Motaleate Shahri

Urban Design

The Analysis of the effects of contemporary urban development plans on the spatial structure of the north of Isfahan’s historical core

Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, Pages 3-12

Abstract

One of the fundamental problems in the historical areas of Iranian cities is related with their incompatibility with contemporary urban projects and new developments. Owning to inattention to the old city structure in the historical core of the north of Isfahan, the new developments have imposed a ... Read More One of the fundamental problems in the historical areas of Iranian cities is related with their incompatibility with contemporary urban projects and new developments. Owning to inattention to the old city structure in the historical core of the north of Isfahan, the new developments have imposed a new one that is in discordance with the old part of the city. This problem has led to progressive deterioration and obliteration of the historical areas including all architectural and urban elements like Atiq Square and Jāmeh mosque. This research aims at identifying the effect of contemporary urban developments- particularly the Haussmanniannet work imposed on the city, that is, on the spatial structure of historical area of the city. To achieve the mentioned goal, the structure of the city has been analyzed over four critical historical periods: the first period, Seljuqs; the second period: Safavids ; the third period: Pahlavi dynasty and fourth period: contemporary development and reconstruction of Atiq Square and surrounding area. In this study the Jāmeh mosque and Atiq square have been considered as integral components of the old city which have important role in the evolution of the city structure. As principal notions of this research, the relationship between “Spatial cohesion” and “integration” constitutes the main body of paper. Being a new approach, this method surveys the urban structure and spatial configuration in the old city. Considering the importance of the variations of “integration value” and its correlation with the concept of “structural cohesion”, this variable (integration value) has been taken into account as the main notion to evaluate the modification of the new development projects with old city structure. The “Space Syntax” technique has been used to measure the “integration value” in different scales. The integration value has also been calculated and compared on five principal axes surrounding Atiq Square including Jamaleh, Bazar, Joubareh, Dardash and Harounieh. Therefore, the concept of “spatial integration” of historical core of Isfahan has been analyzed through the above-mentioned approach in collaboration with Space Syntax. The results showed that contemporary development, recent urban projects and other interventions have not been successfully adapted due to neglecting the historical and socio-spatial contexts of the city. Concerning the “integration value”, the average value of integration on all axes has considerably increased. Moreover, the findings showed that (in the city scale), the recent project of reconstruction of Atiq square has led to a better integration value of surrounding axes in comparison with Pahlavi development projects. In the local scale, the demolition of Atiq square because of haussmannian development of Pahlavi period has significant impact on deterioration of spatial cohesion. In spite of better integration on urban scale, the local integration of historical axes has decreased. The lack of integration has intensified the disintegration of local network and ,thus, the urban area. The immediate consequence was the isolation of main architectural and urban elements such as Jāmeh mosque or Ali mosque which are both, for the time being, close to the rehabilitated Atiq square. Another result of this isolation was the considerable and growing social problems such as insecurity, poverty and social segregation.

Urban Sociology

An Evaluation of the Satisfaction Level of the Residents of Maskan-e-Mehr Complexesو Case Study:The Case of Fatemieh Site in Yazd

Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, Pages 13-26

Abstract

The post-industrial revolution era is characterized by increasingly global urbanization with the resulting problem of the shortage of housing. In fact, housing has become not only one of the desperate needs but also an ever-growing concern of human being who has always been preoccupied with finding ... Read More The post-industrial revolution era is characterized by increasingly global urbanization with the resulting problem of the shortage of housing. In fact, housing has become not only one of the desperate needs but also an ever-growing concern of human being who has always been preoccupied with finding a solution to this issue. Maskan-e-Mehr is deemed to be the greatest national project in housing. Due to the wide scope and newness of the project, an evaluation of the results is necessary. Generally, housing satisfaction as one of the widely studied issues along with housing environments proves to be a part of the life satisfaction. As a matter of fact, satisfaction means the amount of individuals’ accessibil -ity to the intended objectives. The identification of the effective factors responsible for the satisfaction and dissatisfaction rate of the residents can be helpful both in the analysis of the existing living conditions and in the future decisions to improve the quality of the housing environments and to avoid the same defects in the future locations. This study can assist the policy-makers and planners in designing an effective architecture for Maskane-Mehr projects to meet the needs of the residents. The present article undertakes to evalu-ate the satisfaction level of the residents in Fatemieh site of Maskan-e-Mehr in Yazd city. Although the adopted methodology in this study is largely descriptive, the data collection includes documentary and survey carried out via distributing questionnaires and inter -viewing the residents. A formula-based sampling of 367 subjects residing in kokran was taken as the statistical sample which was, for the sake of more accuracy, raised to 400 sub -jects. To assess the extent of satisfaction of the Maskan-e-Mehr project, the questionnaire was divided into two parts. The first part dealt with the independent variables such as age, sex, marital status, education, income, occupation and a medium designed to investigate the variables on the level of perception of the satisfaction of residents. The second part was devoted to the dependent variable pertinent to the satisfaction of the Maskan-e-Mehr project. These variables include integrated facilities management and maintenance, light-ing, ventilation, landscape and views, arrangement, neighborhood relations, economic, environmental dimensions, transportation, accessibility and security. The analysis of the data has been done via the SPSS20 software. According to the descriptive results obtained from applying the Chi-Square test, there is a meaningful relation between independent variants such as gender, occupation, marital status on the one hand and the satisfaction level on the other hand. Based on Pearson Correlation Coefficient, the results show that there is a meaningful and direct relation between the age variable and that of satisfaction, whereas the education and the average income variables have a meaningful but indirect relation. The evaluative results of this research indicate that the overall satisfaction level of the residents of Fatemieh Condo is average. The residents of Fatemieh Condo are dis-satisfied with the economic condition of the condo while the neighboring residents are satisfied with criteria such as security, lighting, ventilation and the physical status of the complex. They, however, expressed an average satisfaction about the other study criteria. Taking into account the complex of Maskan-e-Mehr Fatemieh city of Yazd, it is possible to raise the level of satisfaction of the residents through provision of a range of facilities and reduction of the problems in their residential location. Finally, some solutions have been proposed for the improvement of the project, the facilities and the services for our case study.

Urban Planning

The Role of the Built Environment Attributes in Residents’ Walking Behavior, Case Study: Tehran city/ Iran

Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, Pages 27-34

Abstract

Nowadays, a special attention is given to the role of urban planning and the built environment and their impacts on neighborhood walkability and residents’ walking behavior. A large number of studies have been conducted about this issue in developed countries, but little has been done in this ... Read More Nowadays, a special attention is given to the role of urban planning and the built environment and their impacts on neighborhood walkability and residents’ walking behavior. A large number of studies have been conducted about this issue in developed countries, but little has been done in this regard in the context of a developing country such as Iran. These researches emphasized the strong relation between accessibility to parks, recreational and sport services. They applied two main approaches of objective and subjective. The objective criterion has some advantages like lesser measurement error, standardization and easy quantification and transferability into policy making. Some researchers believe that subjective approaches have more affinities with real perceptions especially in behavioral sciences. Thus, a considerable number of researchers recommend the use of both objective and subjective approaches. Evidence showed that the dimension of physical problems is more sophisticated in larger urban centers. Tehran mega-polis as capital center of Iran experiences a wide range of socio-economic problems due to the rising level of air pollution. According to the official records of heath organizations, obesity and heart diseases are on the increase among the population of large urban centers. Therefore, it seems that physical activity can partly help reduce the pressure of different physical and mental disorders. Obviously, urban planners play a significant role in carrying out the arrangement of urban land use on different scales from city to neighborhood. The present study examined the relationship between neighborhood walkability and adults’ walking behavior in Metropolitan Tehran. Three built environment measures of net residential density, land-use mix, street connectivity, and socio-economic status (SES) were calculated using geographic information systems (GIS) on a census block scale across Metropolitan Tehran. As participants, 657 subjects were recruited from neighboring areas in terms of both neighborhood walkability and SES scores. The amount of weekly walking was obtained using a self-reported method and, then, it was compared with the neighborhood walkability. The data were processed and classified using SPSS and anylsed via different statistical models. The results of this study showed that there was a significant relationship between the neighborhood walkability and residents’ walking behavior. People who lived in high walkable neighborhoods reported more weekly walking than those who lived in low walkable neighborhoods. These results highlighted the role of urban planning and the built environment in enhancing residents’ physical activity which, in turn, leads to the improvement of residents’ physical and mental health. The main conclusion of this research was that the method and measurement of physical activities in urban areas has definite connection with the socio-economic conditions of people. Thus, urban researchers need to employ social and economic indexes to identify the real requirements of urban neighborhoods and facilities to help members of society, especially the older people, to take part in physical activities. This research, however, recommended further studies in this regard to deepen our understanding about the relation between the features of built environment and the tendency of residents towards more physical activity.

Urban Sustainability

The Analysis of the relationship between capability of Neighborhoods Walkability and Air Pollutionو Case study: Areas around air quality monitoring stations in Tehran

Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, Pages 35-46

Abstract

The relationship between public health and urban planning is an innovative and important issue which enjoys a prominent position in the future urban planning. In this regard, ad -verse air quality condition and air pollutant concentrations higher than the permitted limit set by the World Health Organization ... Read More The relationship between public health and urban planning is an innovative and important issue which enjoys a prominent position in the future urban planning. In this regard, ad -verse air quality condition and air pollutant concentrations higher than the permitted limit set by the World Health Organization are considered as a threat to the health of citizens in big cities. According to result of air pollution monitoring (conducted in the Tehran Air Quality Control Company), Tehran air quality has deteriorated in recent years. Likewise, according to the World Bank estimates, the annual economic value of losses of life and damage caused by air pollution in Iran is totaled $ 1.8 billion and Tehran residents’ life-time has on average become shorter by 5 years. Owing to the special geographical condi -tion (topography and meteorology), social (population distribution and traffic), culture (level of culture and related education) and urban development, Tehran metropolitan is faced with the dilemma of air pollution. It is necessary to mention that motor-vehicle emissions are the primary source of most fine and ultra- fine particles in Tehran (More than 70 percent of Tehran’s air pollution is related to motor-vehicle emissions). Both urban air quality as an influential factor in public health and neighborhoods walkability as another important feature of urban built environment are considered in this paper. It should be noted that a large part of the current metropolitan air pollution is caused by emissions from the urban transport sector; thus representing the importance of public and sustainable urban transport. Having this in mind, this study focuses on capability of neighborhoods walkability as a long-term and effective strategy to promote walking trips and improve ur-ban air quality. In this research, the average annual concentrations (in years 2010-2011) of Ozone (O3), Nitric oxide (NO), Carbon monoxide (CO), Particulate matter (PM10), and capability of neighborhoods walkability in fourteen areas around air quality monitoring stations are studied. To estimate the capability of walkability, the 2009 model proposed by Marshal and his colleagues is utilized with slight modification. Measures that are used in the equation include net residential density, intersection density, land-use mix, retail units density and average distance from public transport stations. In the next step, cor-relations between them are calculated using correlation and regression models along with spatial analysis in relation to distance from city centers. These data were analyzed and calculated in ArcMap software. In addition, city centers were determined based on Tehran master plan approved in 2007. Research pinpoint the concentration of primary pollutants, capabilities of neighborhoods walkability increase in adjacent areas of city center and the concentration of secondary pollutant O3 increase with distance from city center. Capabil -ity of neighborhoods walkability and concentration of Ozone (O3) and PM10 were also correlated with each other. In addition, the highest walkability area was observed in sur -rounding area of Golbarg, region 4 and 7 stations and surrounding areas of Pasdaran and Ostandari stations were the most polluted among the others areas.

Urban Sustainability

Integrated Transportation Approach: Achieving Sustainable Transportationو Case study: Metropolitan Shiraz

Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, Pages 47-60

Abstract

In comparison with the past, the public awareness and public sensitivity have notably increased through sustainability. In this regard, different departments have discussed their problems via the approach of sustainability. Sustainable development considers economic, social and environmental dimensions ... Read More In comparison with the past, the public awareness and public sensitivity have notably increased through sustainability. In this regard, different departments have discussed their problems via the approach of sustainability. Sustainable development considers economic, social and environmental dimensions simultaneously. The same is true with sustainable transportation whose sustainable development policies in transportation area seek ways to provide all groups of society with appropriate access, to adjust economic costs and ,more importantly, to reduce the negative environmental impacts. However, almost all indicators show that the current experience of the transportation in our country and the consistent trend in the world are not only in the wrong direction but are also unstable in the longer term. One of the most efficient approaches to achieve sustainability is the strategy of integrating transportation system. "Integrated transportation strategy" is suggested to provide a more sustainable model of transportation to achieve sustainability and address major concerns. This research will study the case study of metropolitan Shiraz which is located in the southwest of Iran, with a population of almost 1.5 million. Facing numerous problems in the domain of urban transportation, Metropolitan Shiraz's current trend is not stable due to the city's struggling with some specific problems such as low share of public transport usage and dependency on car, high level of car ownership, growing population and density in central districts, high level of fuel usage, and increasing pollution. Several actions and plans including some action plans , special and technical programs and software have been carried out to address the aforementioned urban problems in the hope of reducing these problems , but they had not achieved enough efficiency. This study investigates the current situation of the transportation system in Shiraz using information collected via an expert opinion survey, questionnaires and interviewing some managers and experts in public or private organizations, companies, and consulting offices using special method called Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) was used to evaluate the system and define the priorities for future considerations. The results confirm that current set of policies undertaken by urban management and urban governance system in Shiraz almost fails to conform to the desirable criteria of Integrated Transport Approach. Although certain models have been recommended to achieve integration of transportation system, this article opted for a more comprehensive model by Potter and Skinner ( 2000 ). The finding of this research shows that, according to experts’ viewpoints, integration policies should be oriented to improving the public transport system. These policies include basic policies which will be presented as follows: the increase of the accessibility and efficiency of public bus system for potential demand areas; allocation of part of Municipality incomes to public transport sector; and establishment of separated bus lanes especially throughout the central district of the city.

Urban Ecology

The Assessment of Land Ecological Capability for obtainment of Suitable land use in Yasouj urban area using Ecologic model

Volume 2, Issue 5 , March 2013, Pages 61-72

Abstract

Over the past two decades, several models have been used to calculate environmental vul-nerability with Approach collective decisions to mitigate the effects of the natural hazards. Location of cities and villages, and site selection of residential units, services, and indus-tries and recreation should ... Read More Over the past two decades, several models have been used to calculate environmental vul-nerability with Approach collective decisions to mitigate the effects of the natural hazards. Location of cities and villages, and site selection of residential units, services, and indus-tries and recreation should be harmonized with expansion of geology, geomorphology, soil and climatology sciences. Therefore, without understanding their natural features, the construction of urban and rural areas and related activities associated with their spatial substrate is not reasonable. Yasuj urban area is located in narrow plains in the western foothills of the Zagros Mountains. The area of this place is about 12776 hectares and its average topographic height is about 1850 mASL. The area consists of 42 villages whose population is over 150 thousand and its city center is Yasouj. The main purpose of this study is to put stress on the theory of sustainable development in Yasuj urban areas. The study of natural vulnerability of Yasuj urban areas was performed with an emphasis on the natural and environmental structure. Methods used to analyze the vulnerability include Fuzzy logic, Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and environmental indicators that were used by Geographic Information System (GIS). Based on the criteria and sub criteria of the study, the study area affected by natural features and special characteristics are threatened with some environmental restrictions and natural hazards. Due to young and active faults, the urban area shows great potential for earthquake. The probability of flood in the area increases as a result of the features of the mountain, sharp slopes, existence of several torrent rivers, relatively high amounts of rainfall, especially during the cold season. Structure and texture of alluvial plains and foothills are almost weak. In addition, the steep foothills can increase probability of hillside movements and phenomena such as the downfall of soil and rock, landslides and avalanche at snowy periods. According to the results obtained from combining various layers of environmental data layers car -ried out on the basis of analytic hierarchy process (AHP) model, it became clear that ,in Yasuj urban area, central parts of the plain have the lowest environmental vulnerability with the rise of the risk level towards the mountainous area. The study not only reveals that proximity to faults has the highest fuzzy membership degree, but also suggests that collaboration with other environmental hazards such flood risk (distance from the river), slope and land use, shows the highest vulnerability. The surrounding mountainous areas (Zagros) in Yasuj urban area which are tectonically active parts of the area have higher risk in comparison with those in the plain. Considering the results, growth and develop -ment of the city toward the mountains will encounter high vulnerability. These results corresponded with the capability of the forest parts of the mountainous areas. Therefore, the development of the city construction toward the mountain would cause sever damage to mountain ecosystems, plant and animal life. Thus, areas characterized by high vulner -ability should be protected since they have not only high potential for being risky but also are vulnerable to the development of human activities (regions of oak forests and rivers protection area). The results of this research lead the policy of regional development to decrease the possibility of environmental vulnerability. The assessment and combination of the results of the information layers studies signal the high environmental vulnerabilityin peripheral parts of urban area due to the overlapping of different natural hazards that tend toward the center of the plain. Finally, the salient point of studying the area shows that in the absence of any planning and measurement of the ecological capability of the land, development inflicts serious environmental damage, which , in turn, may harm hu -man societies in the future.

Urban Design

The Comparison between Sohrab Sepehri's Poetry and Famous Environmentalists: Substantial Themes of City and Nature

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 ... Read More 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.

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Volume & Issue: Volume 2, Issue 5, March 2013, Pages 3-98

The Analysis of the effects of contemporary urban development plans on the spatial structure of the north of Isfahan’s historical core

Abstract

An Evaluation of the Satisfaction Level of the Residents of Maskan-e-Mehr Complexesو Case Study:The Case of Fatemieh Site in Yazd

Abstract

The Role of the Built Environment Attributes in Residents’ Walking Behavior, Case Study: Tehran city/ Iran

Abstract

The Analysis of the relationship between capability of Neighborhoods Walkability and Air Pollutionو Case study: Areas around air quality monitoring stations in Tehran

Abstract

Integrated Transportation Approach: Achieving Sustainable Transportationو Case study: Metropolitan Shiraz

Abstract

The Assessment of Land Ecological Capability for obtainment of Suitable land use in Yasouj urban area using Ecologic model

Abstract

The Comparison between Sohrab Sepehri's Poetry and Famous Environmentalists: Substantial Themes of City and Nature

Abstract