs. Over the next ten years (by 2025), it is anticipated that this industry will account for 10.5% of the global GDP and 356 million jobs worldwide. Attracting tourists is one of the pillars of the tourism industry along with the elements necessary for the host society to provide the right conditions for attracting tourists. The behavior and attitude of the host society as revealed in its interaction with tourists are essential to the growth of tourism. As a business and service activity, tourism plays an important role in the economic development of a city. In terms of tourism destinations, investigating the tourism industry is important because it informs planners and policy makers about tourism destinations and their features. In this way, the management of tourism destinations will be able to equip the target market according to tourists’ needs. Due to the increasing arrivals of domestic and foreign tourists to Marivan, the main objective of this study is to evaluate the role of social capital of local residents in their tendency toward welcoming tourists. Over 90% of respondents had moderate to high tendency toward accepting tourists. An analytical-descriptive methodology has been applied in this study. The questionnaire contains 23 items on a 5-point Likert scale. 280 questionnaires were distributed among tourists in Marivan in 2015, from which 254 questionnaires were collected and analyzed. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was used to ensure the reliability of the research tool. The questionnaire showed a very good reliability of 0.78 percent. Descriptive (frequency, percentage, mean) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation coefficient, independent t-test, bivariate regression analysis) were applied to analyze the data using SPSS. The results indicated that there is a significant relationship between the variables of social capital (trust, cohesion and participation) and people’s education and their tendency to accept tourists. Moreover, there is a significant relationship between sex and job status of people and their tendency toward accepting tourists. Multivariate regression analysis showed that independent variables explain 13% of the dependent variable (tendency toward accepting tourists).
