Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Associate Professor Of Urban Design in University of Hamadan Bu-Ali Sina University, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Hamadan, Iran
2 Master's degree student, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran
Abstract
Street cafés have increasingly become influential elements in shaping the urban experience along the Enghelab Square–University of Tehran axis. Beyond their service-oriented function, these cafés possess the capacity to create “third places” and strengthen social interactions. The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of street cafés in enhancing the components of the third place based on Oldenburg’s theory and to analyze how physical, social, managerial, and perceptual indicators influence user experience.
This research is applied and descriptive–analytical in nature. Data were collected from 380 users through a 55-item questionnaire based on 13 third-place indicators, with a reliability coefficient of 0.94. Data analysis was conducted using Kolmogorov–Smirnov, Pearson correlation, Friedman, and ANOVA tests in SPSS.
The findings indicate that spatial quality and sensory experience (3.80), social vitality and liveliness (3.78), café form and architecture (3.82), and especially café management (3.90) showed strong performance and played the most significant role in shaping a positive user experience. Dimensions such as sense of belonging, activity diversity, and perceptual comfort were rated as moderately high. Conversely, dimensions related to continuity of activity (3.36), physical interaction with the street and soft boundaries (3.50), and particularly the urban environmental index (2.88) received the lowest mean scores, highlighting weaknesses in environmental sustainability and spatial integration with public spaces.
Overall, the results demonstrate that street cafés along the Enghelab–University of Tehran corridor act as urban activators beyond their consumptive role, fostering social interactions, enhancing spatial experience, and increasing sense of belonging—thus contributing meaningfully to the formation of third places. However, improvements in environmental sustainability, café–street integration, and management of extended operating hours are essential for strengthening third-place functions in these settings. These findings can serve as a basis for urban planning, policy enhancement, and human-centered design in similar urban corridors.
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