Urban Planning
boshra mohajer; zahed shafiee; alireza khaje ahmad attari; mohammad taghi toghraee
Abstract
Tourism is an inclusive, public industry that needs to consider all the sectors of the society regardless of age, race, or gender. Tourism and travel must be accessible to all people, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and children. Therefore, it must be an intrinsic part of any responsible, ...
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Tourism is an inclusive, public industry that needs to consider all the sectors of the society regardless of age, race, or gender. Tourism and travel must be accessible to all people, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and children. Therefore, it must be an intrinsic part of any responsible, sustainable tourism policy or strategy. Children are the present and future tourists, who play an important role in destination management. Since they are an important part of the society, it is a requirement to pay attention to the promotion of their creativity, where art can play an important role. Art is a means for creative self-expression. For children, art can be a wonderful emotional outlet that promotes personal reflection, communication skills, and self-esteem. Promotion of creativity and engagement in artistic activities has been shown to stimulate growth in important cognitive areas. On the other hand, tourism has been redirected from cultural tourism, as the second generation, towards creative tourism, as the third generation. Creative tourism has turned away from tangible heritage and sightseeing towards more intangible cultural and authentic experiences. Therefore, it has attracted more attention, as tourists are looking for more authentic, meaningful experiences. Tourist destinations compete to introduce themselves as creative ones in order to meet the needs of travelers, accelerate their economy, and restructure themselves through cultural regeneration. The present paper sought to identify children as emerging markets for creative tourism and specify its key components and to examine the factors effective on child-based creative tourism. Creative tourists are the creators of their own experiences; therefore, they must act as a homogeneous group of producers with creative ideas about their creative experiences. A creative city in the field of crafts, the city of Isfahan, Iran has the potential to become a creative tourism destination based on handicrafts and folk arts, which also seeks to join child-friendly cities. Local authorities believe that tailoring the notion of child-friendly cities with arts and crafts will help Isfahan improve its image, turning the city into an attractive creative destination for children. As playing games and learning are children’s basic expectations from a child-friendly city, they prefer places that afford them opportunities to play and learn actively. Therefore, crafts and folk arts could play an important role in meeting children’s expectations from Isfahan as a creative destination, because the city is a point of reference in Iran and around the world, also nominated the “World City of Handicraft” by the World Crafts Council. As interaction with crafts is acknowledged as an appropriate tool for playing, it can boost children’s creativity, and provide an opportunity for active learning. The main purpose of this study was to obtain a single definition of child-centered creative tourism. The data were collected using snowball sampling and in-depth interviews with 31 tourism, art and handicraft, and children experts. The research used a qualitative method and the thematic theory approach for the identification of the components. The data were categorized based on open, axial, and selective coding. As a result, five distinct components were identified: travel content, children’s needs, creativity, environment, and stakeholders. Each component included several factors that could provide new information on creative tourism for children. This notion and the findings can help destinations to attract children as creative tourists, and their product update will lead to experience and creativity.
Urban Ecology
pariya dorri; Seyed Mohammad Shobeiri; Mahdieh Rezaei
Abstract
Highlights- Citizens’ environmental literacy greatly affected their environmental awareness and knowledge.- The collective environmental behavior of men was greater than women’s.- There was a significant relationship between awareness, knowledge of concern, and environmental behavior.- There ...
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Highlights- Citizens’ environmental literacy greatly affected their environmental awareness and knowledge.- The collective environmental behavior of men was greater than women’s.- There was a significant relationship between awareness, knowledge of concern, and environmental behavior.- There was no relationship between the indicators of environmental literacy and age.- There was a significant relationship between academic degree and environmental awareness. IntroductionThe issue of social responsibility for the protection of the environment at all levels of the society is explicitly emphasized in Article 14 of the General Environmental Policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The city of Mashhad is the second most populated city in Iran after Tehran. A city like Mashhad, with a population of nearly five million people, is typically faced with environmental problems such as extremely high temperature, demanding waste management, noise and air pollution, traffic congestion, water shortage, and drought. Expression of environmental problems is a concern, and requires the cooperation of experts and the public to find solutions. Researchers have come up with a variety of solutions to environmental problems, most of which are technological, but they are interested in changing people’s lifestyles and behavioral solutions today due to the high cost of these projects, because environmental hazards result from human intervention. The present issues can be overcome only through changes in human attitudes and behaviors. Citizens with pro-environmental behaviors feel most responsible for the urban environment and the preservation of its natural, historical, and cultural values. The aim of this study was to investigate environmental literacy and its relationship with background variables and the aspects of citizens’ environmental literacy in Mashhad. MethodologyThis cross-sectional survey adopted an individual unit of analysis. The population involved the citizens of Mashhad in 2021. A sample of size 689 containing residents in the thirteen municipal districts of Mashhad was selected using the systematic random sampling method, and parameters such as citizens’ awareness, knowledge, concern, and environmental behavior were measured as dimensions of environmental literacy. The data collection tool was a questionnaire, which was completed with reference to the respondents. For assessment of its reliability, a pre-test questionnaire was completed by a sample of fifty people for elimination of probable defects and calculation of reliability. A Cronbach’s alpha coefficient between 0.70 and 0.84 indicated the proper reliability of the questionnaire. Moreover, formal validity was used in this study. The hypotheses were tested once the data were analyzed using correlation and comparison methods in the SPSS software.FindingsThe results of this study indicated the high level of citizens’ environmental literacy in terms of awareness and knowledge, while the respondents’ score in environmental concern and behavior was only slightly above average. The respondents’ individual environmental behavior ranged between moderate and high. Their environmental behaviors in the public sphere were significantly lower than average and close to low levels. The collective environmental behaviors of men are greater than those of women, but individual environmental behaviors are greater in women than in men. None of the indicators of environmental literacy was related to age except environmental behaviors. The average environmental behavior index was 3.17 for the 18-24 age group, 3.29 for the 25-44 age group, and 3.31 for the 45-64 age group, and the average environmental behavior index for people aged sixty-five years and older was reported to be 3.32. This indicated that the environmental behavior index increased slightly as age rose. The chi-squared test results demonstrated that there was a significant relationship between citizens’ academic degrees and the environmental knowledge index in Mashhad. In other words, environmental concerns increased as academic degree rose. Finally, there was a significant direct relationship with low intensity between environmental awareness, knowledge, and concern and environmental behavior.DiscussionThe results of the study indicated a relatively poor tendency among the citizens towards environment-friendly behaviors, especially in the public sphere. Although the examined population was mentally concerned about the environment, the concern did not provide them with enough energy and motivation to take an action, for whatever reason. Environmental awareness can change only individual environmental behaviors, which is possible in a small space such as a family and impossible or trivial beyond that. Citizens consider the responsibility of protecting the environment outside their personal spaces, such as a house, car, or workplace, as a responsibility of the relevant municipal institutions, and hardly participate in voluntary activities aimed to protect the urban environment. Therefore, efforts should be made to increase citizens’ environmental literacy, and environmental education should be different for different age, occupation, academic, and gender groups. The capacity of non-governmental institutions to attract participation and cooperation among organizations should be used to promote responsibility in environmental behavior.AcknowledgmentThis article is taken from the doctoral dissertation entitled “Designing and validating a model for attracting public participation in the development of environmental literacy of the citizens of Mashhad”, which down in Payame Noor University of Tehran.
Urban Design
mozaffar abbaszadeh; Asghar mohammad Moradi; elnaz soltanahmadi
Volume 4, Issue 14 , May 2015, , Pages 77-90
Abstract
Historical, cultural and tourism potentials especially in the central and historical urban areas as centers of attraction, the ability and possibility of dynamism and vitality of the urban fabrics could possibly attract tourists in the form of "cultural tourism". In this context, policy makers should ...
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Historical, cultural and tourism potentials especially in the central and historical urban areas as centers of attraction, the ability and possibility of dynamism and vitality of the urban fabrics could possibly attract tourists in the form of "cultural tourism". In this context, policy makers should note that regardless of economic profitability and touristic aspect of cultural heritage, it could be the basis of research and educational activities free from advertising, economic and service-oriented point of views. In this situation, tourism can be an important factor for the conservation of cultural heritage that stimulates the revival of local values and cultural patterns that are in the process of being destroyed.
Urmia, as a historic city, has undergone many changes in structure and fabric during different periods of history which has had an effect on urban space. Some of the elements that have had an important role in the evolution of the city should be valued as objects of historical and cultural identity of the city which must be protected against current urban development plans and the results of modernism; more attention must be paid to maintaining the flow of life and prevent their physical and functional degradation. Therefore, this study tries to address the role of cultural tourism in depicting the urban and architectural heritage values and investigates the type of values that must be evaluated and maintained to develop cultural tourism. In addition, this study attempts to determine the appropriate scope and limitation of cultural tourism in Urmia. In this regard, using descriptive method and library study, the issues and concepts related to cultural heritage tourism and the necessity of paying attention to its values are examined. After exploring the different viewpoints in the field of cultural heritage, different values including emotional, cultural-historical, scientific, practical, architectural and urban heritage values are explained. Hence, a specialized team of elite experts and those involved in the field of cultural heritage and tourism was formed to assign numerical values to some heritage sites within the city of Urmia by using the analytical network process (ANP). The inconsistency rate of 0.05 indicates acceptable consistency and accuracy of calculations and the results of prioritization given by the model. Results indicate that the priority values in the three main elements of the structure of Urmia city including Jame-mosque, the historic Bazaar, and Eyalat Square are, in the order mentioned, emotional, cultural-historical, scientific and practical values which also define the limit and axis of cultural tourism. Thus, depicting the values and paying attention to them can be the basis for decisions related to the field of tourism and cultural heritage. Moreover, by prioritizing intervention in cultural tourism projects based on architectural heritage and urban location recognition capabilities, one can make a significant impact on the preservation and restoration of the historical identity of the city. This research has attempted to explain the importance of identifying urban and architecture heritage values. A new categorization of values are provided based on the needs of tourists, service-provider society, the heritage site, prioritization of values proportionate to the hierarchy of values perceived by the tourist, which should be illustrated by the provider society, and a recognition of architectural and urban capabilities. Furthermore, the relationship between the three variables of tourist, the provider society, and heritage sites are presented. It was determined that prioritization and application of present values in heritage sites within cities can have a very effective role in determining the place and boundaries of cultural tourism and conservation of urban and architectural heritage sites.
Urban Design
Soran Mansournia; Fariba Gharaei; Bakhtiar Bahrami
Volume 5, Issue 18 , May 2016, , Pages 77-90
Abstract
The primary audience of an urban space is its users; urban spaces are given meaning and can be considered a place by people. Therefore, success of every urban space is related to its responsiveness to users' behavior, user demand and the compatibility of the ‘Environment’ with the ‘Behavior’ ...
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The primary audience of an urban space is its users; urban spaces are given meaning and can be considered a place by people. Therefore, success of every urban space is related to its responsiveness to users' behavior, user demand and the compatibility of the ‘Environment’ with the ‘Behavior’ which lead to friendly urban spaces, maintain its number of users and encourage their presence in that urban space. Thus, a survey of the users of an urban space can be considered a valuable source in planning, management and designing of urban spaces. In order to analyse a public space’s responsiveness, it is considered a useful source to concentrate on user’s behavior which is a first step in this process of Behavior mapping. Behavior mapping utilizes a variety of behavior mapping types in different seasons, different months, different days and different hours of the day so as to obtain a clear vision of the current situation of urban spaces, diverse uses of urban space and measure the coordination of layout (Environment) and content (Behavior). Zrêbar lake Waterfront ambiance, which has a virgin nature, is the most remarkable recreational urban space for the inhabitants in Marivan. Furthermore, it is one of the most attractive destinations in Kurdistan Province for holidaymakers. In this article, behavior mapping was carried out in 36 days, in three seasons of 2015 (Spring, Summer and Autumn) and on all the days of the week in the aforementioned environment. This article briefly reviews the theories and methods of experts in environmental psychology and behavior mapping and categorizes these methods by taking the available facilities into account. Finally, consistent with existing conditions, various types of behavior mapping was applied including Stationary Behavior Mapping, Tracking, Tracing and Territorialization. Therefore, this research stems from fieldwork with a cross-sectional approach that was undertaken to measure responsiveness of the mention environment regarding activities and behaviors that occurred. Evaluation method used consisted of direct observation and presence in the environment. The data and quantitative indicators were analyzed by SPSS and the spatial data was analyzed by GIS. The results obviously indicate that users of Zrêbar lake waterfront are not satisfied with the current situation. Shortage of quality seating and sitting areas, the lack of time spent in the environment by users and also a lack of suitable conditions to support interesting activities and behaviors, ignoring needs of different ages in design (especially children and teenager age groups), lack of opportunity for users to touch the water and do water fights are examples of users dissatisfaction of the present condition and demonstrates that the current situation does not address users’ needs properly.
Urban Design
Volume 6, Issue 21 , February 2016, , Pages 77-91
Abstract
Security is a basic and fundamental human need rights. In other words, security is the essence of survival and the basis of the collective life and the establishment of small communities and cities. It is so significant that Islam clearly stressed its importance. In addition, security has two important ...
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Security is a basic and fundamental human need rights. In other words, security is the essence of survival and the basis of the collective life and the establishment of small communities and cities. It is so significant that Islam clearly stressed its importance. In addition, security has two important aspects which are the objective and subjective (the feeling and perception of security) aspects. One of the factors affecting the feeling and perception of safety and security is the personal and individual characteristics. Based on this issue, women (who are among the most vulnerable groups) were chosen as the target group of this research. As urban areas are the bed and place of the city interactions, they should be able to provide the safety and security of the users. If one area is unsafe or unsecure, people do not spend much of their time in that area and this causes the loss of liveliness and turns that area into a dead and inactive one. Women inability in using the urban areas only because such areas are insecure is somewhat against the principles of social justice due to which being able to use the urban areas with safety and security is one of the basic rights of the citizens. Obviously, the first step for making urban spaces secure and safe is recognizing the contributing factors on fear of crime. A noticeable proportion of these factors is related to the environmental attributes on the grounds that some physical characteristics may make the space ready and suitable for criminal acts and encourage the offenders for offences. In regards the effect of the environment specifications on people’s behavior, feeling and perception, in this study, finding the environmental effective specifications on women’s feeling and perception of safety and security is investigated. In fact, this research aims to obtain the answer to the question of what qualified urban space specifications lead to a sense of security and safety by women. First, existing literature of the research topic and the related hypotheses was studied and then the conceptual framework of the research (environmental effective specifications on women’s feeling and perception of security) was developed. Thereafter, the mentioned framework in the area of Makhsus and Salamat neighborhoods (as the case study area of this research) was experimented on. A combination of quantitative and qualitative methods were applied through such techniques as field surveys, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and questionnaires. In addition, different statistical methods were applied in order to analyze the data The findings of the research illustrate an obvious relationship between the form, activity and meaning of environment with women’s feeling and perception of security in urban areas. In other words, the confusion and chaos in each one of these 3 parameters can cause a level of anxiety, stress or fear in women.
Urban Planning
ahmad shahivandi
Abstract
The creative city perspective is based on the use of all city potentials to improve public spaces, culture, security, safety and communications. One of the most important tools to do so is new technologies including communication and electronic networks. Technologies, including ICT, are instrumrnts that ...
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The creative city perspective is based on the use of all city potentials to improve public spaces, culture, security, safety and communications. One of the most important tools to do so is new technologies including communication and electronic networks. Technologies, including ICT, are instrumrnts that can act as a mechanism for the establishment of creative cities using the global experiences. The dissemination of information through Internet, communication through e-mail and municipalities’ websites, and the use of virtual reality communication to highlight the results of a planning process serve as a new tool to achieve transparency, accountability and efficiency in urban systems. With the passage of time and rapid evolution of technologies in Isfahan , as one of the cultural and historical cities of Iran, there is a need for changes in the attitude and style of architecture and urban design that fit people’ everyday needs and problems. Electronic tools seek to create a virtual world. In the field of urban planning, they seek to create shopping places, offices, banks, etc., such that there would be little need for physical construction and creative people would use their technical knowledge and intelligence to provide high quality services, and physical buildings would be replaced with communications and network infrastructure. At the same time, a large part of urban spaces would be changed into recreation and leisure time places.Therefore, this research investigates the impact of new technologies on creative city with an emphasis on Isfahan. In this research, some features such as “variety, universality and being up-to-date”, as ICT’s criteria, have been studied in order to fulfil the indexes of creative city including “creativity and domestic potential, physical-spatial structure of the city and socio-economic properties”. This research is practical in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytic in terms of methodology. Library studies and inquiry method are used to gather information. The field study data is obtained by distributing questionnaires among 210 urban experts and 30 IT experts in Isfahan. After entering the variables and editing them in SPSS, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling in Amos Graphic was used to classify variables and demonstrate the relationship between new communication technologies and creative city. Likert scale was used to measure the variables. The obtained results show that the factor of being up-to-date has an impact on all aspects of creative city such as creativity and domestic potential, physical structure of city and socio-economic properties; the effect of this factor is more significant than other factors (such as universality and variety of new technologies). The universality factor only affects creativity and improving domestic potential and variety of new technologies factor only influences the socio-economic function of the city.In other words, we can say that being up-to-date in different sites and providing online information can increase creativity and improve the domestic potential, change physical and spatial structure of the city, improve social science and reduce personal referrals. Based on the results, the impact of being up-to-date on the factors of creative city is more significant than that of other factors, but the ideal situation for realization of creative city will occur when the new technologies in different aspects are able to have positive effects on the social and physical structure of the city.
Urban Planning
zeynab aliabadi; mahmoud mohammdi
Abstract
This research was conducted to investigate the effects of the parameters pertaining to the spatial structure of passages on imperviousness in passages less than six meters wide, which has led to distressed areas in the city of Zanjan, Iran. The research questions inquired what factors in the spatial ...
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This research was conducted to investigate the effects of the parameters pertaining to the spatial structure of passages on imperviousness in passages less than six meters wide, which has led to distressed areas in the city of Zanjan, Iran. The research questions inquired what factors in the spatial structure of the passage network affected the distress caused by imperviousness and how they could be examined. The above questions were addressed using a statistical method known as the logistic regression test, specifying the presence or absence of a relationship between imperviousness and space syntax indices, such as global and local integration, connection, selection, and depth. The results demonstrated that some of the spatial structure index variables could be effective on the amount of distress. According to the Wald statistic results and the relevant sig. values, the variables global integration and selection did not have a significant effect on the amount of distress in passages less than six meters wide in the distressed areas of Zanjan, because the values in the B column were positive, and the corresponding sig. values were not significant at the error level of 0.05. This indicated that there was proper global relationship and integration between the passage network in distressed areas and those in the surrounding areas. In other words, distressed area neighborhoods were not poorer than those around them in terms of global integration, and an increase in global integration would not have a considerable effect on distress in passages less than six meters wide. On the other hand, connection and local integration, in that order, had significant effects on distress in Zanjan in the present conditions, because the values in the B column were negative, and the corresponding sig. values were statistically significant at the error level of 0.05. This demonstrated that distress could be reduced with an increase in connection in successive dead ends and in local integration in passages within neighborhoods in distressed areas in Zanjan. The overall results of the analysis showed that poor internal structure (poor connection or local integration) in distressed areas in Zanjan was the main factor increasing the amount of distress, and such a weakness in interconnection in neighborhoods with several dead ends had made them difficult to access. These hardly accessible points on passages less than six meters wide within neighborhoods could be spatially isolated over time, increasing distress. Given the poor local structure, therefore, it was suggested for reduction of distress in infected areas in Zanjan that connection and local integration should be increased.
Urban Ecology
Hooshmand Alizadeh; Werya Lotfi; Salah Vaisi
Abstract
Man’s unsustainable use of environmental resources needs to be tackled from different perspectives and at multiple levels of land use. Ecological Footprint (EF) is a renewable resource accounting tool that assesses the environmental impacts of urban land uses, and measures the impact of human activities ...
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Man’s unsustainable use of environmental resources needs to be tackled from different perspectives and at multiple levels of land use. Ecological Footprint (EF) is a renewable resource accounting tool that assesses the environmental impacts of urban land uses, and measures the impact of human activities on the environment with respect to the underlying issue of sustainable consumption. EF compares the level of consumption with the available amount of biocapacity to demonstrate how human beings are using natural resources faster than they can regenerate them. It was developed originally as an indicator of the environmental impacts of nations, individuals, or human populations or of organizational and corporate environmental performance and even product sustainability. Given this capability, the environmental impact of the University of Kurdistan campus as a major urban land use in the city of Sanandaj, Iran was evaluated in this study using the component-based footprinting method. Actual data on the five environmental indicators of natural gas, electricity, water, food, and waste were collected during the 2014-2015 academic year. The results indicate that the University of Kurdistan ecological footprint index in the above academic year is -0.56. On that basis, the function and performance of the university has been unsustainable with respect to the examined indicators. In addition, the results indicated that the University of Kurdistan ecological footprint is about 16,675 global hectares, which means that an area of land 165 times larger than the university is needed to compensate for the amount of natural resources consumed and the resulting waste. It can therefore be stated that the University of Kurdistan campus exhibits unsustainable performance in the 2014-2015 academic year. Furthermore, the energy (natural gas and electricity) and water indicators show the highest and lowest levels of environmental impacts with 72.03 and 0.97 percent of total ecological footprint, respectively. Therefore, the environmental impact of energy consumption is about 2.5 times that of the other indicators investigated here (water, food, and waste). As suggested in the literature, the most important indicators used in the ecological footprint model at various universities around the world include energy, fuel consumption in transportation, materials, food, water, waste, and paper consumption, among which energy exhibits the highest level of environmental impacts, as suggested by the results obtained for the University of Kurdistan. On that basis, the University of Kurdistan campus ranks second after the University of Algarve campus (Portuguese) in terms of impact on the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to prioritize energy consumption in the university policies and plans for reduction of natural resource consumption. For that purpose, a comprehensive plan should be developed firstly to monitor the environmental impacts of natural resource useand secondly to modify the consumption pattern and thus reduce the impact of the university on the environmental resources.
Urban Ecology
Mostafa Karimi; Samaneh Khosnavaz; Aliakbar Shamsipour; Masoumeh Moghbel
Abstract
Today, urban development and air pollution are the most important issues concerning urban climate that can affect the quality of urban life. Despite the significant progress made in the fuel and engine technology, emission of pollutants in urban environments is still prevalent. As in many other countries, ...
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Today, urban development and air pollution are the most important issues concerning urban climate that can affect the quality of urban life. Despite the significant progress made in the fuel and engine technology, emission of pollutants in urban environments is still prevalent. As in many other countries, the environmental issue is particularly evident in the large cities of Iran such as Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, Shiraz, Arak, and Karaj. The rapid urbanization, industrialization, and increasing trend in the use of motor vehicles have caused numerous environmental issues, including the production and distribution of different types of air pollutant, especially in Tehran, the capital. Tehran’s confinement by mountains and meteorological factors such as temperature inversion, the persistence of high-pressure systems with cold air, and local winds exacerbate pollution. Hence, numerous studies have been conducted on air pollution in Tehran. The results have indicated that 73% to 85.5% of the air pollution observed at urban stations is caused by temperature inversions, which are influenced by high pressure and surface radiation. According to the above research, the key factors involved in the spread of pollution over the streets besides the spatial and natural factors that can affect the distribution of air pollutants (i.e. geographic location, topography, etc.) include the arrangement of the buildings, particularly in terms of street width and orientation, distance, and intersections. It should be noted given the significance of the issue that the pollution can have extensive effects although it occurs at the street level, due to the interaction of the dispersal and diffusion of pollutants through meteorological conditions (wind speed and direction and atmospheric stability), the configuration of buildings, and the orientation of streets. Therefore, the main purpose of this research was to specify the characteristics of pollutant flow and dispersion on urban passages in micro scale. For that purpose, the meteorological data, including air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed and direction, were extracted from Iran Meteorological Organization (IMO) Geophysics Weather Station (the closest station to the area under investigation) for a 20-year statistical period (1991-2010). Two areas (1 and 2) in Municipal District 6 were specified as making up the area under study in this research. Then, the pollutant dispersion data were obtained based on the relationship between traffic volume and pollutant production during two winter and summer months (July and January) and at three times of the day (morning, midday, and afternoon). Finally, the distribution of air pollutants was simulated using the ENVI-met microscale model for building configuration and street orientation in the area under investigation. The results demonstrated that street and pathway orientation plays an important role in the accumulation or distribution of pollutants. Accordingly, the density of pollutants is higher in streets that are perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction. Furthermore, the concentration of pollutants in the main streets of the area under study exhibited a significant relationship with their directions. Pollutant concentration was moderate in streets with prevailing north winds, while the highest and lowest amounts of pollutant concentration were observed in streets with south and southwest winds, respectively. It can be concluded that consideration of the climate conditions in urban design and development (wind speed/direction in particular) can be effective in improvement of air quality in urban areas. Air Pollution, Street Orientation, Wind Speed/Direction, Tehran, ENVI-met Model.
Urban Planning
Sahar Fahimi Hamidabad; Tohid Hatami Khanghahi; Vahid Vaziri
Abstract
Highlights:
- Physical and safety considerations alone are insufficient to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.
- Urban spaces adapted to the needs of the elderly positively impact social well-being.
- Improved social well-being fosters increased social interactions and participation.
- Elderly-friendly ...
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Highlights:
- Physical and safety considerations alone are insufficient to enhance the quality of life for the elderly.
- Urban spaces adapted to the needs of the elderly positively impact social well-being.
- Improved social well-being fosters increased social interactions and participation.
- Elderly-friendly cities align most effectively with the preferences and requirements of the elderly.
- Enhancing social well-being reduces medical costs associated with chronic diseases in the elderly.
Introduction:
Scientific projections predict a significant increase in the elderly population in the coming years, emphasizing the need to address their diverse needs and social interactions. This demographic shift necessitates urban spaces that evolve to support the well-being and productivity of the elderly. The economic and social implications of an aging population underscore the importance of attending to the social needs of the elderly, as neglect limits their social participation and diminishes their overall quality of life. Research indicates that maintaining an active lifestyle and regular social interactions can significantly contribute to preventing dementia. While existing studies often focus on the physical needs of the elderly in public spaces, insufficient attention has been given to their social needs, particularly in urban settings. This study aims to assess the impact of environmental and physical factors on the social well-being of the elderly in urban public spaces, using Mosalla Park and Sheikh Safi Sidewalk in Ardabil City as a case study.
Theoretical Framework:
The concept of active aging, initially centered on maintaining health and productivity through physical activity, has evolved to emphasize personal decisions, independence, and increased quality of life for the elderly. "Active aging" involves participation in social, economic, and civic life to maintain well-being, emphasizing opportunities for meaningful activities that facilitate independence. The World Health Organization highlights the crucial role of urban public spaces and social factors, in addition to genetics and personal characteristics, in determining the health and well-being of individuals. Elderly-friendly cities are those where the distribution of public facilities aligns most closely with the preferences and limitations of the elderly.
Methodology:
This descriptive-analytical study employed both library research and surveys to collect necessary information. The research was conducted in two stages at Mosalla Park and Sheikh Safi Sidewalk in Ardabil, Iran. Physical factors were classified, and a researcher-made questionnaire was utilized to gather expert opinions on the impact of these factors on social well-being. Subsequently, elderly participants answered the Keyes standard social well-being questionnaire. Data from both stages were analyzed using SPSS 26 software.
Results and Discussion:
Comparison of physical factors between the two case samples, assessed through the Wilcoxon non-parametric test, revealed that Sheikh Safi Sidewalk exhibited more favorable conditions than Mosalla Park. The Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel test demonstrated a positive correlation between physical factors and social well-being in the elderly, with Sheikh Safi Sidewalk participants reporting better social well-being. Notably, "Footpaths with a slope of less than 5%" emerged as the most influential factor affecting the social well-being of the elderly.
Conclusion:
The study emphasizes the need for planners and designers to reconsider physical criteria, particularly those related to the architecture and design of urban spaces, to enhance the social well-being of the elderly. Collaboration between social health advocates, urban designers, and architects is crucial to formulate policies and strategies that address the needs of the elderly, promoting their active involvement in social life and reducing the medical costs associated with chronic diseases.
Urban Transport
Volume 4, Issue 15 , August 2015, , Pages 83-92
Abstract
Increasing populations in third-world cities of and consequently increasing use of fossil fuels and intense traffic have caused these cities to encounter various problems. Nowadays, transport is one of the most important factors determining the existence and development of cities. Almost all cities are ...
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Increasing populations in third-world cities of and consequently increasing use of fossil fuels and intense traffic have caused these cities to encounter various problems. Nowadays, transport is one of the most important factors determining the existence and development of cities. Almost all cities are under the pressure of traffic congestion. Traffic congestion results in numerous social conflicts, is not in harmony with the natural environment, and is the main source of most transportation problems. Car-based transport has a wide range of negative impacts upon society and the environment, such as air pollution, congestion, noise pollution, road accidents, and extensive land use for roads and parking facilities. Pursuing sustainable mobility, particularly in urban areas, has become a priority objective of national and global policies in the transport and environmental fields. In addition to communication and the development of reliable, comfortable and secure public modes of transport, the optimization of pedestrian and urban paths is one of the main useful tools for achieving sustainable urban mobility. Bicycles with such unique advantages as low cost, absence of fossil fuel consumption, less traffic, and lack of negative impacts on environment, is more and more considered as a complement to other vehicles than the past. One of the most typical alternatives which is provided by experts for permanent development of cities, is the increased usage of bicycles. The purpose of this study is the consideration of the elements which affect citizen's unwillingness for using bicycles for travelling throughout Ardabil. The present study has used library and field methods for data collection. In order to analyze the obtained data, colmogrove – smirnove, Variance, Scheffe, Independent T, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used with SPSS software. Survey findings showed that, insufficient advertisement in the media, lack of a cycling culture, female cycling disproportionate with cultural conditions of the community are the most significant factors, in the order mentioned, which affect citizens lack of interest in using bicyles within the city of Ardabil. Cool climatic conditions and lack of proper infrastructure for cycling in Ardabil are also considered as other barriers to using bicycles. In addition, the survey illustrated that the less educated, low-income and men cycled more compared to the highly educated, high income and women in urban areas. There was not a significant difference in the use of bicycles in urban travels between regions in Ardabil; however, there was a higher usage of bicyles in regions one and two than in regions three and four. Obtained results indicate that according to respondents’ viewpoints, cultural factors had a more prominent role in the unwillingness of citizens to use bicycles in urban trips compared with other factors. This issue indicates that if the relevant authorities encourage citizens to use bicycle in urban travels through advertisements, despite the lack of infrastructure and cold weather, bicycle usage will increase. Therefore, the survey showed importance of the promotion of the cycling culture in all society. Finally, some recommendations are presented for encouraging citizens’ use of bicycles for travelling throughout the city.
Urban Management
Kayoumars Irandoost; Amin Amini
Volume 1, Issue 1 , March 2012, , Pages 91-108
Abstract
Urban development in the world, particularly in developing countries, has adhered various issues and complications. Nascent rise of towns, having urban-village nature is a phenomenon facing in many different countries including Iran. Role of towns in balancing regional development and life style in towns ...
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Urban development in the world, particularly in developing countries, has adhered various issues and complications. Nascent rise of towns, having urban-village nature is a phenomenon facing in many different countries including Iran. Role of towns in balancing regional development and life style in towns has resulted in attracting more attention in national and urban development policy-making in recent years. These towns with strengths and opportunities ahead are faced with many problems, especially in terms of financial management. Towns, with urban trends, have village simplicity nature and basically have the rural economic and social relations. Having special nature, these towns have their own problems (such as unstable financial resources, manpower and technical weaknesses, etc.); hence, require special management. With a new look to the urban management in towns, this paper deals with identifying and to some extend analyzing towns facing management problems. For this purpose, we analyzed the management problems through studying available documents and data collection using questionnaire and face-to-face interview with mayors of some of the towns in Kermanshah, Hamedan, and Kurdistan Provinces. The information achieved from this study reveals that the main issue faced by urban management in towns is financial issues and shortage of stable financial resources, accelerated by problems such as improper manager selection, lack of using available opportunities (due to the economical and management weakness). Our results indicated that financial support and stable income for town as well as utilizing experiences of private sector are among the essential requirements of urban management in towns. Meanwhile, these towns should fix the problems in the field of human resources, technical and show serious attention to the capacity building in various areas. Although the limited financial resources are the main factor fueling to other problems such as infrastructure defects, and technical and human capacities, but comparing different towns shows that urban management and innovation of urban managers as a determinant factor play a critical role in reducing financial and material problems in towns. Nevertheless, towns have their own particular social and cultural characteristics, which may result in creating opportunities such as beneficiary of the available social capital, and threats such as ignoring the present regulations.
Urban Planning
Volume 1, Issue 2 , June 2012, , Pages 101-112
Abstract
The rapid increase of motor vehicles and car ownership rates in urban areas has led to serious concerns such as increasing traffic congestion and air pollution. Public transport is an important solution for such problems. However, the current trend of passenger demand for bus shows a decreasing figure ...
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The rapid increase of motor vehicles and car ownership rates in urban areas has led to serious concerns such as increasing traffic congestion and air pollution. Public transport is an important solution for such problems. However, the current trend of passenger demand for bus shows a decreasing figure for bus market. Discovering such kind of problem is an important research issue. It seems that making public bus system more attractive and viable could increase the share of travelers choosing the bus as a sustainable mode of travel. This paper gives an attempt to survey a sample of passengers attending in all 11 bus transfer points throughout Shiraz Metropolitan area asking them to describe their satisfaction with current public bus system. The primary data was collected using a survey questionnaire. Then, several statistical analyses including correlation analysis, ordinal regression and test of parallel lines were applied to discover the factors affecting passenger satisfaction level. The following factors showed significant roles affecting passenger satisfaction: education level, car ownership, frequency of car use, bus headway and the frequency of bus usage. Furthermore, the analysis showed that frequent bus users were less satisfied with the current level of service confirming the necessity of improving the quality of the system.
Urban Planning
Volume 1, Issue 2 , June 2012, , Pages 7-21
Urban Planning
Volume 1, Issue 3 , August 2012, , Pages 58-67
Abstract
According to the world tourism organization, tourism industry is one of the most important economic activities around the world. Although world tourism industry has grown considerably compared with other industries, but nowadays it is faced different touristic region competition. The objective of this ...
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According to the world tourism organization, tourism industry is one of the most important economic activities around the world. Although world tourism industry has grown considerably compared with other industries, but nowadays it is faced different touristic region competition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the attractiveness and competitiveness of Mashhad Koohsangi Touristic Park using Tourism Destination Competitiveness and Attractiveness (TDCA) model. This park has many historical and cultural heritages, where many recreational facilities have been established recently. Data required were collected by means of filling questionnaire based on TDCA model. 241 tourists were randomly selected suring September 2009 as the sample population. Validity of data was confirmed by Chronbakh alpha value, which was 0.88. Data collected were analyzed based on the model using linear regression. Our findings shows that the area has suitable conditions from the viewpoint of attractiveness but it is faced with lack of competitiveness, which is the result of low attention to this issue in tourism planning in the area. It is obvious that authorities are not so free providing more attractive services to increase the competitiveness of site. They are faced to some limitations due to urban and residential situation of site. Therefore, at the moment in addition to the protection of existing attractiveness, applying incentive factors to increase competitiveness of area is the central requirement of tourism development planning in the area.
Urban Design
Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, , Pages 73-79
Abstract
Concepts such as space, place and nature are important concerns to which poets frequently refer. Sohrab Sepehri, Nima Youshij and Shamlou are cases in point. Among contemporary poets who not only speak of nature and city aversion but also probe into city naturally and ecologically each in their own ...
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Concepts such as space, place and nature are important concerns to which poets frequently refer. Sohrab Sepehri, Nima Youshij and Shamlou are cases in point. Among contemporary poets who not only speak of nature and city aversion but also probe into city naturally and ecologically each in their own ways, Sohrab Sepehri is a prominent figure. His natural and ecological approach to the Iranian cities and villages conveys a different mode of thought. Mainly aiming at investigating Sepehri's perspective on city, this paper sets itself the task of exploring the similarities between his approach with environmental artists and designers. Far from the conflicts and struggles of the first and second decades of the contemporary era, the urban middle class has fully immersed itself in pastoralism, introversion, nostalgia, individualism, naturism, and social aversion to find a calm and relaxed refuge; hence, it looks for a poet that strikes a chord with their internal potentials and, in their longing for such as voice, they inevitably come to Sohrab Sepehri. Sohrab Sepehri's nostalgia for nature and city reminds us of the unknown environmental designers such as Macharg and Spirn in the 20 th century. Their positions on the importance of nature in the city and urban spaces introduce a new paradigm which is poetically and emotionally stated by Sohrab, too. His different attitude towards the urban nostalgia parallels the urban ecology and greenery. Sohrab's attention to the ecosystems and living structures in city and village reveals his different understanding and sentiment of nature. This main object of this paper is to investigate Sepehri's resemblances with contemporary unknown environmental artists and designers such as Macharg, Spirn and Turner regarding city and nature. The method used in this paper draws on content analysis to analyse Sohrab Sepehri’s works and poetry. Afterwards, Sohrab's poetry is, first, investigated and, then, the extracted main concepts and themes are classified into four categories. According to this method and due to his affinity with environmental designers', Sohrab's central standpoint towards the city and nature indicates a naturalist viewpoint. This paper show that Sohrab tries to stand aloof from his identity and the society around him, seeking not only a nostalgic utopia that is the symbol of peace, composure but also returning to nature and becoming intimate with it. Sepehri looks for both a utopia in which the windows are opened to expression and a city that all its elements are in essence acceptable. In addition, Sohrab’s writings are pervaded by hidden natural and ecological values whose basics are immanent principles settled by God in universe and nature. Eventually, Sepehri senses homesickness and regret stemming from city and the country conditions in his society. In his solitude and calmness of terrestrial natural beauties, he esteems identity and ecological values and talks about the connection between mankind and the environment. Moreover, another finding of this paper substantiates the relationship between literary domains and environmental areas as an interdisciplinary researches. Thus, doing researches that properly emphasize this connection can help this area.
b a; m sh; m f
Volume 3, Issue 10 , May 2014, , Pages 73-80
Abstract
Beauty is an issue that has always engaged urban designers, architects and authorities. However, in practice we face a notable difference between buildings and spaces which are constructed as beautiful and the aesthetic perception of them. Thus, various studies have been conducted on the aesthetic evaluation ...
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Beauty is an issue that has always engaged urban designers, architects and authorities. However, in practice we face a notable difference between buildings and spaces which are constructed as beautiful and the aesthetic perception of them. Thus, various studies have been conducted on the aesthetic evaluation of urban landscape in recent decades. Different conclusions of these studies show that there is no consensus on aesthetic perception. Various or even conflicting interpretations have been proposed by these researches, and this has led to the different definitions of beauty. Several studies have been undertaken on the aesthetic evaluation of urban spaces, in which experts express their own standards of beauty. Regardless of minor differences between experts’ opinions, the same set of criteria has been taught to architecture and urban design students. In addition, some research have been undertaken to evaluate beauty of spaces from people’s perception and also to discover their criteria for such an evaluation. The important question here is which set of criteria to use in the design of public spaces. This paper attempts to discuss the difference between these two types of evaluations in order to obtain a more accurate understanding of what ordinary people perceive as beautiful. Thus, this paper attempts to answer the following questions: is there any difference between aesthetic evaluation by experts and ordinary people? Are their criteria for aesthetic evaluation the same? And finally, are physical criteria adequate for aesthetic evaluation? This paper is based on quantitative methods. Although there were some qualitative data involved in the selection of beautiful landscapes, the mentioned data was transformed into quantitative scores. Evaluations of this paper were based on post-construction evaluation method and the data was analyzed by comparative method. Based on evaluations and results, we can conclude that firstly, the most important point is the difference between user and expert evaluation results which could negate urban aesthetic design by expert without user` participation. In other words, what architecture and urban design students learn at universities as beautiful landscape is different from how ordinary people perceive as beautiful. This difference is more noticeable when the results of aesthetic evaluation of the same criteria are completely different between experts and ordinary people. Secondly, different results were obtained for aesthetic evaluations carried out by people at two different stages. This shows that expert criteria cannot be used by people for aesthetic evaluation because they have their own criteria in mind. Thirdly, the difference between the two performed evaluations is affected by the way these groups perceive urban landscape. While experts focus on academic criteria, ordinary people see the urban space as a whole and include their own memories in evaluation. They evaluate a landscape with all their senses and not just with their eyes. In conclusion, it is recommended that experts should change their viewpoints and focus more on whole environments and their atmosphere. Furthermore, academic teachings should change based on Gestalt theory and more attention should be paid to the environment as a whole for aesthetic evaluations. Finally, urban design projects should be carried out with people’s participation so that they are involved in the design of the aesthetic criteria. Through this, experts can learn from people's perceptions and their designs would better reflect people’s ideas of beauty.
Urban Planning
negin mozafari; bita latifi; naser barakpour
Volume 5, Issue 17 , February 2016, , Pages 77-92
Abstract
Residential satisfaction has been a major and popular research topic for the following reasons. First, individual's evaluations of housing and neighborhoods determine the way they respond to residential environment and form the basis for public policy feedback. Second, residential satisfaction is recognized ...
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Residential satisfaction has been a major and popular research topic for the following reasons. First, individual's evaluations of housing and neighborhoods determine the way they respond to residential environment and form the basis for public policy feedback. Second, residential satisfaction is recognized as important components of an individual's quality of life. Furthermore, high satisfaction among residents encourages them to stay on and induces others to move in, and low satisfaction with the neighborhood environment urges current residents to move out.
On the other hand, although physical characteristics of housing units are known to be very effective in the residential satisfaction rating by many scholars, it should be noted that the dwelling unit itself is not the only factor of satisfaction but it is only a subsystem of the whole residential livability system. In this sense, humans interact with multiple components in their living environment, and continuously influence the environment and are affected by it. This interaction alters an individual’s feeling toward their residential environment. thus, this interaction can be examined in the form of a system that includes residential units, neighborhood and neighbors. In regards to neighborhood satisfaction, although some researches find that the physical characteristics are the most important factors and planners support the importance of physical characteristics, residents consider social factors more important in judging a neighborhood. The current study assesses the level of residential satisfaction in two neighborhoods of Tehran and compares them to create a basis for evaluating urban policies and decisions in recent years and shows the effectiveness of different factors on the satisfaction of residents of different neighborhoods by comparing them. For this purpose, the operating model to measure satisfaction was derived by examining studies of different researchers in the form of approaches (including the belief-affect approach, the commitment approach and the availability approach), factors (individual's characteristics, characteristics of residential environment, feeling and perception of residents etc.) and models (Amerigo model, comparing the level of satisfaction in culturally homogeneous and heterogeneous neighborhoods model etc.). In the proposed model, attention has been paid to all three levels of person, dwelling unit and residential environment and factors which affect satisfaction have been classified under five categories: objective criteria related to the individual, objective criteria related to the environment, objective criteria related to the dwelling unit, subjective criteria related to the individual and subjective criteria related to the environment through a survey questionnaire. Satisfaction levels of residents of neighborhood 1 (located in region three of Tehran municipality) and residents of neighborhood 2 (located in region 11 of Tehran municipality) were compared with each other. A total of 100 questionnaires were completed for each neighborhood. Findings of the study show that the highest and lowest satisfaction in neighborhood 1 were linked to the objective criteria related to the dwelling unit and objective criteria related to the environment and in neighborhood 2, to subjective criteria related to the environment and subjective criteria related to the individual. Overall satisfaction in neighborhood 1 (between moderate and satisfied) was higher than neighborhood 2 (between dissatisfied and moderate).
Urban Planning
Arastoo Yari hesar; mohammadhasan yazdani; Asghar pashazadeh
Abstract
Introduction Robbery is a behavioral and social deviation that has been regarded as a crime and negative, abnormal behavior almost regardless of when and where it has been committed. It is one of the oldest human crimes, observed in various forms in different societies. It is a phenomenon of great importance ...
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Introduction Robbery is a behavioral and social deviation that has been regarded as a crime and negative, abnormal behavior almost regardless of when and where it has been committed. It is one of the oldest human crimes, observed in various forms in different societies. It is a phenomenon of great importance that disturbs the individual’s and society’s security in both financial and physical terms. Since robbery can take place in particular time and location ranges, the main aim of the current research was to identify factors effective on the time and location of committing the crime in the city of Ardabil, Iran, and the researcher sought to provide an answer to the basic question of when and where robbery is committed in Ardabil. Methodology This was an applied descriptive-analytical study in terms of aim and data collection methodology. The research population included all the robbers serving their sentences at Ardabil jail in Spring and Summer 2017, all 233 of whom filled out questionnaires based on the complete enumeration method. Data collection was carried out through documentary analysis and field elicitation (using a questionnaire). SPSS was used for description and analysis of the data and examination of the hypotheses in accordance with the scales of measurement of the research variables. Thus, the chi-square test was used for investigation of the frequency distributions of the temporal and spatial variables, and Kramers’ test for the relationship between robber’s place of residence and crime scene. The ArcGIS software was also used for analysis of the dispersion of robber’s place of residence and crime scene. Results Place of residence and crime scene were found to be dispersed for most robbers serving their sentences at Ardabil jail. However, the highest frequency of place of residence was observed for the northwestern part, including the suburban area (northwest) and the semi-organic area (central part). As for crime scene, the highest frequency concerned the central part and the newly-constructed area (newly-constructed neighborhoods located in the central part). Given the great similarity between robber’s place of residence and crime scene based on Kramers’ test results, it could be stated that there was a significant relationship between the two variables. Moreover, the chi-square test results demonstrated that most of the robberies had been committed in summer (September), during the night, on the weekend, and by the drug addict with criminal records and financial problems. Conclusion Statistical tests and dispersion maps were used in this research for investigation of the times and locations of committing robbery. It could be concluded based on the findings that the crime was committed at particular times; that is, temporal conditions were effective on the occurrence of robbery. Most of the robberies had taken place in newly-constructed, wealthy areas. In fact, the commitment of robbery followed a particular dispersion pattern in spatial terms, and there was similarity and accordance between robber’s place of residence and crime scene, as evidenced by the observations, hence the significant relationship between the two variables.
Urban Scape
nazila rashidpour; Mohsen Habibi; Manouchehr tabibian
Abstract
Highlights
- As a social space and cultural production of modernity and the capitalist economy, the metropolis has been encoded to convey the preferred meanings.
- The metropolis cannot present itself beyond the limitations of any strictly positivistic outlook, and it requires semiotic and phenomenological ...
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Highlights
- As a social space and cultural production of modernity and the capitalist economy, the metropolis has been encoded to convey the preferred meanings.
- The metropolis cannot present itself beyond the limitations of any strictly positivistic outlook, and it requires semiotic and phenomenological models like reading and experiencing.
- For a complete understanding of the city and the basis for its social realities, it is necessary to explain the hieroglyphs (hidden language) of the modern metropolis.
- Concern for spatial images, urban mindscape, and reading what has never been written provides the best way to decipher the hidden language of the modern metropolis.
- Cinema is one of the most important factors in the reconstruction of spatial images and urban mindscape.
Introduction
The metropolis plays an important role in the contemporary society. It features prominently in the public imagination as the very site of modernity and capitalist economy that has been encoded to convey the preferred meanings. Thus, it can be understood as an amalgam of objects of cultural production. To understand the metropolis is–to some extent–to understand our present age. As a patchwork quilt of traces of human existence, the metropolis could not present itself beyond the limitations of any strictly positivistic outlook, and it requires semiotic and phenomenological models like reading and experiencing. Thus, it might be read as a text, with its forms deciphered and its meanings understood. This means that the metropolis itself does not exist, and can only be understood through its various manifestations.
In the reading of a city, or indeed any cultural artifice, it is important to know that meaning is never univocal. A city–any city–is always open to a variety of interpretations, and meaning must always remain plural and contested. Because there is no single way of understanding the metropolis, everything depends on how one views the metropolis and who views it. The reader, the “lover” of cities, must therefore be open to a range of “readings”, which go well beyond straightforward, rational analyses to open up the “poetry” of the city.
Theoretical Framework
Mindscape and spatial images play an important role in the experiencing and understanding of the city, as they result from a combination of different factors such as literature, art, media, myth, and narrative. As a German cultural theorist, Siegfried Kracauer, puts it, where the hieroglyphics of any spatial image are deciphered, the basis for social reality presents itself. Any Marxist-inspired cultural theorist would argue that what we see on the surface is the product of deeper underlying forces, in order to understand which we need to interpret the surface level. The unconscious nature of surface-level expressions reveals the hidden logic behind these phenomena.
Cinema is one of the most important factors involved in the reconstruction of spatial images and urban mindscape. Emphasis on the relationship between cinema and the city denotes emphasis on culture and how the city is represented thereby. Apart from anthropological fieldwork, nothing compares with watching movies made for a community’s domestic market when the community is to be known. Most broadly viewed, cinema represents both the real and the imaginary. Architecture and urban architecture make up the body of the city for the presence of both lives, and cinema is a novel platform for re-reading the relationship between the body and the soul of the modern city.
Methodology
Quantitative and qualitative content analysis methods were used in this research to explain the hieroglyphs of the modern metropolis of Tehran in the representation of the mysterious language of the city. For a concrete study of the city through official narratives, its representation in the selected movies of 2016 was studied, and seventeen movies were selected after the sample size was specified using the purposive qualitative sampling method.
Result and Discussion
According to the findings, we can conclude that the language of the modern metropolis of Tehran is discontinuous and disintegrated under the effect of the modernity paradigm and capitalism. We can claim that it is not possible to experience the metropolis of Tehran through movies although it makes up the location in most Iranian movies. Movies made in Tehran have failed to introduce the physical space of the city in the sense intended by Balzac and even Zola. This makes it more important to analyze this absence. Tehran has created its own specific metropolitan type. Thus, a cold, unfriendly stereotype defines the characteristic of people living in a Tehran. Modernity has been manifested there in a negative sense, and the city has turned into a refuge for the darkest aspects of modernity.
Conclusion
Finally, it is important to know that the city must be read by those who seek to create, shape, and transform it. Their reading of the city crucially conditions their writing of the city text and its buildings, streets, street furniture, etc.
Thus, the task of any theorist intending to analyze the metropolis is to act like a detective, interrogating the traces and revealing the secrets. The metropolis therefore lends itself to research as a textual object. It constitutes a series of spatial image hieroglyphics–which may be deciphered in order to provide access to deeper underlying questions about society.
Acknowledgment
This research has been extracted from the Ph.D. thesis of Nazila Rahidpour, entitled “Explanation the hieroglyphics of Tehran modern metropolis with emphasize on reading, experiencing and memory”, defended in the Department of Urban Planning at the Islamic Azad University of Qazvin, under the supervision of Dr. Seyyed Mohsen Habibi and advisory of Dr. Manouchehr Tabibian.
Urban Planning
Mohammad Saeid Izadi; Mohammad Masoud; Amir Mohammad Moazezi Mehr-e-Tehran
Volume 5, Issue 20 , November 2016, , Pages 79-91
Abstract
Urban segregation as an undeniable urban reality is a multidimensional and multi-faceted phenomenon, which occurs in space and time. This phenomenon is determined not just by fragmented spaces or socio-economic differentiation but also by interaction of all dimensions (spatial, social and economic) and ...
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Urban segregation as an undeniable urban reality is a multidimensional and multi-faceted phenomenon, which occurs in space and time. This phenomenon is determined not just by fragmented spaces or socio-economic differentiation but also by interaction of all dimensions (spatial, social and economic) and their differentiations. Despite these varieties, there is no holistic approach to studying and dealing with this phenomenon. Although segregation has been regarded as a social issue, little attention has been paid to space and spatial structure of the city as effective factors in formation and development of urban segregation. Therefore, in anti-segregation practices, there are no hybrid analytical methods of spatial and socio-economic aspects.
In this paper, the research method is “theory development trajectory” which is based on literature review and its aim is to develop and complete the existing theory. Thus, the concept of urban segregation is developed as a precise and comprehensive exponent of reality with a high degree of predictability in implementation. In the process of conceptual development, urban segregation - based on its spatial connotation - is introduced as a spatial and socio-economic phenomenon. The designed conceptual model depending on the contribution of the aspects of urban segregation manifestation includes four parts: “areas with Spatial Segregation (absolute segregation)”, “areas with Involuntary Segregation (absolute segregation)”, “areas with Socio-economic segregation” and “areas without segregation (integrated areas)”.For testing the model, neighborhood areas of Isfahan were studied and analyzed because nowadays, urban segregation is involved at urban quarter levels and becomes visible through the socio-spatial gaps. For clarifying the proposed model at the level of neighbourhood quarters, data gathered from analyzing effective dimensions on urban segregation was synthesized and the state of Isfahan quarters were determined based on the development ranking and average value of integration. Appraisal of 188 quarters and their place at the model presents high conformity of results with reality. Deteriorated urban areas and quarters such as “Aligholi Agha”, “Zeinabieh”, “Vahid”, “Hemmat Abad”, Marchin”, “Juibareh”, “Koujan”, “Baboukan”, “Shahshahan”, Atsharan” and “Ghaemieh” were placed at absolute segregation area (part (3) of the model) and affluent quarters such as “Malek”, “Isfahan University distrct”, “Bagh e Negar (Ayeeneh Khaneh)”, “Abshar”, “Saadat Abad”, “Hezar Jarib”, “Barazandeh” and “Sheikh e Eshragh” which are in a good state in each dimension were placed in part (1) of the model showing areas without segregation (integrated areas). Therefore, in the test, most of the deteriorated urban areas and quarters were placed in absolute segregation area of the model and affluent quarters in the northern parts of the city were placed in areas without segregation (integrated areas).Therefore, the findings reveal the model efficiency in describing the situation and status of urban areas. Due to the placement of the quarters at each four parts of the model, different descriptions for their status were obtained. Thus, proposed priorities and actions for each urban quarter should be planned according to their placement in the model. It can be argued that this proposed holistic model can be used as an effective tool to support decision making regarding urban quarters and their level of segregation. The real and holistic image represented by this model acts as a base for defining priorities and types of necessary actions to establish balance and equality in the city.
Regional Planning
Fardis Salarian; Hashem Dadashpoor
Abstract
Residential constructions with or even without plan have led to the expansion of cities and their peripheral areas into the agricultural lands of central city-region of Mazandaran province. The economic capacity of this region is based on the capacity of agricultural development. To preserve ...
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Residential constructions with or even without plan have led to the expansion of cities and their peripheral areas into the agricultural lands of central city-region of Mazandaran province. The economic capacity of this region is based on the capacity of agricultural development. To preserve the national capital, a specific plan should be adopted to prevent the increasing destruction of the lands and the development of the buildings constructed on these lands. The current capacity has already been completely forgotten and undergone changes or even widespread degradation due to the development of the land and housing market. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the typology of spatial patterns of sprawl in central city-region of Mazandaran province. The research method is quantitative and the main data is summarized in terms of demographic and physical-spatial components to achieve the research objectives.The annual data on the population of rural and urban areas in the Statistical Yearbooks of Mazandaran Province from 1986 to 2016 was consulted to obtain demographic data. Physical-spatial data includes the data related to built-up lands during 1986-2016 (based on Landsat images and 1:25000 map of Mazandaran province development) and construction density in the study period. Other data was obtained from statistical and mathematical processing of demographic and physical-spatial data using GIS, ESRI, and the urban growth model. Then, the Kriging Estimator was used for the typology of macro-scale spatial models. Also, the urban growth form (UGF) was used for micro-scale spatial patterns. This model can identify 3 main types of sprawl, including linear, infill and leap-frog patterns, based on the development process perspective.The results of the research indicate that urban sprawl has increased on the macro scale during the studied period. In this sense, the spatial pattern in 1986 was focused on only three main urban centers with a sprawl in their peripheral lands, especially in the city of Sari. However, in 1996, due to the transformation of some rural centers into urban areas and the trend of development in the lands around urban centers, concentration in Babol increased, but only some parts of the lands of Babol and Qaemshahr underwent the sprawl phenomenon. This was the case up to 2006, but in 2016, along with the concentration of development in urban, peri-urban and rural lands, the sprawl phenomenon intensified with increasing values of the related variables.On the other hand, spatial patterns of sprawl from 1986 to 1996 (including intervals of 1986-1996 and 1996-2006) were linear on a micro scale, a line with an upward trend due to the development around the boundaries of urban settlements (peri-urban lands). However, in the period from 1986 to 1996, sprawled development tended to have an infill pattern, indicating the emergence of a combination of linear and infill patterns. In the period from 2006 to 2016, the spatial pattern of growth was also an infilled one. It should be noted that, in a separate study of urban and rural settlements of the studied city-region, different results were observed in urban lands. Thus, it can be concluded that the sprawl pattern in urban lands often follows a dispersed and linear pattern, while rural settlements have a linear and infill pattern. The sprawl pattern in the central city-region of Mazandaran has evolved as a result of the development of rural lands.Residential constructions with or even without plan have led to the expansion of cities and their peripheral areas into the agricultural lands of central city-region of Mazandaran province. The economic capacity of this region is based on the capacity of agricultural development. To preserve the national capital, a specific plan should be adopted to prevent the increasing destruction of the lands and the development of the buildings constructed on these lands. The current capacity has already been completely forgotten and undergone changes or even widespread degradation due to the development of the land and housing market. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the typology of spatial patterns of sprawl in central city-region of Mazandaran province. The research method is quantitative and the main data is summarized in terms of demographic and physical-spatial components to achieve the research objectives.
Urban Design
elham zabetian
Abstract
A public urban space is successful when it attracts the citizens. The climate and thermal comfort conditions are factors affecting the usage pattern of sidewalks in public urban spaces. In general, awareness of sensory information and understanding of their complex process is called perception. Psychological ...
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A public urban space is successful when it attracts the citizens. The climate and thermal comfort conditions are factors affecting the usage pattern of sidewalks in public urban spaces. In general, awareness of sensory information and understanding of their complex process is called perception. Psychological aspects and their impact on the evaluation of thermal comfort makes a different perception of thermal sensation. Adaptation is the most important psychological factor affecting thermal comfort perception. Thus, the present article tries to develop an empirical model based on the studies assessing thermal psychological adaptation that can be tested in the future researches on several urban spaces. The empirical model is constructed through a conceptualization process based on a study of the basics and successful experiences worldwide. The model’s accuracy was first improved through inquiring ideas from 27 experts in this field and, second, taking advantage of Delphi’s reciprocal method. In the next stage, the aspects, scales and the subscales in the empirical model were ranked based on analytic hierarchical method (AHP). Expert Choice was used to determine each scale’s weight relative to its counterpart. In fact, the empirical model was applied to evaluate the studied concept. The model has two parts: a part assessing sense of place and another part assessing the psychological adaptation of thermal comfort. Based on the results, it can be argued that a model is necessary for blending the objective and subjective issues influencing the assessment of an individual’s adaptation for moving towards comfort in an urban space, because adaptation is a very important capability in enhancing the individuals’ presence in an urban space. Psychological reasons are the most important factors contributing to the adaptation enhancement. On the other hand, based on the studies conducted on the sense of place (that can be classified into various levels from alienation to devotion to place), such a sense can be effective in the creation of psychological adaptation that, in turn, is influential on the perceptions of comfort. Comfort is a multifaceted concept with many aspects that renders any research complicated. Thus, as an entry for such types of studies within the context of the urban design, this study attempts to concentrate only on one of its most important parts, i.e. thermal comfort. As it can be understood from a review of the global experiences in regard to thermal comfort perception, the thermal comfort perception and the thermal sense of individuals differ: the citizens can adapt themselves to the environmental comfort conditions for certain reasons (stemming from various levels of sense of place based on the findings of the current research), or, quite inversely, they could have lower adaptation threshold and leave the environment. The empirical model designed for assessing the relationship between the sense of place and thermal psychological adaptation in an urban space consists of various levels that are influenced by the individual factors. Thus, making plans for managing citizens’ behaviors in the urban space is a factor more important than physical planning to enhance citizens’ perceived level of comfort.
Urban Sociology
Volume 1, Issue 4 , March 2012, , Pages 81-94
Abstract
Nowadays, more attentions have been paid on sustainability and following its goals in cities development and planning. Mentioning sustainable development principles as fundamental concepts that their main attentions are on preserving capitals for intergenerational justice, have become an ongoing and ...
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Nowadays, more attentions have been paid on sustainability and following its goals in cities development and planning. Mentioning sustainable development principles as fundamental concepts that their main attentions are on preserving capitals for intergenerational justice, have become an ongoing and general purpose in city development plans. Since taking this route without being aware of the cities’ conditions might be impossible, evaluation of achievement of sustainable development goals has become government’s agenda. Extensive research and literature reviews have been done on assessment of sustainable development with various approaches and methods. Measuring achievements of sustainable development can be discussed from two main substantive and procedural perspectives. Substantive dimension includes the variables affecting the outcome of policies and consists of social, economic, and environmental sustainability evaluation. In fact, these variables represent the development of city. Whereas, procedural perspective refers to methods and processes of achieving sustainable development and urban planners’ role in this case is to arrange procedures and processes for sustainable decision- making. Moreover, this dimension consists of basic factors that can act as a backup and stimulus for sustainability. Considering focusing of majority of research works conducted in Iran is on substantial dimension of sustainable development, this study intended to discuss the relationship between sustainable development and social capital, institutional capital, and capacity building. In addition, we evaluated and compared procedural indicators of sustainable development in both cities of Karaj and Qazvin. Research variables were institutional capital, social capital, and capacity building. In this study, the main techniques used for data collection were interviews with experts and managers and administering questionnaire in the field. Interviews were used to collect data in capacity building indicators and questionnaires were used for social capital and institutional capital data collecting. We used Simple Random Sampling for indicators of social capital. Whereas, non-probability purposive sampling was used for institutional capital and capacity building indicators. For data analysis, the inferential statistics, descriptive and qualitative significance test means and methods were used. Our results revealed a significant difference between the variables of social capital, institutional capital, and capacity building in these cities. However, the indicators in Qazvin were in a better situation compared with Karaj. Thus, it seems that Qazvin has a better orientation in moving towards sustainable development in comparison with Karaj. Moreover, it seems that Qazvin is moving in the right path towards sustainability and has accelerated move towards sustainable development compared to Karaj.
Urban Design
a t; p p
Volume 3, Issue 9 , February 2014, , Pages 81-96
Abstract
Finding a “research problem” is always considered the most difficult part in any scientific research process. What justifies a research’s significance and its necessity? Why is the invaluable factor in this research “walking” or “walkability”? The explanation ...
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Finding a “research problem” is always considered the most difficult part in any scientific research process. What justifies a research’s significance and its necessity? Why is the invaluable factor in this research “walking” or “walkability”? The explanation is both straightforward and complicated. Walking is considered as the oldest form of human movement in space and the most interesting one while “lack of movement” is considered to pose a serious risk to public health and deteriorate contemporary human’s quality of life. Therefore, what has occurred is the misplacing of one of the fundamental values of life: the living experience of urban spaces! The present research aims to search for and assess efficient walking elements and criteria that were realized in the fourth Phase of Mehrshahr in two sections (phases). The first section reviewed related literature, theoretical principles, and global experiences where the combinations of deductive and inductive reasoning were employed. This means that walkability hypotheses and related accepted principles were firstly explored and then the conceptual model (the reference framework) as well as the operational models were designed and developed based on frequent and repetitive categories of diverse ideas and experiences. Description was the dominant strategy in this phase. After preliminary examination of the model, the limits of the study and its localization, the next stage was centered around the situation assessment on the basis of operational model criteria and sub-criteria. To do this, some questionnaires were designed using a likert scale with a 10% error margin in generalization of results and given to the inhabitants of the area; questionnaire items were developed based on the operational model sub-criteria and its statistical analysis provided the necessary background for making decisions on the strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats in realizing pedestrian-orientation in the region. Subsequently, the necessary background for SWOT matrices was developed with emphasis on innovative combination (triangulation), “place check” through visual perception in addition to investigation of resources and documents. The number of matrices depended on conceptual model categories and situation assessment was investigated on the basis of realization of criteria and sub-criteria in the area under study which is considered as the strength of the present research. The current study benefits from an applied nature as the consequent research results were presented in terms of executive objectives, strategies and policies. Research model validity and reliability were demonstrated and achieved through three phases of literature review, an opinion poll of instructors and specialists, the preliminary examination of the area under study and field research results. The results indicate that despite the importance of all the model categories in the 4th Phase of Mehrshahr, the role of factors like environmental qualities, security, and effective urban management were significantly important compared to other factors. Therefore, related strategies and executive policies based on these factors must be seriously considered.
