Urban Design
Nina Ghaslani; Azadeh Aghalatifi; Marjan NematiMehr; Hamid Nadimi
Abstract
Architecture and urbanism are related to the environment; The environment is the container of individual and collective experiences of people and forms the memory. Memory studies is a growing field of research that focuses on a wide range of disciplines such as social sciences, humanities, landscape ...
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Architecture and urbanism are related to the environment; The environment is the container of individual and collective experiences of people and forms the memory. Memory studies is a growing field of research that focuses on a wide range of disciplines such as social sciences, humanities, landscape studies, and architecture and urbanism. There have been researches in Iran and the world regarding memory in man-made environments and each of them has looked at the issue from a different perspective. This article aims to analyze and interpret what has been published so far in Iran, and to prevent repetition in this field and to find existing research gaps, it has analyzed the qualitative studies. This research is a systematic review of previous studies and 38 articles and 4 Ph.D theses in the country, where memory was their main topic, were selected and analyzed based on the shape of the Prisma. By studying their structure and content, it has been achieved to outline the current perspective of memory research. The results show the growing volume of memory studies focusing on collective memory. Repetition of the content of memory research, very little attention to special users of the environment such as children, elderly, etc., the focus of a large number of studies on the city of Tehran, the lack of examination of memory in different age periods of humans and the lack of attention to the individual memory of people from Special places such as childhood places are among the problems of studies in this field. Among the frequent categories combined with memory, we can mention identity, belonging to a place, attachment to a place, and revival and reconstruction. Also, the largest number of studies have focused on memory in urban public spaces and urban squares.
Urban Design
Seyed Muslim Seyedolhosseini; toktam hanaee; hadi sarvari; saeideh divsalar
Abstract
Today, with the development of urban spaces, the importance and role of public art in the city changes drastically, and artistic and cultural activities not only cause aesthetic development, but also take the form of creative placemaking in worn-out contexts. This space is becoming a key focal point ...
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Today, with the development of urban spaces, the importance and role of public art in the city changes drastically, and artistic and cultural activities not only cause aesthetic development, but also take the form of creative placemaking in worn-out contexts. This space is becoming a key focal point for responding to social and environmental concerns regarding the future development of a sustainable city. The purpose of this research is to analyze the methodology of the studies conducted in the field of public art, creative placemaking and happy urban atmosphere, and to examine the types of analysis methods and to be aware of the weak points of the methodology in the research. System. The method of this research is combined and applied, and the meta-method of scientific research articles available in Google Scholar has been used due to its high credibility, easy access to scientific resources and international influence, and with the main search in the period of 2013-2023. And by searching keywords, 26 articles were selected after the screening process and based on Saunders research onion layer classification, they were coded separately by MAXQDA software and the findings of this research were analyzed and the main methodological trends of this philosophy The research was analyzed. They are the subject of interpretive study. The direction of these studies is practical. The nature of the descriptive-analytical research, the qualitative research method and strategies belong to the case sample that has a strong relationship with archival documents and is based on the inductive approach. On the other hand, the most common method of collecting interview information is data analysis, content analysis, and quality quantitative analysis tools such as Google Map and Zoom software. The results of the current research show that there are various research methods for evaluating the perception, experience and interaction of society with public art and its effect on creative placemaking and happy urban atmosphere, which are sometimes not specialized and scientific and need to be revised. And it is a systematic classification that can open a new window to future research, and its results provide insights that seem essential.
Urban Design
Toktam Roshandel; Bakhtiar Bahrami; Mehdi Saidi; Goran Erfani
Abstract
Highlights:
Parents' consent emerges as a highly influential factor.
Children require a secure and enjoyable pedestrian route from home to school.
Environmental affordances usable during both day and night play a pivotal role.
Introduction:
Children's physical activity and mobility ...
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Highlights:
Parents' consent emerges as a highly influential factor.
Children require a secure and enjoyable pedestrian route from home to school.
Environmental affordances usable during both day and night play a pivotal role.
Introduction:
Children's physical activity and mobility are pivotal for their overall health. This study, conducted in Mashhad City, Iran, explores children's perspectives on environmental characteristics that impact physical mobility and activity.
Theoretical Framework:
Utilizing a theoretical framework comprising 28 measures, this research aims to unveil the environmental features within neighborhoods contributing to the improvement of children's physical mobility and activity.
Methodology:
To accomplish this, the present study collected the perspectives of 450 children aged 9 to 13 (43.8% girls and 56.2% boys) regarding a specific set of these attributes within Mashhad City, Iran. Utilizing exploratory factor analysis, a model was constructed based on the children's responses to the survey measures.
Results and Discussion:
This model identifies seven factors and 24 measures influencing the mobility and physical activity of children in their neighborhoods:
Parents' Approval:
Encompasses measures associated with "parents' permission and concern" and reflects "children's desire for independence and agency." Results suggest that parental concern about the autonomous presence of their children in neighborhood spaces significantly inhibits the children's mobility and independent activities.
Walking Path:
Associated with measures conveying the concepts of "optimal and joyful mobility on paths," this factor emphasizes features like adequate width and appropriate flooring. The potential for 'playing along the route from home to school' is crucial for children's mobility. According to children, this pathway serves not only as a route for the essential journey to school but also should provide opportunities for social and optional activities, including play and enjoyment.
Social Security:
Linked to measures reflecting 'the sense of security regarding strangers and bullies' in neighborhoods. An interesting result is the association of "creating a pleasant atmosphere such as colored sidewalks" with social security. Children believe that the use of specific colors on sidewalks not only provides a fun atmosphere but also establishes spaces for local socialization, consequently reducing the threat of bullying and outsiders.
Environmental Affordance:
Associated with activities reflecting children’s physical abilities, such as climbing trees and running in open spaces without obstacles. The results indicate that children test these capabilities through movement and exploration of their surroundings. Additionally, the inclusion of "night lighting" as a measure in this factor suggests a preference among children for exploratory play during the night.
Legibility:
Aligned with Lynch's theory of legibility, this factor involves measures related to way-finding by architectural elements. The findings indicate that children use 'buildings' and 'stores on the ground floor' as landmarks for navigation in their neighborhoods.
Diverse Environment for Exploration:
Associated with measures representing attractive routes, various play equipment, and nature connectedness. Children's positive assessment of the existence of winding paths in the neighborhood indicates that engaging in exploratory activities along these paths can increase their mobility in their community. Furthermore, integrating a variety of natural elements and play equipment in their neighborhood can enhance children's movement and exploration, making the experience deeper and more enjoyable.
Mobility Safety:
The final factor is associated with measures indicating safe mobility in neighborhoods. In addition to the fear of a car accident, children's desire for age/gender-appropriate play equipment highlights their concern for their physical safety. The results indicate that inappropriate play equipment and car traffic have the least impact on children's mobility in their neighborhoods.
Conclusion:
Interventions targeting these factors can significantly enhance children's mobility experiences, promoting not only physical activity but also social interaction and a deeper connection with their surroundings. The recurring theme of children's desire for playful activities emphasizes a fundamental need for quality movement and physical activities.
Urban Design
Marzieh Shafiei; Bahador Zamani
Abstract
Highlights-The pleasantness of a soundscape to a place depends largely on context.-Decreasing sound levels may not result in a high-quality acoustic environment.-The environmental characteristics of the spaces and the activities they may enable influence directly on the pleasantness of the soundscape.- ...
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Highlights-The pleasantness of a soundscape to a place depends largely on context.-Decreasing sound levels may not result in a high-quality acoustic environment.-The environmental characteristics of the spaces and the activities they may enable influence directly on the pleasantness of the soundscape.- The frequency of people's exposure to the soundscape also affects their perception of the soundscape pleasantness and imageability. IntroductionUrban open spaces play an important role in improving the quality of urban life. In the past, urban designers mainly focused on the visual esthetics and physical aspects of urban spaces, but neglected acoustic elements. Ignoring the role of sound in urban planning has led to an increase in environmentally disturbing sounds, which ultimately leads to an unclear human perception of sounds. To avoid these issues, acoustic research to create high-quality spaces has become one of the current aims of urban planners and environmental designers.MethodologyThis study investigated the soundscape quality of the Chahar Bagh Abbasi pedestrian Axis in Isfahan, one of the most valuable historical-cultural urban spaces in Iran. The study aimed to answer the following questions:1. What are the sound components that affect the pleasantness of the soundscape of the area?2. How is the overall quality of the soundscape on the Chahar Bagh Abbasi pedestrian Axis?3. What are the sound imageability components in the Chahar Bagh Abbasi pedestrian Axis?To determine the dominant sound sources in the space, non-interventional observation and audio recording were used. To clarify the perception of different people of the pedestrian Axis soundscape, a questionnaire was distributed. To ensure the reliability of the questionnaire, Cronbach’s alpha test was used. The obtained rate was equal to 0.731, which shows the adequate reliability of the questionnaire. The statistical population of the research is all people present on the Chahar Bagh Abbasi pedestrian Axis. For this purpose, 384 questionnaires were randomly distributed among the people. To analyze the results of the questionnaire, SPSS software and the analytical method of correlation coefficient and step-by-step regression were used.Results and discussionThe findings of this research showed that simply reducing negative sounds in the environment does not lead to the formation of a positive sound environment. Physical background sound levels are also important factors in the sound assessment of public spaces in cities. Other findings showed that some groups of people did not consider some sounds to be undesirable. This depends on people’s habits regarding the current state of the environment soundscape and the low intensity of hearing these sounds in the space. The findings also showed that the frequency of people’s presence in urban spaces is among the factors affecting how people perceive and the quality of the urban soundscapes. In fact, in this research, it was found that the higher the exposure to the soundscape, the less pleasant it is. Therefore, merchants, due to long-term exposure to the soundscape during the day, perceived the soundscape of the pedestrian Axis as less satisfactory compared to others, while tourists due to short exposure to the soundscape of the area, found the soundscape more pleasant. Furthermore, it was found that the duration of people’s exposure to the soundscape is also effective in assessing the sound imageability of the area so that citizens and merchants can better identify sound imageability components in the area due to the longer exposure to sounds.ConclusionThe results of the questionnaire suggest that exposure to sounds in the short or long term can affect people’s perception of the sound imageability of a space. Overall, merchants and citizens in this space, due to their longer exposure to sound sources, have a better recognition of the components of sound imageability than tourists. For example, the sounds that merchants and citizens of Chahar Bagh Abbasi pedestrian Axis mentioned as characteristics of this area are largely similar. This also applies to the identification of sound signals in the space, such that merchants in this area and citizens at the next level have better performance in detecting loud and close sounds in the space due to their frequent visits to the space compared to tourists. A significant point in people’s answers regarding the identification of background sounds is that the length of time people are exposed to the soundscape of the pedestrian Axis does not have much effect on the correct identification of background sounds. This is because background sounds are the combination of several individual sound sources that are attenuated due to distance, making it difficult to distinguish them from other sounds.
Urban Design
Maryam Roosta; mahsa sholeh; Negin Amiri
Abstract
Highlights- Sense walking and in-depth interviews were used to analyze the richness of smell and taste senses in urban space.- The experience of the senses of smell and taste and the dimension of time and place mutually affect each other.- The richness of the senses of smell and taste affects the enhancement ...
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Highlights- Sense walking and in-depth interviews were used to analyze the richness of smell and taste senses in urban space.- The experience of the senses of smell and taste and the dimension of time and place mutually affect each other.- The richness of the senses of smell and taste affects the enhancement of the memorability and identity of the urban space.IntroductionEveryday urban experience is achieved through the process of perception and sense experience through sensory organs. Living in a multi-sensory environment is inevitable, and the experience of encountering sights, smells, and sounds makes it possible to know the environment. It seems that in different urban spaces of Iran, taking into account the native conditions of the environment and current traditions among the people, the role of sensory landscapes and its effect on the quality of the urban space requires more investigations. The main problem of the current research is the need to pay more attention to the issue of "sensory richness" and analyze its indicators and examples as one of the important qualities of the urban space, with an emphasis on the two senses of smell and taste. Based on this, the present article aims to explain the process of recognizing and analyzing an urban space with an emphasis on improving the quality of sensory richness in the two areas of smell and taste senses.Theoretical FrameworkRegarding the sense of smell, the variety of smells, the presence of sources of smells in the environment, smells dependent and related to time, consistent smells, smells of passers-by, and smelling comfort are among the indicators that, according to sources, affect the richness of the space. There are also researches about the effect of the sense of smell in the urban space, in the context of racial, ethnic, native, historical and cultural contexts, and it shows the effect of different cultural contexts on the transmission of social meanings and values and the display of historical heritage through the sense of smell in an urban space.Regarding the sense of taste, while emphasizing the dependence and direct connection of this sense with the sense of smell, the presence of fruitful plants, local memories related to the experience of taste in space, and the presence of land uses that stimulate taste have an effect on the richness of the sense of taste.MethodologyIn order to conduct this research, the "qualitative" strategy has been used to collect and analyze data. In the first step, the review of library resources was carried out with the aim of compiling the theoretical framework of the research and extracting effective indicators in the thematic area of sensory richness. After that, the indicators obtained from this part were analytically recognized and field studied in two steps in the studied sample; In the first step, the sensory perception of the environment was carried out by "sensory walking" with the help of field survey by one of the researchers as an urban studies expert. After that, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 space users. These numbers were selected as available samples and the interviews were continued until reaching a kind of "theoretical saturation" and repeated answers. The data obtained from the interviews were coded in "Atlas" software and subjected to content analysis.Results and DiscussionThe findings of the interviews revealed the deep dimensions of the smell experience along the way for users. In these interviews, special users with a keen sense of smell were mentioned many times along the way. In some of these comments, the use of smell to remember the length of the route and even addressability was clearly evident. This issue, while clarifying the process of tracking odor sources by space users, shows the effect of place and the inseparable dependence of sensory experiences with place.In a deeper layer, the analysis of the interviews shows that remembering and recalling smell experiences, especially in urban spaces with historical qualities, is very tied to nostalgia and memory and has an effect on deepening the sense of belonging to a place. This issue is very important from the analytical point of view of urban space. Context—which can be a set of antecedent conditions or facts about a place or a particular event in it—plays a decisive role in the quality of the smellscapes in a place.The findings show that in the sensory experience of Hafez Street, in particular, the presence of "orange trees" as an example of the "fruitful plants" index, in addition to the possibility of simultaneously deepening the senses of smell and taste, to the perception of the "sense of time" as well as the "memorability of space" and Also, "identifying the sensory experience of the path" has also been effective. In the experience of the sense of taste along this path, as expected, the findings indicate the effect of the use of taste stimuli on the deepening of the sensory experience of space and its perception.ConclusionAmong the indicators of the quality of the senses of smell and taste, "smell comfort", "presence of fruitful plants" and "memorable uses with taste stimulation", have a greater role in the experience process of citizens' environmental perception. Also, in the analysis of the findings from the qualitative survey, it is possible to emphasize the two-way relationship between the deepening of the "sense of smell" and the memorability and identity of the place, as well as the reciprocal relationship of "perception of time" with the depth of the smell sensory experience.It seems that, especially in urban spaces with historical value, paying attention to the identity aspects of odors from natural resources or users with an identity smell or taste experience, both in the layer of future research and in the layer of executive plans, can have a multifaceted effect on improving the quality of the space and help deepen the sense of belonging to the place among the users.
Urban Design
Iman Ghalandarian; Golbarg Ghaemmaghami Farahani
Abstract
Highlights- This paper proposes a model for improving the implementation of small-scale participatory projects.- The model is based on the findings of a case study of the Mahalle Ma project in Mashhad, Iran.- The model identifies three key relationships: the people and the facilitator, the people and ...
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Highlights- This paper proposes a model for improving the implementation of small-scale participatory projects.- The model is based on the findings of a case study of the Mahalle Ma project in Mashhad, Iran.- The model identifies three key relationships: the people and the facilitator, the people and urban management, and urban management and the facilitator.IntroductionContemporary urban planning knowledge has undergone significant changes, shifting from natural and engineering sciences to interdisciplinary fields with a focus on social and human sciences. Urban development plans now emphasize public and private participation. As the second-largest city in Iran, Mashhad plays a vital role within the country due to its regional centrality, large population, and diversity. It is essential to prioritize social sustainability and encourage public participation in the planning process.Theoretical FrameworkImplementation is a critical component of the urban design process and can be interpreted in two ways: as the essence of the entire process or as an independent step within the process. Through a systematic study of various sources and analysis of urban design processes conducted by researchers, it is possible to categorize the urban design process involved in selecting the design group, defining initial objectives, assessing the existing conditions, clarifying goals, presenting design alternatives, evaluating options, optimizing, developing an implementation plan, implementing, and conducting post-implementation evaluations. Based on research synthesis, factors influencing the implementation of small-scale participatory projects can be categorized into five aspects: development stakeholders (including designers and implementers), management-planning system structures, economic considerations, public participation, and legal considerations.MethodologyThis paper adopts a qualitative approach and data-based method through semi-structured interviews to identify obstacles, challenges, and factors influencing the implementation of small-scale participatory projects (specifically, neighborhood units) in Mashhad. The study focuses on stakeholders including individuals, urban management, and facilitators involved in the "Mahalle Ma" project. Theoretical sampling was employed until saturation was reached. Data analysis utilized qualitative content analysis with a summative approach and MAXQDA 2018. Open and axial coding techniques were applied to identify the foundational concepts related to the implementation of the targeted projects.Results and DiscussionThe results of this study highlight the importance of effective collaboration and communication between stakeholders, including the people, urban management, and the facilitator team. Building trust, improving public participation, and addressing financial constraints are essential for the successful implementation of small-scale participatory projects.The relationship between the people and the facilitator: The quality of real participation by the people, as the most important stakeholder group, has a significant impact on achieving the goals of the plan. Negative experiences and a lack of trust in city management can present challenges for the project. To enhance citizens' participation, the facilitator and designer can employ appropriate techniques to involve people in the process, clarify the project definition, and connect it with the needs assessment stage. Effective communication with the social council of the neighborhoods is also crucial, as the lack of it can hinder the quality of citizens' participation.The relationship between the people and urban management: Urban management has initiated this plan with long-term goals in mind, including fostering a culture of participation. However, the inadequate allocation of funds and a lack of effective inter-organizational synergy have resulted in intangible short-term outcomes for the people. This situation raises concerns about increasing mistrust and decreasing satisfaction with the municipality's performance.The relationship between urban management and the facilitator: Both urban management and the facilitator play crucial roles in promoting public satisfaction with the project. They should work towards achieving long-term goals by monitoring, improving, and maintaining a continuous planning process. This entails fostering a culture of participation through trust-building and capacity development. However, the frequent changes in design and planning approaches due to shifts in the urban management structure can affect the facilitator's authority to achieve project goals. The facilitator team should also ensure a constant connection between the needs assessment stage, design, and implementation steps.ConclusionThis study highlights the crucial role of urban management throughout the various stages of an urban development project. In the pre-implementation stage, urban management plays a fundamental role in selecting an expert design and implementation team. They also prioritize goals based on the type of management system in place.Recognizing the current situation requires the collaboration of the facilitator and the people to establish a shared understanding of the problem. The facilitator acts as a mediator, identifying the real demands of the people and conveying them to management levels to define the project in subsequent stages. Verification of goals and adjustments are made in consultation with citizens, academic experts, and local institutions.The presentation of design alternatives by the facilitator team ensures alignment with the real needs of the people. Evaluation and optimization of alternatives involve active participation from the people, who contribute to selecting the optimal alternative based on their genuine needs. Urban management also considers economic and technical factors in choosing the optimal option.During the implementation stage, urban management plays a critical role in ensuring the design team's recommendations are executed properly by selecting the right contractors. The involvement of the social council, representing the people, is essential in monitoring the implementation process in line with the goals and needs assessment.In the post-implementation stage, continuous monitoring and modification are necessary, with direct input from the people through the facilitator team and urban management. This promotes the long-term continuity and success of the plan, fostering a culture of participation.
Urban Design
Faeze Rahmani Jami; Maryam Mohammadi
Abstract
HighlightsIntroducing the methods of measuring emotions and emotional response in urban spaces and examining the advantages and disadvantages and the validity of each method.Developing a mixed method for measuring emotions in urban spaces.Identifying the physical and non-physical factors affecting users’ ...
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HighlightsIntroducing the methods of measuring emotions and emotional response in urban spaces and examining the advantages and disadvantages and the validity of each method.Developing a mixed method for measuring emotions in urban spaces.Identifying the physical and non-physical factors affecting users’ feelings in the urban space and their attraction and exclusion. IntroductionThe effects of emotions on all of man’s daily decisions are undeniable. Using, residing in, and leaving an urban space pertain to the users’ emotions. Therefore, it is important to measure and evaluate the users’ emotions in urban spaces. The purpose of this research is to identify the factors affecting emotions in urban spaces and prioritize them in the selected space.Theoretical FrameworkIn the first step, the literature was reviewed, and a conceptual model for measuring emotional response was then presented. Based on this model, emotions can be measured in three layers: physiological, perceptual, and behavioral. The users’ affective response in the urban space can be investigated on that basis. This case study addresses a sequence of Emamat Street in the city of Mashhad, Iran.MethodologyThe research was conducted based on a hybrid method. A biometric sensor (Empatica-E4) was used to collect data at the physiological level. Cognitive data were collected through walking interviews and videos. In addition, the speed of walking in the behavioral layer was measured. The resulting data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively, and the factors affecting the emotional response in this street were finally identified. The factors identified as a result of the analysis made in the above three layers were adapted to each other. Based on the exploratory analysis made through the SPSS software, the factors affecting the emotional response were prioritized. Twenty people participated in this survey and shared their emotional responses in the selected sequence of Emamat Street, which is one kilometer long.Results and DiscussionThe results demonstrated that the users’ emotional response was pleasant. According to the results of the data in the biological layer, it was found that the part with a dominant natural character conveys more peace. Moreover, the monotonous sections, the inactive environments of the street, and the part with heavy traffic cause unpleasant emotional responses. The analysis of perceptual data indicated that the presence of greenery and retails exhibits a greater effect on pleasant feelings. The analysis of movement speed shows that in environments involving attractiveness, there is a diverse, relaxed decrease in the speed of movement over the space and the desire to stay. Based on the results, it was found that factors such as greenery, traffic, land use and activity, behavioral patterns, crowd, and noise pollution have effects on the emotional response. In order to prioritize the factors affecting the emotional response in the above space, the data were analyzed in the physiological and cognitive layers in SPSS. The results were rather the same. It can also be concluded that among the factors affecting the emotional response, non-physical ones, such as natural elements, crowd, noise pollution, and land use and activity, have greater influences than physical factors like the type of flooring and facade. Among these, the greatest effects on the desired emotional response are exhibited by the type of activity including exercise, the presence of a group of elderly people, and the existing nature, including tall trees on the edge of the park, visible vegetation, and plants and decorative flowers present over the space. ConclusionThis study was designed to identify the factors influencing the affective and behavioral response in urban spaces. We first explained the conceptual framework of the research by reviewing the literature on studies conducted in this area and examining the theories related to the emotional response in urban spaces, factors affecting emotions within the city, and methods of measuring the affective and behavioral response in the city. The research methodology was developed along with a practical test for assessing the affective and behavioral response and the experiment path given the available tools and methods used in previous projects and studies.The results obtained from the analysis of the recorded data on the heart rates of the participants in the experiment, the speeds of their movement in each sequence, and their cognitive responses revealed that factors such as vegetation, vehicular traffic, land use and activity, behavioral patterns, crowdedness, and noise pollution are effective on the affective response, and, thereby, affect people’s senses. This research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic; thus, the constraints ruling over urban spaces made it more difficult to perform the experiment with more participants. Obviously, conducting the experiment with a larger number of participants can bring about more reliable results. The reason for using a homogeneous age and social group was to decrease the probability of recording data outside the standard range. Naturally, doing research with a larger sample size would allow use of more diverse age groups. Based on the above findings, some suggestions are made for designing the space based on emotions, as follows.- The vegetation and greenery space has a significant impact in the creation of a feeling of peace. The variety in the color and type of vegetation may also increase the pleasant feeling. However, if the vegetation reduces visibility, it would be effective in the creation of an unpleasant feeling.- Water in the urban space beings about a feeling of naturalness and tranquility in users. However, in a space filled with crowd and noise pollution, the sound of water can increase noise pollution.- The ground floor in urban spaces obviously affects the pedestrians’ perception more than other floors. Thus, the transparency of the wall, its beauty, variety, and coherence have prominent impacts in the creation of pleasant emotions.- It is better to avoid building long, rigid, inactive walls. If there are such spaces, the ground for creating activity at certain intervals should be provided.- The street-crossing areas should be designed in parts of the route with sufficient visibility for drivers and pedestrians; moreover, the pedestrian lanes need to be clear.- When there is a potential for overcrowding, the movement and activity interference should be minimized to reduce the resulting crowdedness and arousal.- The context for the emergence of desirable behavioral patterns such as exercise in the park should be provided in all directions, and a certain space for undesirable behaviors should be predicted as well.AcknowledgmentWe are grateful to all the persons for scientific consulting in this research paper.This article is extracted from the first author's master thesis in titled "Identification of physical and non-physical factors affecting pedestrians' emotional response in urban streets and presenting solutions (Case study: Emamat street of Mashhad)" which was defended at the University of Art under supervision of Dr. Maryam Mohammadi.
Urban Design
Shirin Eslami; ahmad shahivandi
Abstract
Highlights- The functional activity component exhibits the greatest weight in the measurement of the sense of place in the Qods district of the city of Qom, Iran.- The physical-visual component has the lowest weight in the measurement of the sense of place in the residents of the Qods district.- Structural ...
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Highlights- The functional activity component exhibits the greatest weight in the measurement of the sense of place in the Qods district of the city of Qom, Iran.- The physical-visual component has the lowest weight in the measurement of the sense of place in the residents of the Qods district.- Structural equation modeling indicates the optimal fit for the sense of place measurement model in the residents of the Qods district.- The indicator of invitation has the highest weight in the specification of the sense of place of the residents of the Qods district. IntroductionThe weakening nature of the place is one of the most important challenges facing contemporary cities. The contemporary citizen faces spaces without meaning and identity that have not yet turned into places. This is more important in new urban settlements, due to the lack of historical, identity, and existence backgrounds. The subject of this case study, the Qods district, located in the city of Qom, Iran, which suffers from disturbances in various aspects, is an example of new urban developments that require attention. The purpose of this research is to measure and analyze the importance of the components of the sense of place in the Qods district, to answer the following questions: What are the indicators of achieving a sense of place in the Qods district as a new urban development? How can one evaluate the effects of each component of the sense of place on the Qods settlement residents?Theoretical FrameworkThe term sense of place denotes people’s attachment and relation to the place, or the structure of feeling, as some have put it (Agnew, 1987, cited in Arefi, 1999: 180). Experts have held relatively similar viewpoints regarding the components of the sense of place and its indicators. In large part, most of these opinions have confirmed the physical environment, activity, and perception as the three main components. According to Shamai (1991), the sense of place consists of three phases. The first phase concerns belonging to a place, the middle phase is attachment to a place, and the final phase is commitment to a place (Shamai, 1991: 349). Hummon (1992) describes five levels of the sense of place, or place attachment, as follows: uncommitted placelessness, relativity, place alienation, divided rootedness, and cohesive rootedness (Cross, 2001: 10). As a result of the interdisciplinary nature of the concept of sense of place, numerous experts and schools of thought have offered various perspectives that can be said to have a lot of similarities and few differences. Different experts such as sociologists, geographers, environmental psychologists, anthropologists, architects, and urban planners have addressed the concept of sense of place in different ways in their studies. Among the numerous kinds of research conducted in different countries in the past half-century, most of the academic studies have been focused on conceptual analysis and formulation of theoretical models on the one hand and on evaluation of this category in different scales on the other. MethodologyThis research was conducted through a mixed paradigm and a descriptive-analytical method. The data collection tools were library-documentary studies, and the population included 245 residents of the Qods district. The data analysis tools involved two descriptive and inferential analyzes using the statistical methods of Structural Equation Modeling and Pearson correlation test, implemented in the SPSS 23 and Amos Graphics 26 software. The conceptual model of this research consisted of 3 main components, i.e. form, activity, and perception, 12 indicators, and 45 sub-indices.Results and DiscussionThe results obtained from the second-order factor analysis model in this research indicate which of the components affecting the sense of place in the residents of the Qods district has a greater weight and effect in the induction of this concept to the residents. Based on the research findings, among the 3 identified components, 12 indicators, and 45 relevant sub-indicators, the functional-activity, perceptual-semantic, and physical-visual components, in that order, exhibit greater weights in the evaluation of the sense of place from the perspective of the Qods district inhabitants. Among the variables observed in the assumed model of this research, the factors of invitation, social participation, motivation, land use, and activity have greater weights in the specification of the residents’ sense of place. Moreover, the correlation between the conceptual components of the research indicates that there is a significant relationship between the three components of the sense of place in the residents of the Qods district. Furthermore, the measurement of the fitness of the conceptual model of the research, according to the indicators of structural equations, demonstrates that the model is desirable.ConclusionThe following can be stated in response to the first research question as the indicators of achieving a sense of place in the Qods district as a new urban development: indicators of identity and authenticity, motivation, and mental image (in the perceptual-semantic component), indicators of land use and activity, accessibility, urban furniture, invitation, social participation, and safety-security (in the functional-activity component), and indicators of visual coherence, construction form, and visual richness (in the physical-visual component). In response to the second research question, the greater importance and weight of the functional-activity component than the perceptual and visual components indicates that if urban management pays more attention to the residents’ functional and social needs, the indicators of this component, as the most important factor in the induction of a sense of place, will have a greater impact. Moreover, the inferential analysis of the structural equation modeling in the evaluation of the indicators confirms that many indicators have received less attention in the Qods district, while these indicators can be effective on the residents’ continuity and satisfaction, their sense of attachment to the place of residence, and fulfillment of their mental expectations.
Urban Design
yasaman Ghaderi; Seyed Mahdi Khatami
Abstract
HighlightsThe five human senses are known as the window of human communication with the surrounding environment.Perceptions caused by sensory stimuli play an important role in the improvement of the quality of urban space and creation of an atmosphere of memory.In the theoretical foundations and research ...
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HighlightsThe five human senses are known as the window of human communication with the surrounding environment.Perceptions caused by sensory stimuli play an important role in the improvement of the quality of urban space and creation of an atmosphere of memory.In the theoretical foundations and research background section, the library method was used, along with the two methods of sense-walking and sensory notation, used in the section on field studies.The sense of sight exhibits the greatest sensory stimulation, and the sense of taste has the least stimulation.Greater attention is paid to the visual dimension of the environment in today’s designs of commercial spaces. IntroductionThe variety in sensory perceptions creates a quality for the urban space that is known as sensory richness. In other words, sensory richness causes different sensory experiences to take shape and the space to be more responsive ultimately (McGlynn, 2013). The study demonstrates that the sense of eyesight and perception based thereon has received greater attention than the other senses with the emergence of the modern age. Meanwhile, the other senses provide a deeper understanding of space (Khoury, 2006). Therefore, it can be stated that the missing link between urban space and sensory richness involves sufficient attention to all the five human senses. On the other hand, the larger the number of sensory organs involved in the perception of space, the greater its impact and the more complete and more profound the understanding thereof. This will also increase the possibility of the attractiveness, role-playing, and evocativeness of the space and the presence of all members of the society therein. Therefore, it seems that the perceptions caused by sensory stimuli have received less attention from urban designers and scape architects so far in spite of their important role in the specification of the quality of urban space and the creation of a space of memory.Theoretical FrameworkThroughout history, many philosophers have emphasized the need to pay attention to sensory experiences and have challenged the excessive superiority of the sense of eyesight over the others and addressed its pathology. In his book entitled Responsive Environments, Ian Bentley introduced the importance of senses in the specification of the quality of sensory richness in urban spaces and emphasized the need to address non-visual senses. Considering all the senses except eyesight has been an important principle of visual research such as that conducted by Maurice Merleau-Ponty (Bently et al., 2003). Juhani Uolevi Pallasmaa believes that the sense of eyesight separates us from the world, while the others connect and unite us therewith (Pallasmaa, 2012). Mónica Degen uses the term sensory scape in regard to the interdependence of human senses and the simultaneous presence of different sensory experiences in the urban space. This term is derived from the term olfactory scape, which was first mentioned by Porthos (Degen, 2008). Paul Rodaway, who is an expert in the science of human geography, has expressed the concept of sensory geography to regard the structure of the human body as a general positioning system that relies on four sensory groups: eyesight, hearing, smell, and touch (Rodaway, 2002). In the research conducted in the field of scape, various theorists have mentioned three additional senses to the five included in the classical classification, initially made by Aristotle. These include the senses of direction, familiarity, and time. For example, Kevin Andrew Lynch has emphasized the sense of spatial orientation in his book entitled Image of the City. Thinkers such as Wunderlich and Podvin have assumed urban space to involve four dimensions, the fourth being time. They believe that spaces turn over time into places where life flows. These spaces are given more meaning by time-dependent parameters.MethodologyThe method used in this research is descriptive-analytical. In order to collect information and meet the required criteria and metrics, the methods of sensory richness and library information collection were used along with the available books and articles. To carry out field experimentations, the methods of observation and interview were used along with extensive oral questions about the quality of sensory richness, photography, and compilation. The sense-walking and sensory notation methods were used as data collection tools. At first, the library information collection method was used in order to achieve different quality dimensions of sensory richness. The two case studies considered in this research involve Tehran Grand Bazaar and Bamland Shopping Center in Tehran, Iran.Results and DiscussionThe sense of eyesight won the first place in both study areas, although it could be said to be more affected in Bamland Shopping Center than in Tehran Grand Bazaar, with a difference of 3 points. The remarkable point about Tehran Grand Bazaar is that the senses of eyesight and hearing have been given equal points there. This means that the two senses are equally involved in this area, while the second priority in Bamland Shopping Center concerns the sense of touch. The sense of smell, with 18 points, is the second priority in the study area of Tehran Grand Bazaar. The third priority in Bamland Shopping Center pertains to the sense of hearing. The senses of taste and touch are ranked third in Tehran Grand Bazaar, with a score of 14, while the senses of smell and taste are ranked fourth and fifth in Bamland Shopping Center, respectively.ConclusionAs stimulating elements, the five senses affect human perception and behavior in the urban space as well as its quality so that the use of different senses leads to a deeper relationship between man and space. As a result, a better perception of the environment is obtained. The qualitative levels of the components of sensory richness were examined and compared to answer the main question of the research, i.e. what changes have been made to urban designers and planners’ concern for the qualitative components of sensory richness in the design of commercial spaces in Tehran. It can be stated that better sensory richness with greater variety has been provided in Tehran Grand Bazaar, but the concern for sensory richness has not continued in all dimensions in a modern complex such as Bamland Shopping Center. In both cases, the sense of sight is ranked first, and most environmental stimuli pertain to this sense. There is greater variety in sensory stimuli in the study area of Tehran Grand Bazaar, and more attention than to the other senses is paid to sight and hearing, which are ranked almost equally. In the study area of Bamland Shopping Center, however, the second most involved sense after sight is the sense of touch, and fewer senses are involved overall. It is also noteworthy that the sense of sight has received a higher score in Bamland Shopping Center than in Tehran Grand Bazaar. This problem can be interpreted in terms of the idea that the visual dimension of the environment has received greater attention in today’s designs, and the other senses have been neglected to some extent by architects, landscape architects, and urban designers.
Urban Design
sara salehi; Hassan sajadzadeh; Mohammad Saied Izadi; kasra ketabollahi
Abstract
Highlights- The relationship between the city and the movies was addressed, and the cinematic sequences were evaluated.- Movie locations and the need to benefit from the diversity of urban spaces in Iran were addressed.- The streets of big cities in Iranian movies are places to pass through, not to attend.
Introduction
The ...
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Highlights- The relationship between the city and the movies was addressed, and the cinematic sequences were evaluated.- Movie locations and the need to benefit from the diversity of urban spaces in Iran were addressed.- The streets of big cities in Iranian movies are places to pass through, not to attend.
Introduction
The bond between the city and the movies is a two-way, strong one more than a century old. The movies has always been defined with respect to the city and urban spaces since the first days of its creation—late 19th century.
If the audience perceives urban spaces as having various functions and appropriate spatial qualities in the movie, the perception is associated with the real space and causes different feedbacks than those spaces in the long term.
Despite the increasing global desire to use the cinematic image of the city to achieve various layers of information, the Iranian movies still fails to present a correct image of the city. The beating heart of every city, urban spaces are still not used in the Iranian movies in the general sense.
While large, important cities such as Paris, London, New York, and Berlin are always in a two-way relationship with the movies and urban spaces, where the city and the various relevant issues are always exposed to cinematic representations as everyday, critical, or praiseworthy matters, reflection on such issues is still heretical in Iran. Especially, critical reflection about Tehran, as the main location in the Iranian movies, has not received much attention. A way to understand the urban space is to represent the city, urban spaces, and the complex, contradictory whole using the movies. Therefore, the main purposes of this research are to 1- examine the characteristics of different periods of the Iranian movies from the beginning of its formation to 2019, 2- examine different dimensions of selected works of the Iranian fiction movies after the Islamic Revolution of 1978, 3- extract urban space creation criteria in the fiction movies works, and 4- represent the image of a more human-oriented urban space in the Iranian movies. The latter suggestion is made because it is assumed that the Iranian cinematographer can achieve a dialectic of indicating the positive and negative aspects of the existing spaces in the country’s cities by using the correct criteria for representation of urban spaces in the movies, thereby nurturing informed, insistent viewers and causing active measures on the part of environmental designers to create more humane spaces.
Theoretical Framework
The final criteria were evaluated with the methods of analyzing the content, watching the movie, and surveying the city in the movie. Based on the conceptual model, the final criteria include the following in the order specified from the filmmaker’s point of view: the qualities of the urban space in the movie, diversity in the use of urban spaces, method of payment for the place, types of urban space, and types of character. The criterion of diversity in urban spaces, which concerns the use of these spaces in different parts of the city (not only in a specific region) with the urban surveying method in the movie, seeks the diversity of urban spaces presented in the city of Tehran in the fiction movies of choice produced after the revolution, and the final map is generated in the GIS software. 5 more criteria were examined first in the most important movies produced after the revolution with the method of content analysis and movie watching.
Methodology
In a comparative study, what can help the researcher to achieve his goal is greater emphasis on simultaneous analysis and examination of contrasts, as practiced in this research.
Findings and Discussion
All the above points indicate that the Iranian moviemaker still considers the city and its imposed modernity to be the source of many problems.
Another issue emphasized by Iranian moviemakers is to demonstrate the constant development of the city and its spaces regardless of the events of the story and peoples’ wishes. In some movies, no emphasis is placed on the urban space if actually depicted, and it is regarded simply as a background for the events of the story. All locations are focused on certain areas in Tehran and the like.
Conclusion
The results of the research demonstrate that we have not been very successful in creation of urban spaces in the past decades, and the few spaces that have been created and recreated have not been welcomed by cinematographers for various reasons. Moreover, the represented urban areas have been restricted to certain areas in Tehran, which has been subject to the conditions mentioned in the section on findings.
Furthermore, most of the selected movies in the fiction and urban fields were filmed in Tehran, and we are faced all around Iran with a pure centralism in terms of selection of the location of filming in urban spaces despite the availability of a variety thereof. This process should be corrected to address different aspects of various cities in Iran in fiction movies.
Urban Design
Esmat Paikan; Mohammad Reza Pourjafar; Ehsan Ranjbar
Abstract
Highlights
- The curvature in the street makes it more exciting, and greater variety in curvature causes more arousal and pleasure.
- Streets with medium enclosure (1:2 and 1:1) exhibit the most desirable values of size and enclosure.
- The presence of a square or a prominent building, the permeability ...
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Highlights
- The curvature in the street makes it more exciting, and greater variety in curvature causes more arousal and pleasure.
- Streets with medium enclosure (1:2 and 1:1) exhibit the most desirable values of size and enclosure.
- The presence of a square or a prominent building, the permeability of the street, and the variation in its landscape increase the pleasantness and arousal.
- The three-dimensional rhythms of the street walls exhibit greater pleasure and arousal than the two-dimensional rhythms.
- The portable EEG devices (MindWave MW001 headset) are suitable for evaluation of environmental design interventions in the field of architecture and urban development.
Introduction
The environment can cause positive and negative emotions in citizens. Emotions are important due to their impacts on people’s behaviors, because emotions make up a main component of social behavior, and extraction of emotional responses is one of the best ways to understand different fields of experience and perception. Nowadays, mental health problems and the emphasis on increasing social interactions have led to more and more concern for the subject of emotions, but the impact of physical-spatial factors has received less attention from the conducted studies. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of the physical-spatial measures of urban streets on pedestrians’ emotional responses by placing the individual in a pseudo-real environment. Moreover, this study makes possible the use of a new neural measurement tool in urban studies and evaluates its accuracy.
Theoretical Framework
The review of previous studies demonstrated that the environmental parameters that can affect emotion include non-physical human factors on the one hand and physical ones on the other. The physical factors that make up the subject of this research can be divided into two categories: 1- non-artificial factors, i.e. green space, and 2- artificial factors, which include the size and enclosure of the space, the shape and form of the space, the characteristics of the surfaces including architectural style, the color and texture of materials, and the variation in spatial sequences. Given the number of studies conducted on the effect of natural factors and certain characteristics of surfaces in the field of architecture, the present research examined four physical parameters.
Methodology
Ten of the most important physical-spatial variables that make up different states and types of the spatial structure of an urban street, which can affect the individual emotions of pedestrians, were selected for investigation and used to design 18 tests. The research was conducted with a combined method consisting of: 1- a self-report method of Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) images and 2- a neurological method using electroencephalography. In the EEG method, the single-channel MindWave MW001 headset, produced by Neurosky, was used as the instrument. The research population included 50 students of Tarbiat Modares University. The research was conducted with the help of controlled experiments using the mobile digital 3D modeling technique, which makes it possible for people to navigate the virtual street in the city. After the data extracted by the health and Stroop tests were confirmed, the data analysis was made using a quantitative-statistical method.
Results and Discussion
The findings regarding the shape and form of the space demonstrated that people feel more pleased in curved streets than in straight streets, and there is greater arousal in streets of the former than the latter shape. However, the level of control in a straight street is higher than that in a curved or spiral street. As for the size and enclosure of the urban space, the results indicated that there is greater pleasure in a street with medium enclosure (1:2 and 1:1) than in one with low or high enclosure (1:4 and 1:1.2), but streets with medium enclosure exhibit less arousal. Spaces with less enclosure cause people to have more control over the space. The results also demonstrated that the pleasure and arousal experienced by people is increased by the existence of the square as a spatial element and a landmark building as a physical element, permeability in the spatial structure of the street and brokenness in the path, and variation in the landscape of the street. It was only in the street with physical retraction and protrusion that no effect on arousal was observed, although the level of pleasure should increase. Moreover, the results indicated that the pleasure in the street with the curved corner was greater than that with the other forms. However, the shape of the street corner exhibits no effect on the arousal. Furthermore, the walls that are completely three-dimensional exhibit greater pleasure and arousal than those featuring walls with two-dimensional and three-dimensional rhythms. Finally, the walls that are completely two-dimensional have the least pleasantness and arousal. There is a higher level of control in the street with 2D rhythms than in that with 3D rhythms. The results also showed that visual permeability in the physical structure of the street increases the arousal and control of the space, but it has no effect on the pleasure. Another result of this research is that there is 75% conformity in the results obtained from the two methods of SAM and EEG, which demonstrates that the data (EEG) extracted from the device can extract people’s emotions well.
Conclusion
In general, the current research confirms the results of previous studies, but it precisely demonstrated by measuring the extracted neural data that the levels of emotional pleasure, arousal, and control are affected by the shape and form of the street, the size and enclosure of the street space, the presence of a spatial and physical element that creates attention and emphasis in the street, permeability in the spatial structure of the street, rotation along the street and perspective change along the path, two and three-dimensional wall street rhythms, and the shape and form of the corners of the street intersection. However, physical indentations and protrusions exhibit no effect on arousal, and visual permeability has no effect on pleasure. In addition, the results showed that the EEG data extracted from the headset (MindWave MW001) used in this study could well capture the emotions of individuals, thus making up a proper potential tool for evaluation of environmental design interventions in the field of architecture and urban planning. The results of the present study, which indicate the psychological effects of urban design of a street, help to select and design the appropriate elements and physical characteristics of the space, increase positive emotions and reduce negative emotions, and ultimately improve the mental health of citizens.
Acknowledgment
This article is taken from the doctoral thesis of urban planning with the title "Explaining the effects of the physical-spatial components of an urban street on the emotional stimulation of pedestrians with an emphasis on the use of neuroscience" which was defended by the first author with the guidance of the second author and the advice of the third author in the Tarbiat Modares University.
Urban Design
mona mehranfar; Jamaleddin Soheili; reza afhami
Abstract
Highlights- The graphics used in the urban furniture in District Two of the city of Qazvin, Iran have created a sense of place in the citizens.- Seats, sitting areas, and square elements play the most important role in creation of a sense of place through urban furniture.- Visual structure and architecture ...
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Highlights- The graphics used in the urban furniture in District Two of the city of Qazvin, Iran have created a sense of place in the citizens.- Seats, sitting areas, and square elements play the most important role in creation of a sense of place through urban furniture.- Visual structure and architecture play the most important role in creation of a sense of place, environmental graphics, and urban furniture. IntroductionLittle attention has been paid in the current era to the field of environmental graphicsand the creation of new experiences to induce a sense of place, which has caused environmental graphics to encounter stability and inactivity. This is due to ignorance and insufficient concern for it in strategic research. Today, architects and designers have tried to crystallize the aesthetic aspects of these elements besides the functional aspects in the study of urban graphics, and what they create involves aesthetic meanings and creates a sense of place in the audience. Moreover, the issue of creating a sense of place, one of the most important factors in environmental quality in Iranian cities, has been largely forgotten in the field of environmental graphics in the current era. Today’s urban space is sometimes left open even in response to performance. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the urban graphics in District Two of the city of Qazvin, Iran in order to improve the sense of place in citizens and then to achieve a model of urban graphics reading.Theoretical FrameworkThe visual quality of the urban environment involves an area with two systems of esoteric and external existence that must be understood simultaneously in order to improve the promotion of a sense of place for the audience. Cities with favorable visual environments are capable of expanding citizens’ aesthetic experience, promote their mental image of the society, and strengthen their civic pride. Meanwhile, the visual environment of a city emerges through the complex system of signs and the social, economic, and cultural characteristics of their communities. In the process of human-urban interaction, the visual environment provides the conditions for citizens’ and visitors’ perception, cognition, and environmental evaluation as a common interface. Man’s main perceptions from the environment depend on visual perception and visual factors. Thus, visual data provide man with the possibility of communication with the environment, because they play an effective role in promotion of the reading of urban spaces and visual perception of the environment. If we fail to consider the visual principles, graphic works, and visual representations in urban spaces, chaos and visual pollution will be created in urban environments, and these visual inconsistencies will intensify people’s psychological unrest. Therefore, environmental graphics can contribute to the organization of the visual system, improvement of the visual qualities, and enrichment of the sensory-visual features of urban spaces and consequently provide visual and mental peace and particular effects to the audience. As a part of the performance of environmental graphics, urban furniture has an important role in beautification and quality improvement along with creation of a sense of place in urban environments. Therefore, it can be stated according to earlier studies that architects and designers have tried to crystallize the aesthetic aspects of urban furniture besides the functional aspects of these elements in their current studies, and what they create involves aesthetic meanings and a sense of place.MethodologyThe present qualitative-quantitative study is considered as a survey in terms of purpose. In the collection of qualitative data, library tools were used for a review of the studies conducted in the field, and the obtained data were evaluated using the method of content analysis. In the quantitative part of the present study, field tools (observation and questionnaire) were used. The researcher-made questionnaire of the present study, which was prepared according to the data obtained from library studies and the theoretical framework of the present study, was distributed to one hundred citizens in District Two of Qazvin, who were selected using simple random sampling. The Friedman test was first used to rank the criteria and indicators concerning the respondents to the present research questionnaire, and the data were analyzed using the method of content analysis in the following step.Results and DiscussionThe results indicate that the physical structure of urban graphics in District Two of Qazvin involves a balanced quality of significant signs that attract the audience’s attention, and specify the sense of place in the area depending on the form, color, and materials. Among the components of environmental graphics reading in District Two of Qazvin, the components of visual structure and architecture exhibit the greatest roles, where they have created a sense of place in the residents of this district proportionally to their contexts and the types of color combination used, because there is a strong mutual relationship between the components of proportion and color combination and the reading of environmental graphics.ConclusionAccording to the data extracted from the questionnaire and the opinions collected from the residents of the district, it can be stated in general that seats and sitting places and square elements are ranked highest according to the conducted Friedman test, while elements such as trash cans and murals are ranked lowest.
Urban Design
shima abedi; Sanaz saeedi
Abstract
Highlights
- The characteristics mentioned by 8-year-old children as used in the wayfinding process include green space and the forms of buildings.
- The directional factors considered in the selection of signs in children’s wayfinding process include the colors and shapes of buildings, building ...
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Highlights
- The characteristics mentioned by 8-year-old children as used in the wayfinding process include green space and the forms of buildings.
- The directional factors considered in the selection of signs in children’s wayfinding process include the colors and shapes of buildings, building forms, and shapes and architectures of buildings, and the performance of buildings has a direct impact on the choice of signs in wayfinding.
- The uniqueness of the sign, color, form, shape, and distinction have great impacts in the consideration of the signs and further completion of the wayfinding process.
- The guiding elements used in children’s wayfinding are different at different ages.
Introduction
Spatial navigation is influenced by landmarks, which are prominent visual features of the environment. These cues are stored in memory as structures based on places in space, and help advance path knowledge. Spatial representation of landmarks is preferably coded according to their capability of navigation. Signs affect our ability to navigate a familiar or unfamiliar environment successfully. Sights are messages from the urban space. This is especially important for children, who do not usually have the independence and experience required to move in an urban environment. This research was conducted to investigate the effect of urban signs on children navigating the urban space in the Sajjad neighborhood of the city of Mashhad, Iran.
Theoretical Framework
Humans create images of cities in their minds according to their physiological and social characteristics, such as age, gender, social class, ethnicity, nationality, skills, and information received from the environment. These images turn into the basis for a person’s behavior toward the environment. Moving through space and navigating are essential aspects of space exploration. As part of the understanding and experience of the environment, routing involves spatial decision-making for arrival at the destination. Sights are a kind of message from urban spaces. People choose landmarks in the city for their routing. Humans navigate with information support by quickly observing and understanding signs, maps, and signals. Route knowledge includes the important sights in the environment. This study sought to investigate the effect of signs on children navigating urban spaces.
Methodology
This applied research was a quantitative-qualitative survey with a sequential strategy. Data collection was based on a review of authoritative sources concerning the research topic, the indicators were extracted based on experts’ views, and the test was performed in a case study. Initially, twenty questionnaires were completed as a preliminary, randomized test and distributed among children. The population included 245 children aged 8-12 years, selected in the Sajjad neighborhood, given an accuracy of 95% and a confidence level of 0.05. Sample size was set to 150 children and then reduced to 106 due to the lack of cooperation of some children. Thus, 106 girls and boys in the age range of 8-12 years were randomly interviewed. The questionnaire was divided into two parts based on a five-point Likert scale. The variables in the theoretical framework of the research were tested in the questionnaire. Moreover, Cronbach’s alpha, obtained as 0.761 for the questionnaire, was used to assess validity and reliability, which indicates the desired coefficient of reliability and content validity of the questionnaire.
Upon completion of the questionnaire, the children were interviewed, and the meanings of the questions were fully explained to them. The data were analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively in Amos using confirmatory factor analysis methods. A qualitative analysis was made of the children’s paintings, and overlay and graphic methods were used to summarize it. The main variables of the research included routing and signage, which were evaluated according to the theoretical framework of the research.
Results and Discussion
The results indicate that differences in children’s age groups cause differences in the effectiveness of signals in their wayfinding. Moreover, physical elements and signs in urban spaces are highly effective in their guidance through the study area. Among the features used by 8-year-old children in the wayfinding process, we can mention green spaces and the forms of buildings. Children aged 9-10 years pay attention to the physical forms and distinctions of buildings in the routing process. Children with 10-12 years of age refer to buildings with greater color variety and ones with more distinctive architectural forms than others. The results demonstrate that the uniqueness of the sign, color, form, shape, and distinction has a great effect in the process of considering the sign and the persistence of the wayfinding process. Therefore, given the priority of following the signs in children’s process of wayfinding in urban spaces, it can be pointed out that the physical, functional, and semantic manifestation of the signs also has a great impact in the process.
The role of signals in children of the examined age range was investigated according to the theoretical model of the research, along with the characteristics of signals in the environment. Initially, signs were paid greater attention by children, as extracted from the questionnaires and drawings. Among the signs mentioned by children in the Sajjad neighborhood were those of Laleh Street, Melli Bank, Jami Park, Pomegranate Juice Store, and Mina Park..
Conclusion
Children in the 10-12 age range use prominent commercial and residential buildings in wayfinding. Studies indicate the effect of a distinct body on children’s wayfinding behavior, given that signs are one of children’s navigation tools. It was found through the examination of the routing process as the main variable of the researchthat wayfinding is facilitated for children in the Sajjad neighborhood by the available signs and indicators. The analysis results of the effect of cues in children’s wayfinding process indicate that different guiding elements are used in the process at different ages. At the age of 8, children use paths and buildings to navigate. In the age groups of 11-12 and 9-10 years, they pay attention to the forms of roads and the shapes and functions of buildings, and turn in different directions at decision points during the wayfinding process. In the drawings, attention is paid to the ways and to the forms, shapes, functions, and colors of buildings. Therefore, children’s familiarity with the neighborhood has been observed in their wayfinding. The results indicate that there are relationships between wayfinding and environmental characteristics (physical and communication components of signals).
Urban Design
Alimohamad Saadati; Fereshte Ahmadi; Ali Ghafari; Elham Nazemi
Abstract
Highlights:
Improvement of the quality of life in historical contexts
Presentation of a conceptual model of the role of urban spaces in public life
Without the interaction of the environment, community, and economy, the quality of life will not improve.
There are many physical-functional ...
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Highlights:
Improvement of the quality of life in historical contexts
Presentation of a conceptual model of the role of urban spaces in public life
Without the interaction of the environment, community, and economy, the quality of life will not improve.
There are many physical-functional and environmental qualities in urban public spaces that can guarantee the success of the field in satisfaction of residents and users of historic districts.
Introduction
In addition to performing all its standard functions in other urban areas, an urban space in a historic district should play its role at a higher multifaceted level matching the characteristics of a historic district with established identity. Accordingly, the present work aimed to discover how the components of an urban space, on the one hand, and the constituent elements of the flow of life in a historic district, on the other, are linked and interact so as to enable reasonable management of urban space potentials in a historic district and their proper application to enhance the quality of life for the residents and users.
Theoretical Framework
The model consisted of six components defining the following factors: the environmental component, with life quality in micro‑spaces and environmental sustainability as criteria; the empirical-aesthetic component, with old-new area integration and quality of urban landscape as criteria; the functional component, with variety in environment usage, environmental liveliness and quality, safety and security, and transportation and accessibility as criteria; the socio-cultural component, with social liveliness and cohesion and maintenance of population balance as criteria; the economic component, with economic liveliness and stability and flexibility of development plans as a criterion; and the temporal component, with time management in public spaces and continuity of place as criteria.
Generated based on the urban space components, the presented conceptual model offered a new approach to urban planning and management, and was concerned with all the urban regeneration measures adopted in historic districts. Functioning on local, regional, urban, and extramural scales, it can also assume applications in the quality assessment of measures adopted in public arenas within historic districts.
Methodology
The above strategy will in turn keep indigenous residents in historic contexts, have immigrants to those areas return, and bring about socio-economic and environmental sustainability. Employing logical reasoning, the Delphi method, and expert opinions, this descriptive-analytical study first discussed the urban space components and their qualitative requirements. Next, the dimensions and measures of the quality of urban life were analyzed, and their factors concerning the urban space and environmental quality and topics formed on urban design, planning, and management were identified based on the theoretical views found in the literature. In the next step, the factors extracted based on the characteristic features of historic districts were monitored and reviewed. The 91 factors obtained from the Delphi method were reduced to 64 after views and comments from about forty experts in the field were applied. Finally, the results were presented as a conceptual model describing the role of urban spaces on quality‑of‑life enhancement in historic urban districts.
Results and Discussion
According to the findings, there are many physical–functional and environmental qualities in public urban spaces that can guarantee the arena’s success in provision of the residents and users of historic districts with satisfaction. However, taking notice of economic activities and social mobility in these districts is fundamental to the effectiveness of a measure adopted for enhancement of the quality of life in public arenas within historic districts. Meanwhile, a rise in the sensitivity of local communities to the values of historic districts and the potentials of public arenas for enhancement of the quality of life therein encourages them to assume an active role in the application of these arenas and the local communities’ socio-economic potentials in enhancement of the quality of public arenas. This can also enable these communities to express problems and propose solutions; in some cases, it can even lead to innovative financing ideas for project implementation. In tandem with urban planning, it ensures the sustainability of public arenas in historic districts, and improves the quality of life for their residents and users. Therefore, the issues of socio-cultural livability and dynamic economy are the cornerstones of the formation of quality spaces within historic districts, and the quality of life will not improve regardless of the triad of the environment, society, and economy.
Conclusion
The presented conceptual model, based on the urban space components, offers a new approach to urban planning and management, and is concerned with all the urban regeneration measures adopted in historic districts. Functioning on local, regional, urban, and extramural scales, the model can also assume applications in the quality assessment of measures implemented in public arenas within historic districts. Here is a brief description of the intervention measures adopted for these districts and their regeneration process based on the proposed model.
The socio-cultural component. Contextualizing, contributing to/collaborating with, providing a process orientation for, innovating, and influencing the satisfaction of residents and users in public areas, utilizing the contribution/collaboration from the users of public arenas, delegating authority to non‑governmental organizations for utilization management, allowing for effective, constructive interaction among the organizations involved in the quality enhancement of historic districts and observing the pertinent legal frameworks, clarifying the procedures and promoting the accountability of officials, and respecting the cultural, social, and economic structures of life in the district.
The empirical-aesthetic component. Integrating old and new spaces within public arenas while respecting the features of their historic districts and taking notice of the mass and space simultaneously and avoiding shell designs.
The environmental component. Reducing environmental pollution and protecting energy resources and the natural heritage.
The functional component. Providing a favorable impact on space liveliness and enhancing social inclusion to be able to hold various events.
The economic component. Helping businesses flourish and promoting tourism.
The temporal component. Taking notice of nightlife, holding seasonal, monthly, and weekly events and recognizing the sense of place and making an effort to preserve it within the environment.
Urban Design
Farshad Nourian; Behnaz Aminzadeh; Mazyar Abaee
Abstract
Highlights
The urban design process has a vital role in the implemented result of urban design projects.
Bridging the theory-practice in urban design needs a combination of the implementation phase in the design process.
The gradual approach to the urban design process deals with a step-by-step ...
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Highlights
The urban design process has a vital role in the implemented result of urban design projects.
Bridging the theory-practice in urban design needs a combination of the implementation phase in the design process.
The gradual approach to the urban design process deals with a step-by-step process combined with real-world implementation and feedbacks.
Introduction
Although more than half a century has passed since the academic birth of urban design, it still suffers from ambiguities in theory and practice. Questions emerge such as the following. Can urban design be a definite discipline? Is urban design independent of urban planning, architecture, and landscape architecture? What is the role of urban design in the real world, and what is the final product? What is the appropriate process and the main toolboxes? Answers to these questions must be part of the common discourse of the field, definite answers to clarify all the ambiguities.
Theoretical Frameworks
Despite these ambiguities, urban design continues to be considered as an intellectual tradition. It plays a significant role in everyday human life, and remains a subject matter in many studies. In recent years, many urban projects have sought to create noble environments for people while providing economic benefits for the private sector and local governments. Some research has attempted to evaluate such projects. The results point to the fact that many such projects have failed to accomplish their stated goals. Theoretically, this appears to be the result of a theory-practice dichotomy.
However, there has been a gap in comprehensive research since the 1990s on the urban design process. Although several different parameters affect the implementation of designed projects, the urban design process may play a significant role in the end product. Hence, the question is what could be the relationship between the urban design process and on-the-ground project realization? A complementary question is whether we can manipulate the urban design process to achieve the stated design goals and realize the projects as intended. To answer these questions, we first present a literature review on the urban design process and then discuss the results of our examination of some implemented projects to find clues about how to handle the urban design process and solve the theory-practice dichotomy of urban design itself.
Urban design ambiguities can influence the urban design process as its central procedural dimension, which has implemented projects as its results. Although different parameters cooperate to make it troublesome to utilize a project, all designs are affected by the urban design process. Thus, the question concerns the relationship between the urban design process and project realization. It is also unknown whether we can manipulate the urban design process to ensure the realization of projects. In addition, based on the theory-practice dichotomy, we need to know whether the evaluation of urban design projects and their realization can give us a clue as to how to handle the urban design process. Therefore, we attempt to resolve theoretical ambiguity in urban design by examining some real-world projects. Here, we assume that the urban design process can also transfer theoretical ambiguities to real-world practice as a medium that canalizes theoretical knowledge to practice.
Methodology
The research addresses many unknown topics and undefined parameters. Thus, it may not be possible to develop a specific theoretical framework with a clear list of measurable criteria to meet the research goals through a classified research method. Our literature review leads to a framework that points to a relationship between the subject matters. This framework is not exhaustive because our research does not rely on quantitative measurements and focuses on experience with the subject.
Therefore, the study is restricted to qualitative research. Due to the uncertainties about the topics, a theoretical interpretation is made of the literature based on qualitative research to develop a framework for an experimental approach to the issue. Content analysis and action research lead us to calibration of the framework. The result provides an ultimate configuration for a practical framework which can be an a priori model which can be calibrated to an ultimate model by experience. Such an experience clarifies the parameters and their relationships through direct contact with the research domain. Therefore, a model is created for the urban design process after the literature review, applicable to examination of operational experience. Finally, we observe that the process is not an ultimate one but can help us find an ultimate one based on the iteration of the a priori model.
Here, the case study addresses the master plan for the Abbasabad region in Tehran. We use this project as the subject of our content analysis. The project is examined through the documents, i.e., reports, administrative correspondences, and proceedings, based on the meetings of cultural and technical committees.
The documents are analysed in MaxQda. The keywords used in the software include project, realization, process, ratification, Article 5 Commission, master plan, specific plan, implementation, and construction. After the first search in the documents, the useless words are eliminated, and the search is carried out again for their classification. The results are analyzed interpretively. Next, another project–i.e., design of the southern Kan area–is used as a case study implemented on the ground.
Results and discussion
The generalization of the incremental process can be explained theoretically, but the experimental proof requires more cases and several, repeated experimental applications of the process. Practical application of the process can calibrate the framework to a more realistic one. The result of the theoretical explanation is that the general format of the process can change over time to turn to a complete model, other models, or derivations of the present model.
In fact, a model is generated after the literature review calibration of which through experimental research leads to a design process.
Conclusion
The incremental process, as proposed in this paper, needs to be tested over time. The relationship between practice and implementation can be recognized through direct experimentation with the incremental process. However, the relationship between implementation and theory (following that between theory and practice) can be recognized through research methods such as design studies. This can demonstrate how theoretical knowledge can be converted to the practical material of projects.
Acknowledgment: The article has been derived from the Ph.D. thesis entitled Revisiting the Urban Design Process with a Focus on Implementation of Projects, which has been defended by the third author under the first author’s supervision and the second author’s advisory at the University of Tehran.
We should thank Naghshe Jahan-Pars Consulting Co. And Gozineh Consulting Co. for providing us with the materials for the two case study projects of Abbas Abad Region Master Plan and Southern Kan Area Design, respectively.
Urban Design
Seyed Mojtaba Safdarnejad; Seyed Abdolhadi Daneshpour; Mostafa Behzadfar
Abstract
Highlights · Playing various diverse roles by rivers and their abundant quality values for humans and their habitats · Utilizing the competitive advantage of urban rivers according to a ...
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Highlights · Playing various diverse roles by rivers and their abundant quality values for humans and their habitats · Utilizing the competitive advantage of urban rivers according to a comprehensive planning and a holistic, multi-sectoral, intelligent, and creative management · Necessity of paying attention to the core characteristics of the rivers and their use as character shaping components of public places based on urban rivers in planning and design process 1. Introduction Rivers have been effective in the location, appearance, and development of settlements, everywhere including in Iran, and have offered them various qualities. The current problem of water in the country has emphasized the issue of water quality and health of rivers. However, simultaneous protection of rivers, response to the concern of how to handle them in the development of settlements, and utilization of this gift to the benefit of the public requires an identification of their dimensions, functions, and values within different branches of science. Recognition of the importance of rivers, along with avoidance of an incomprehensive view in their planning, management, and exploitation, provides a collective consensus among the people, officials, and professionals, which paves the way for the use of rivers to improve the quality of life. 2. Theoretical Framework By reviewing the functions, values, and qualities of rivers, while emphasizing the need for their protection, this study seeks to re-examine and re-emphasize their importance for settlements and their inhabitants and the need for comprehensive consideration of these natural phenomena. It also highlights the need to change attitudes toward rivers and avoid sectoral planning and management in different scales and systems of study, and indicates the importance of adopting a comprehensive view. In the context of urban design, the study explains the central role of rivers in distinguishing public places. Accordingly, the primary purposes of the research are to review and account for the functions, values, and qualities of rivers for settlements and to explain the dimensions of river-centeredness in cities and public places. The secondary purposes are to account for the different dimensions of urban rivers in accordance with the systems of study in different branches of science and to explain the necessity of adopting a holistic approach in confrontation with urban rivers. The review of the research literature indicates that most studies have examined aspects of the role and value of rivers along with their focuses. Specifically, domestic studies have not attempted to comprehensively investigate the issue, and involve minor references to certain functions or qualities of rivers. In addition, these studies have not examined the centrality of rivers in settlements and public places. 3. Methodology This developmental-applied research seeks to reform the attitudes and perspectives of urban management professionals and experts in river-related branches of science (including urban planning and design) and to note the importance of a holistic view for their protection and use by reviewing the roles and functions of rivers and their qualities and values for humans and settlements. In addition, the present study attempts to investigate the centrality of the river in public places that are based on this natural phenomenon. It is based on the empiricism paradigm and a qualitative approach, where the method of multi-case study is adopted to examine the status of theoretical concepts extracted from the literature in order to collect the necessary data for description, analysis, and comparison of the case samples along with field surveys. 4. Results and Discussion The present study has examined the related literature including field surveys conducted in different Iranian cities with rivers, identified, formulated, and presented the roles and functions/values and qualities of the river as environmental/ecological, physical/spatial, functional, economic, social/cultural, perceptual and psychological, legal, geographical, and other systems of study, and shown the scopes of investigation of various branches of science for them. In addition, it has introduced the multiple dimensions of rivers and indicated the necessity of overhaul and metamorphosis treatment of rivers due to their multifaceted nature after provision of the required framework within river-related branches of science. On the one hand, the study has identified the items that can be inferred as differentiating factors in river-based public places using river characteristics with logical conclusions drawn from river roles/functions/values/qualities. On the other hand, the findings confirm that water and its effects and characteristics (i.e. the status of the river as basis) are the most important factors used for distinguishing river-centered public places from others. Therefore, it is necessary in the planning and design of such places to consider the central features of the river and use them as components that shape the distinct personality of the place. Thus, effectiveness of the river and river-centeredness in public places with rivers as basis at sustainable place-making requires particular concern for activity and attempt, function and use, climatic comfort, economic competitiveness, social interaction, identity and culture, energy supply, education and culture, landscaping, physical and mental well-being, self-actualization, pedestrianism, meaning creation, infrastructure, appearance and landscape, internal cohesion, external cohesion, and connection with the nature. 5. Conclusion Playing numerous, diverse roles, rivers provide many values and qualities for the settlements involving them and their inhabitants. Although Iran is located mostly in arid and semi-arid climates, many of its settlements experience the presence of small and large rivers, permanent and seasonal. Taking advantage of this opportunity and enjoying such qualities and values as a competitive advantage requires a well-codified, comprehensive plan and transcendental, intelligent, creative management. The results of the research demonstrate that most of the interviewees believe that the river can be used as a public place provided that the required training is offered to users, and proper planning, design, and maintenance is established under the supervision of the government and urban management as designated domains for the river free of the risk of damaging it. Potential applications of this research include the integration of planning, design, and management of rivers, sustainable place-making and reconstruction with a focus on rivers, revision of urban development documents, and revision of the relevant laws. Acknowledgement The present article has been developed based on the PhD dissertation of Seyed Mojtaba Safdarnejad in Urban Planning, entitled Regeneration of Urban Rivers as Sustainable Public Places, in progress at the Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Iran University of Science and Technology under supervision of Dr. Sayed Abdolhadi Daneshpour and advisory of Dr. Mustafa Behzadfar. Highlights 1. Playing various diverse roles by rivers and their abundant quality values for humans and their habitats 2- Utilizing the competitive advantage of urban rivers according to a comprehensive planning and a holistic, multi-sectoral, intelligent, and creative management 3- Necessity of paying attention to the core characteristics of the rivers and their use as character shaping components of public places based on urban rivers in planning and design process
Urban Design
Azadeh Alizadeh; samaneh khosravaninezhad; Mohammad Falahati; reza akbari
Abstract
Highlights The most important criteria in nightlife spaces is "Being" and "safety" has the least impact on creating an urban night space. Factors that affect night urban spaces design can be classified in two categories: "Creator factors" and "Supporter factors". Creator factors are related ...
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Highlights The most important criteria in nightlife spaces is "Being" and "safety" has the least impact on creating an urban night space. Factors that affect night urban spaces design can be classified in two categories: "Creator factors" and "Supporter factors". Creator factors are related to attraction and producing the night space and the Supporter factors are related to its population maintenance and how space is used and Determines the type and quality of space experience. Introduction Cities are changing in the contemporary world, and the most important tools for this transformation involve the time component and it synthesis with culture, art, and technology to reproduce urban spaces. The result is the concept of nightlife and urban night spaces. Due to the importance of time in contemporary life and changing time structures resulting from lifestyle transformation, better utilization of time in urban life can be achieved in these spaces, and the vitality of daily activities can extend into the night hours. In the city of Yazd, Iran, night spaces encourage greater presence in space, especially in hot seasons, and enhance the city vitality, which is currently one of the most important urban management concerns, temporally distributing population density and keeping them in space for longer periods of time. Given that night urban spaces require their own design considerations, this study was aimed at explaining the factors and criteria that affect urban night space design. Theoretical Framework Two dimensions were identified for night spaces through a review of the literature on the definition of nightlife and 24-hour cities and their analysis from the aspect of night urban space design. These included sociability arising from the physical space and perception of the function of space. Then, criteria and indicators were defined for the above dimensions. Methodology After the effective criteria were extracted from the literature and experience, they were prioritized using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods and evaluated with respect to Kashani Street in Yazd. The most important advantage of this hybrid method, focused more on the qualitative aspect, involved the assessment and analysis of quantitative data in urban spaces and confirmation of the accuracy of the results through interpretation and enrichment. In order to prioritize the criteria in the quantitative method, the questionnaire tool and the Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Friedman tests were used (The reliability of the questionnaire was 0.812). In the qualitative method, these criteria were analyzed using environmental assessment techniques (field study and observation at different times in the period from 7 PM to 12 AM and open interviews) on Kashani Street. Results and Discussion The prioritization of the criteria indicated that flexibility had no effect on urban nightlife. Moreover, attendance exhibited the greatest and safety had the least impacts on the development of urban night spaces. The criteria were prioritized as attendance, security, inclusiveness, attractiveness, legibility, continuity, enclosure, spatial enticement, eventfulness, visual accessibility, and safety. A qualitative evaluation of these criteria in regard to Kashani Street demonstrated that the most important criteria, including attendance and security, provided the greatest potentials of this street for turning into an urban night space due to the density of activities and appropriate population. In contrast, criteria such as attractiveness, continuity, spatial enticement, and eventfulnessrequired plenty of design and planning to create urban night spaces. Conclusion Based on the results, the design considerations of night urban spaces were classified into two categories: creator factors and supporter factors. The former concerns attraction and construction of night spaces, while the latter pertains to their population maintenance and how space is used to specify the type and quality of space experience. The creator factors included attendance, security, inclusiveness, and attractiveness. The supporter factors included legibility, continuity, enclosure, spatial enticement, eventfulness, visual accessibility, and safety. The creator factors indicated the potentials of spaces for creation of the night space, reinforced through synthesis with the supporter factors and bringing about the correct performance of night spaces through improvement of the quality of the space experience. This proposed two-fold framework could serve to complement the other aspects of night urban spaces (economic, cultural, governance, tourism, etc.) and to function as a guide to design of such spaces. In Yazd, night spaces provide contemporary responses to the new lifestyle to meet the needs of different groups, especially the youth, who can lead cultural challenges to creative use of their abilities. Combination of nocturnal spaces with urban tourism can create a new experience of being there at historical places and presenting the contemporary assets of the city along with its historical assets. It provides a booming service economy for sustainable urban development.
Urban Design
toktam hanaee; Sanaz saeedi; shima abedi
Abstract
Familiarity with the destination environment plays an important role in tourism, and the more frequent tourists’ visits to the area, the greater their knowledge of the environment and, consequently, the easier for them to navigate around the place. Those unfamiliar with the environment should make ...
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Familiarity with the destination environment plays an important role in tourism, and the more frequent tourists’ visits to the area, the greater their knowledge of the environment and, consequently, the easier for them to navigate around the place. Those unfamiliar with the environment should make sure that there are sufficient wayfinding aids, and that it will be clear for them how to reach their target sights by following the aids without getting lost. Use of various wayfinding tools can allow visitors to realize the overall spatial layout of the environment and the relationships between them. It is dependent on the user’s characteristics what types of tools are utilized in wayfinding. If tourists are confused at a part of a destination about how to find their way, they will lose incentives to visit it. The easier for tourists to identify the ways to their target sights in the environment, the more attractive the place to them, motivating them to be there in the environment. This study aimed to identify tourists’ specific wayfinding tools in the Paeen Khiaban neighborhood in the city of Mashhad, Iran. Tourists could have different levels of familiarity with the destination addressed in the case study, which could be categorized as an applied survey. The data were collected through field observations, questionnaires, and site visits. The sample size appropriate for a population of 359 people was calculated using Cochran’s formula. The statistical analyses were made using methods including one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), dependent t-test, and the K2 test, used to prioritize the variables, and the significance levels of the indicators were analyzed using Duncan’s test. The results demonstrated that tourists more familiar with the destination used spatial orientation and representation, whereas those who were less familiar with the environment utilized the landmark strategy through recognition of the elements and identification of the location for wayfinding via points. The former group identified their direction through coordinates in a more general situation, while the latter group identified landmark points and followed them to the target place in smaller areas and through the points and the connections between the landmark and the situation. The tourists were interested in using visual guidelines for wayfinding, analyzing, learning, encoding, and processing them in their minds, and then selected the optimal route. Familiarity was effective in the selection of the type of wayfinding strategy and the use of a variety of wayfinding guidelines. Furthermore, the tourists considered the attractions in their choice of destinations, the walls and familiarity with the environment were the next most significant factors, and the signs and patterns on the route were also effective in the selection. The signs were very important to the tourists because the number of signs, locations, distances, designs, fonts and backgrounds, sizes, and heights affected readability. The guidelines and distinctive signs or visual cues at decision points along routes can help improve wayfinding.
Urban Design
Parissa Mahvari; Mahmoud Ghalehnoee; Safoora Mokhtarzadeh
Abstract
In most Iranian cities, people regard an urban space as a way to pass through, and these spaces encourage them to flee instead of inviting them to pause and socialize. However, urban spaces are basically where social interaction takes shape, and attempts to improve their quality is one of the most important ...
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In most Iranian cities, people regard an urban space as a way to pass through, and these spaces encourage them to flee instead of inviting them to pause and socialize. However, urban spaces are basically where social interaction takes shape, and attempts to improve their quality is one of the most important goals of urban design knowledge in the contemporary era. In the past, sidewalks and squares had a particular position in the central parts of cities. With the expansion of cities and the emergence of cars travelling around them, sidewalks and squares have suffered plenty of damage through the imposed vehicle access networks. Imam Ali Square in the city of Isfahan, Iran is a space that has lost its value and significance throughout history due to the changes in its spatial structure. These changes have resulted in the destruction or reconstruction of spaces that were once considered as parts of the area of the square. Proper access is one of the most important characteristics of a good public space, and it is a main purpose of the placemaking approach to enhance access to urban spaces to improve their quality. According to the principles of placemaking, it is a priority for an urban designer and planner to provide all social classes with access to urban centers and spaces in a variety of ways in order to increase their power of choice with respect to their needs and conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of access as a well-known capability of the placemaking approach. It measured the quality of access at Imam Ali Square through assessment and analysis of six indicators: physical access (connectivity), continuity, accessibility (depth), inclusiveness, easy access to public transportation, and spatial resolution. These indicators were analyzed through field research and descriptive-analytical tools such as SPSS, GIS, and space syntax. According to the findings, easy access to public transportation (scoring 9.6), continuity (scoring 7.02), inclusiveness (scoring 5.4), physical access (scoring 2.42), and resolution (scoring 1.93) exhibited the highest to lowest scores. The final score for the quality of access was 5.41 out of 10, based on the calculation of mean indicator values, which indicated a moderate quality of access to the square as it is close to the median and range of scoring (8-10 for very good, 6-8 for good, 4-6 for moderate, 2-4 for poor, and 1-2 for very poor). Finally, it was inferred that the main problem with the square in terms of quality of access was the lack of concern for resolution, connectivity, and accessibility. It could thus be concluded that the resolution and depth of spaces created following the demolition of old urban structures has dropped due to the decrease in the significance of the surrounding old spaces although they have turned out to be more powerful interconnectors than their surrounding areas. Despite the recent attention paid to Imam Ali Square, the quality of access in the area is still not optimal, and greater concern for the examined indicators is expected in order to turn the square into an urban place.
Urban Design
Tohid Hatami Khanghahi; Vahid Vaziri; Bahareh Salmanian; Negin Tajaddini
Abstract
Objectives. The sense of place is directly related to people’s levels of satisfaction with and continued presence in a neighborhood. Insufficient understanding of the factors effective on the sense and differences and similarities between the effective factors reduces the residents’ unity, ...
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Objectives. The sense of place is directly related to people’s levels of satisfaction with and continued presence in a neighborhood. Insufficient understanding of the factors effective on the sense and differences and similarities between the effective factors reduces the residents’ unity, social participation, and motivation to continue residence in different urban areas. The purpose of this paper was to compare the factors effective on the residents’ sense of place in the new and old neighborhoods of the city of Ardabil, Iran. Methodology. For the above purpose, the descriptive-analytical research method was used. First, a researcher-made questionnaire with 57 items was made based on a review of the literature and field studies and interviews with neighborhood residents and analyses of their statements. The research population consisted of 200 people, selected by the cluster sampling method using the Cochran formula from among inhabitants in the residential areas of Ardabil. 100 questionnaires were distributed and filled out in the old neighborhoods, and 100 in the new ones. In the next step, a statistical analysis was made of the obtained results using SPSS 21, including the t-test and Pearson’s correlation test. Findings. In the old neighborhoods, the residents have usually lived there their whole lives or for a long time. Therefore, they are deeply acquainted and connected with each other. As a result of these historical and family links, they have greater senses of belonging and ownership with respect to their neighborhoods and greater incentives to influence them, participate in different activities including public ones, increase compatibility with the place and provide social control and monitoring. Other factors that increase the sense of place in the old neighborhoods include the activity of the neighborhood center as a turning point, the cultural and religious commonalities, and the centrality of the mosque, enabling individuals to communicate with each other, which are less serious in the new neighborhoods. On the other hand a lack of certain elements and factors was felt in the old neighborhoods, or a need for new places to meet today’s requirements, such as urban green spaces and parks and places for activity and interaction of different age groups. In the new neighborhoods, desirable levels of resident satisfaction were observed as compared to those in the old neighborhoods due to the great effectiveness of certain physical factors such as presence of natural elements, open spaces, and recreational facilities. Conclusions. Based on the results, the sense of belonging to place is stronger in the old neighborhoods than in the new ones, while the factors effective on the sense are of different natures in the two types of neighborhood. In other words, certain factors are more important in the old neighborhoods, causing the residents’ satisfaction, whereas other factors matter more in the new neighborhoods. People’s different residential motivations lead to their choice of old or new neighborhoods. As a result, people in old and new neighborhoods gain advantage in certain factors effective on the sense of place, and lose advantage in others. It was concluded from this research that the first step for inclusion of the different factors effective on the sense of place in a neighborhood is ideally to identify and compare them.
Urban Design
Mehrdad Karimimoshaver; hasan sajjadzadeh; hossein troosheh
Abstract
This study addressed the relationship between high-rise buildings (as part of the urban environment) and mental health (one of the three major aspects of health: physical, psychological, and social), investigating citizens’ points of view on the high-rise Saeedieh Condominium in Hamadan, Iran. ...
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This study addressed the relationship between high-rise buildings (as part of the urban environment) and mental health (one of the three major aspects of health: physical, psychological, and social), investigating citizens’ points of view on the high-rise Saeedieh Condominium in Hamadan, Iran. The research sought to capture the influence mechanism and to help reinforce the insight of designers of such buildings into and their concern for features of the built environment from citizens’ perspective that can inadvertently affect their mental health. In recent decades, construction of high-rise buildings has been appealed to widely as a method of construction, replacing the horizontal growth of cities. However, it seems that vertical urbanism has paid little attention to citizens’ psychological aspects in urban spaces. Height is an intrinsic part of high-rise buildings and their most important formal feature, with a significant impact on citizens and their eventual perceptions and emotions, which makes it significant to scrutinize its influence. One of the most important issues is the impact of high-rise buildings on citizens’ mental health. Mental stresses constantly threaten human mental health, in part due to inappropriate urban environments and residences. This increases the significance of examining the urban environment to reduce the existing stresses. The purpose of this paper was to present better ways of designing high-rise buildings considering their impact on citizens’ mental health as well as to identify how the influence works. Therefore, the main questions of the study are as follows. What relationship is there between high-rise buildings and citizens’ mental health? How can height affect citizens’ mental health? In the present study, a qualitative approach was taken using the method of Grounded Theory. After in-depth interviews made in person with citizens, the transcripts were summarized and encoded in the three open, axial, and selective stages, and the grounded model was finally extracted by the MAXQDA data analysis software. The participants in the interviews included 24 citizens, 13 men and 11 women aged 17-65 years. Theoretical consecutive purposive sampling was used, where sampling would continue until adequacy (saturation) was achieved for theorization. It should be noted that saturation was achieved as felt by the researcher with comments from 8 men and 8 women—a total of 16 participants—, but the interviews continued, amounting to 24 with 8 additional ones, which served to ensure the achievement of saturation (although no changes were made in the eventual data). The findings demonstrated that high-rise buildings cause mental pressure in citizens due to issues such as improper enclosure, physical-visual consequences, sub-climate generation, landscape restrictions, social difficulties, overlook, urban area heterogeneity, and negative environmental effects and citizens’ long-term involvement in emotional reactions resulting from the mental pressure affects their mental health. With a frequency of 73, the issue of improper enclosure was found to be the most popular among citizens in the set of situational issues, playing a major role in the emergence of the interactive issues and the consequential ones as a result. It was followed by the issues sub-climate generation (with a frequency of 57), physical-visual consequences (with a frequency of 55), landscape restrictions (with a frequency of 30), urban area heterogeneity (with a frequency of 25), overlook (with a frequency of 22), and social difficulties (with a frequency of 12), in that order.
Urban Design
Behzad Rahmani; Hooman Sobouti
Abstract
The major responsibility of urban planning is to plan for all the classes of citizens, resulting in a city filled with health, comfort, and beauty, a city convenient for all the social classes. The disabled face a large number of problems living a social life in cities. It always confronts people with ...
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The major responsibility of urban planning is to plan for all the classes of citizens, resulting in a city filled with health, comfort, and beauty, a city convenient for all the social classes. The disabled face a large number of problems living a social life in cities. It always confronts people with spinal cord injury with problems to interact with the environment outside home and enter the society. Therefore, it is of great significance to resolve the constraints in the urban environment conditions in order to prevent their seclusion. The most common form of disability is motor impairment. The capacities of the environment are reduced in various ways for people with such impairment. Wheelchair users are faced with more restrictions. Some are amputated or paralyzed, others have difficulty maintaining the upper body balance, and most have problems stretching the body. Unfortunately, municipalities have hardly attempted to design urban environments in accordance with the needs of the disabled. Based on Article 2 of the Comprehensive Law for Protection of the Rights of the Disabled, however, all the ministries, organizations, institutions, state corporations, and public and post-revolution entities are required to design and construct/produce buildings, public places, passages, and service instruments so as to make them convenient for everyone with a disability. Sports spaces and venues are considered as one of the most important urban land uses appropriate design of which can play an important role in improvement of the social interaction of the disabled. People with physical disability or motor impairment are currently faced with problems making it to sports venues due to the failure to observe primary standards. Thus, the lack of standard facilities and infrastructures in regard to sports venue and complexes has dramatically reduced their use by the disabled, based on the conducted research. For example, use of public transportation by the disabled and their active, lively presence at sports venues, recreation centers, etc. has been restricted by the inappropriate, non-standard sidewalks, intersections, bridges, furniture, etc. around the city. In other words, the lack of urban facilities and infrastructures to be used by the disabled is quite obvious, and evidence from sample sports centers and interviews with the disabled in Tehran demonstrate that sports buildings and centers associated with the disabled are inappropriate. This research sought to investigate the role of appropriate design of sports complexes in the levels of social interaction of people with physical disability and motor impairment and their social function in the society. It was a hybrid qualitative-quantitative study, combining documentary-library and field research. For a closer examination of the issue, 186 questionnaires were filled out by people with physical disability or motor impairment, and analyzed in SPSS, so that the social conditions of the disabled could be improved, and their levels of interaction could be raised through standardization of sports facilities and infrastructures in Tehran and other Iranian cities. Based on the obtained results, it could be stated that the disabled could not use the equipment at sports venues and complexes conveniently without assistance from others. They encountered problems from the moment they would leave home to the moment they would be back from sports venues, and would therefore prefer to stay home, causing them to suffer psychological crises. The results obtained from the questionnaires demonstrated that design and standardization of sports venues and complexes had direct effects on the social interactions of people in Tehran with physical disability or motor impairment (with a coefficient of determination of 0.85). For improvement of their social status, therefore, projects should be implemented for adaptation of sports venues, public spaces, etc. under full management and supervision of Tehran Municipality.
Urban Design
Mahya Ghouchani; Mohammad Taji
Abstract
The husseiniye is a religious place in Shia Islam, where the mourning ceremony of Imam Hussein (PBUH) and the martyrs of the Battle of Karbala is mainly held. Apparently, the husseiniye has come into existence as an extension of the structures of the mosque and religious places such as the zaviye and ...
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The husseiniye is a religious place in Shia Islam, where the mourning ceremony of Imam Hussein (PBUH) and the martyrs of the Battle of Karbala is mainly held. Apparently, the husseiniye has come into existence as an extension of the structures of the mosque and religious places such as the zaviye and the tekiye and as a result of integration and reproduction of parts of their structures and functions. Many concepts have been lost in the design of the contemporary husseiniye as a single building, which is open to the public only in the months of Muharram and Safar. The husseiniye and the tekiye are among the entities that are responsible for the important celebration of the Battle of Karbala. Sanctuaries have always had a particular status as internal organs of any city or village, and religious buildings have always been regarded as one of the most fundamental components of the fabric, structure, and shape of a city. Therefore, the mosques, religious buildings, worship centers, and social and cultural centers in a city constitute a long-standing identity that can never be separated from its social and urban structure. Moreover, man is a social being, and needs social interactions and communication with others. Urban spaces play a significant role in the realization of this characteristic, and the courtyards of mosques and religious places such as the husseiniye are among these spaces. The Iranian husseiniye or tekiye is a symbol of the link between time, place, and people, with an identity distinct from that of public places with the same function in other countries due to its quality as an urban space. It is also unique as the only open urban space with a religious function in the Islamic urban development culture. Given the cultural characteristics of our country, particularly the role of Islam and religious beliefs in Iranians’ national and social identity, the necessity of investigating the physical qualities of the husseiniye seems obvious. The purpose of this research was to recognize the effect of the Ashura rituals on the configuration of the city of Na'in, Iran based on the pathway pattern. On that basis, it can be stated as the research hypothesis that the pathway pattern of the groups of Ashura mourning, routinely held in the city, has such a significant effect on the formation and spatial organization of the city and locations of the husseiniye buildings that it cannot be disregarded in their analysis. According to what was stated, the research question concerns the aspects of the social and religious identification by the rituals in Na'in. Therefore, we conducted a structured study of seven husseiniye buildings in Na'in to examine the physical indicators of the husseiniye and their adaptation to the factors influencing the formation of buildings as open urban spaces and to analyze human pathay in the husseiniye using the pathway pattern. The research results indicate that the factors effective on consideration of open religious places like the husseiniye as open urban spaces include the general quality of convenience and communication with the surrounding passages, multiple entrances, the interaction established between the people, and urban life spirit. Thus, Nowgabad Mosque has the greatest number of alternative pathway patterns with six entrances, and the Husseiniye of Gowdalu has the lowest with two entrances. Better recognition and employment of the principles for design of such spaces, including location, flexibility in form and function, and rich symbolic concepts, can greatly contribute to persistence of the physical expression of a culture in the environment and identification of the Iranian city.
Urban Design
Mozhgan Jafari; Bahram Siavashpuor; Abasalt Askari
Abstract
Plenty of research has been conducted worldwide on the notion of segregation and the factors effective on it. Globalization, economic crises, rise and fall of governments, and failure to invest in the housing sector are some of the major factors that have made segregation severer in cities. The current ...
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Plenty of research has been conducted worldwide on the notion of segregation and the factors effective on it. Globalization, economic crises, rise and fall of governments, and failure to invest in the housing sector are some of the major factors that have made segregation severer in cities. The current conditions of segregation and discriminatory behavior indicate the potential for economic growth without exploitation, including human resources and social and economic communication. Cities have turned into more of places where phenomena such as extreme poverty, social harm, and social segregation are concentrated. As a term, segregation, which denotes separation of some individuals in a group from others, is a major urban problem that jeopardizes integration in the city, and prevents it from functioning properly as a single whole. A variety of approaches have been adopted to confront segregation, including the analytical approach adopted in this research to investigation of segregation from environmental, physical, and spatial aspects. The theoretical framework of the research for the study of this urban problem involves the theory of space syntax examined from the perspective of urban space configuration. The theory is based on the idea that there is mutual interaction between the physical and social structures of the city. This research involves a case study of a district in the city of Sabzevar, Iran known as Kuye Golestan, and is aimed at reducing social segregation by identifying its physical structure and presenting solutions for its improvement. The investigation also seeks to assess the effects of syntactic variables on non-syntactic parameters to help obtain a specific classification of the factors with the greatest impacts on the physical structure. This is an exploratory study with a hybrid method, where both quantitative and qualitative methods are used for answering the research questions. The qualitative method was implemented through a field study using observation as a technique and a checklist as a tool, and the quantitative method was implemented through a spatial analysis of the axial lines in the UCL Depthmap software environment. The syntactic variables were assessed as independent ones, and the non-syntactic variables as dependent ones, and the relationships between them were finally evaluated using multivariate linear regression analysis in SPSS. The results of the study demonstrated that there were significant relationships between the syntactic variables and lighting, landscape, noticeable corners, convenience, valued elements, entrances and openings, building quality, and building age, in order of priority. On that basis, maximal changes in the physical structure are expected to be achieved through changes made in the above variables, which would lead to changes in the social structure.
Urban Design
Azam Karimi Yazdi; Naser Barati; majid zarei
Abstract
The urban space is the setting for embodiment of public life and social discourse in a context involving the components of responsibility for place quality. Consideration of place quality as perceived by the users of an urban space at the same level as place components as assumed by the urban designers ...
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The urban space is the setting for embodiment of public life and social discourse in a context involving the components of responsibility for place quality. Consideration of place quality as perceived by the users of an urban space at the same level as place components as assumed by the urban designers demonstrates the concern for the social aspect of the space, facilitating the realization of the perceptional urban design scheme. The application of the scheme in the organization and revitalization of any urban environment makes it possible to simultaneously consider three basic factors in the acquisition of the perceived quality of place: urban environment or space, space users, and space designers. This suggests the necessity of citizens’ active participation in intervention in urban areas. Design of public places with desirable physical and visual quality in accordance with citizen’s perceptional characteristics and capabilities is what urban designers are responsible for. The aim of participation for professionals as social advisors is to provide the required technical assistance to help realize the aspirations of the community with appropriate solutions. The present study attempts to organize the components of the quality of urban environment from the viewpoint of experts and practical urban design projects after encoding them from functional (use, convenience, and activity), physical, perceptual, semantic, and environmental aspects. According to studies conducted in the area of environment quality and the relevant theoretical approaches, assessment of perceived place quality in the investigated environment from the space users’ and designers’ perspectives was considered in this applied research as the approach of choice within the conceptual model framework for provision of an area where the citizens have a peace of mind. The study sought to obtain the components associated with each of the aspects of urban environment quality, norms and measures of the aspects of urban design, and sub-measures and policies of the perceptual and semantic aspects of urban design as the research framework of the paper. For that purpose, the Imamzadeh Saleh (PBUH) urban complex in Tajrish, Tehran (including the space in front of the Imamzadeh and the marketplace and the area between the stream bed and Tajrish Square) was investigated in a case study. In the evaluation of the perceptual measures of the place under investigation, the quantitative and qualitative data obtained from the questionnaire in the extraction of the respondents’ subjective information on the quality of place were assessed as maps and diagrams in a descriptive-analytical survey. Assessment of urban space perception obtains the factors involved in spatial perception using the measure arrangement method under a classification of perceptual qualitative norms as visual perception, conceptual interaction with the environment, discipline, or quality of view and landscape in the perceptual aspect of the urban space or as interpretation, meaningful communication, or identity in the semantic aspect. The results applied in the revitalization of the urban complex and its future conception in accordance with the perceptual-semantic norms of place led the authors to statement of a series of purposes in line with the qualitative norm measures of the perceptual-semantic aspects of environmental responsibility and formulation of the design principles, purposes, and administrative policies. Another finding of the study was that the length of the citizens’ confrontation and interaction with the citizens and the environment under investigation is also effective on perception of the space and its depth and nature. The research demonstrated that there are still controversies between the public and experts both on issues such as vitality and on the expectations of the two groups about the area of investigation, although they are agreed in general. Therefore, the paper sought to answer the following questions. What qualitative measures and norms are relevant in evaluation of the perceptual-semantic aspects of place? What design policies make it possible to achieve the perceptual-semantic measures and norms of place in general? How are the perceptual-semantic measures considered in the future conception of the studied area statement of its macro-purposes and, therefore, formulation of the design principles, design micro-purposes, and administrative policies of the design product?
