Geography and Urban Research

Abstract The study of land use is of great importance, particularly in Shahriar City. This research employed a descriptive–analytical and quantitative survey method using questionnaire tools. The sample size, determined by Cochran’s formula, included 355 participants, and systematic random sampling was applied. Factors such as age, proximity to the city, land area, and uneconomical agricultural practices have contributed to changes in land use. Data were collected through library and field methods and supplemented with a self-designed questionnaire using a Likert scale. Analysis was conducted using SPSS and GIS software. Reliability coefficients were reported as follows: social and cultural (0.71), human (0.77), geological and environmental (0.74), and economic (0.71). Expert opinions were also used to assess validity. The results indicate that Shahriar County, due to its proximity to Tehran, population growth, housing demand, market fluctuations, and the role of land brokers, has experienced extensive construction and agricultural land conversion. Improper soil management, including unsuitable plowing and overexploitation, has reduced soil fertility and productivity. Land use change represents a significant threat to the future of agriculture, which, if unmanaged, could lead to serious problems. Factor analysis revealed that production costs and low agricultural profitability, cultivation challenges, competing agricultural incomes, natural constraints, urban–rural inequalities, land slope, indigenous knowledge, distance to the city, population growth, and profiteering along the corridor are the key factors influencing land use change in the region.

Abstract In recent years, climate change and environmental crises have emerged as major challenges for rural communities. The border villages of Hirmand, with their specific geographical and social characteristics, face issues such as water scarcity, poverty, and economic instability. Resilience emphasizes the capacity of human societies to cope with disasters. Currently, governments are increasingly adopting a combination of structural and non-structural strategies to enhance settlement resilience, aiming to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the ability of citizens and villagers to manage risks from natural disasters. These challenges affect not only the quality of life of residents but also the long-term resilience of these communities. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate household resilience in the border villages of Hirmand County. The research employed a descriptive–analytical approach, using library, documentary, and survey methods. The statistical population consisted of heads of households in 23 sample villages, with a sample size of 357 randomly selected individuals based on Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed using SPSS, ArcGIS, and Expert Choice software, applying the MULTIMOORA model, as well as the Mann–Whitney and Friedman tests. The results indicate significant differences in resilience levels among the studied villages. Gamshad, Qarqari, and Piran exhibited the highest resilience, while Mirja'afarkhan, Sanjrani, and Dehmardeh Siadak showed the lowest levels. Mann–Whitney U test results confirmed that these differences are statistically significant.

Abstract Currently, 50 percent of the world's population lives in cities, and statistics indicate an increasing trend of urbanization in the world. In order to prevent damage to the environment, the settlement of the population in urban areas should be carried out in accordance with prior planning. On the other hand, understanding the processes related to the physical development of the city is essential for planners to adopt sustainable urban development strategies. In order to examine the suitability of land for the physical development of Maragheh city, nine variables were examined, including slope, elevation, distance to the city, distance to communication network, distance to the river, soil, geology, vegetation, and land use. The thematic layers of the variables were transformed into fuzzy sets using various types of linear functions, either decreasing or increasing, and user-defined. In this way, the values ​​of all the prepared maps were defined between 0 and 1 and then combined using the fuzzy gamma operator. Finally, the final map of land suitability for the physical development of Maragheh was prepared. The results show that over 23% of the study area is in the very low-proportion class for spatial development of the city. In comparison, 18% of the study area in the east and southwest of Maragheh city and continuously connected to the city have very favorable conditions for physical development of Maragheh city. These areas are located far from the river and the bed of the Sufi-Chai valley, and as a result, environmental and ecological problems will be avoided.

Abstract Safety as a basic human need has a considerable effect on citizens' life quality and urban spaces livability. Golestan neighborhood, as a minority group settlement located in central historical and old part of Sabzevar, have for several years been seeking ways to overcome their segregation. While according to studies securing a sense of safety is a main part of this endeavor, based on CPTED approach, due to its physical and functional deterioration, the mentioned neighborhood faces numerous challenges in terms of spatial-physical dimensions of unsafety. Therefore, through an analytical hierarchical process (AHP), this study aims to identify and prioritize the most important physical-spatial criteria and indices of the neighborhood causing its unsafety and undefendability,. This can provide a proper basis for any effective policy-making and decision-taking in the future planning for the area. Hence, after an in-depth literature review on CPTED theory, and deriving physical-spatial criteria and indices of urban spaces affecting their safety, a field study with 30 experts familiar with Golestan has been conducted. In the field study, the criteria and indices of the research AHP model have been weighed by expert panel via pairwise comparison matrix. The results of the present study showed that 6 main criteria and 19 sub-criteria were recognized affecting the safety of Golestan neighborhood. Furthermore, among the given criteria, physical permeability, liveliness, and legibility of Golestan neighborhood are the three most important environmental design features which negatively affect its safety. Also, Street geometry, paths width, and urban block system are the most important indices among the tested indices.

Abstract Security, as a multidimensional concept, encompasses physical, psychological, social, and economic dimensions. In this regard, the present study investigates the perceptions of female students at the University of Tabriz regarding security in the public spaces of the metropolitan area of Tabriz. The research methodology is based on semi-structured interviews and deconstructive analysis, conducted using NVivo software. This approach facilitates the identification of meanings, contradictions, and ambiguities embedded in the interviews and enables the recognition of various factors influencing security perception. The deconstructive analysis entails identifying and examining key terms and binary oppositions, such as security/insecurity, psychological/physical, light/darkness, surveillance/disorder, and open/closed spaces. This analytical approach enhances the comprehension of the implicit meanings and the underlying concepts within the students' responses. The examination of these binary structures underscores the significant role of such dichotomies in shaping security perceptions. The lexical and thematic analysis reveals that terms such as security, lighting, surveillance, public spaces, and population density frequently appear in the interviews. These concepts are identified as pivotal factors contributing to either the enhancement or diminishment of the sense of security. Additionally, the presence of other individuals, social diversity, antisocial behaviors, a sense of belonging to the community, and cultural and structural disparities among cities are recognized as influential determinants. Furthermore, urban design attributes to security perception, and the economic characteristics of the region also impact this perception. Personal experiences, risk perception, the presence of security forces, and surveillance systems are likewise identified as critical factors affecting perceived security.
 

Abstract Over the past decade, the development of theories surrounding sustainable cities, ecological cities, ecosystems, smart cities, and green cities has seen a growing emphasis from urban designers and planners on fostering harmony between urban design and nature. Increasingly, these professionals have prioritized environmental sustainability, addressing pressing climate challenges, and integrating ecological principles into urban planning practices. This focus reflects a broader commitment to creating resilient urban environments that not only adapt to but also mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change while promoting sustainable living. This study examines the urban microclimate characteristics that influence typical urban residential neighborhoods through urban planning and design. Different urban block forms provide different microclimates with varied comfort levels for citizens. In this study, outdoor thermal comfort is compared during the winter season (December 20) for three common residential blocks (courtyard, linear and single) in Tabriz city. For this purpose, ENVI-met software is used to simulate air temperature, predicted mean vote (PMV), wind speed, and relative humidity to determine which of these common blocks are suitable for Tabriz's cold climate. The main objective of the study is to clarify the impact of block form on the outdoor thermal comfort of dwellings in Tabriz. In this study, a constant building density is used to investigate the effects of different urban shapes on thermal comfort. The results demonstrate that in winter, the courtyard and singular models have a more substantial impact on people's outdoor thermal comfort. The simulation of the linear model shows that it is unsuitable for this region and cannot provide thermal comfort for dwellings in the cold seasons.

Abstract Vulnerable urban spaces are among the spaces that endanger citizens' psychological and social security by creating conditions for the formation and occurrence of criminal behaviors due to inappropriate physical and social characteristics. While dealing with related concepts and definitions, this research seeks to evaluate and zone defenseless urban spaces in region 1 of Tabriz. The type of exploration of this mixed method research is functional, fundamental, and in terms of purpose, the research uses exploratory and applied methods, and is based on documentary and field data.The statistical population of the study includes the physical space of neighborhoods in region 1 of Tabriz. The data obtained by the effective components in creating defenseless spaces are analyzed using of GIS software and weighting methods; the final overlap of layers is used to zoning neighborhoods in terms of defenseless spaces. The findings show that Valiasr and Golkar neighborhoods have the least defenseless spaces, and Mallazeinal, Seylab Qoshkhaneh, Baghmishe Ghadim, Polsangi, Yousefabad, and Idelou neighborhoods have the least defenseless areas in the study area, respectively. In addition, as we move from the eastern areas to the western borders of the region, defenseless spaces increase, their quality decreases, and socio-physical vulnerabilities and social security of citizens are more affected. Inadequate lighting , barren and ruined landscapes, vegetation and dense green spaces, dead-end passages, narrow passages, and L-shaped U-shaped passages are the most important variables that affect the creation of defenseless urban spaces.The effects of these variables include poor monitoring and visibility, loneliness and darkness, poor quality of spaces and confusion, and burnout of tissues, resulting in reduced social security

Abstract A smart city is a product of the information revolution, designed as a strategy for urban sustainability to tackle the challenges of rapid urbanization. It encompasses six dimensions: smart governance, smart economy, smart citizen, smart mobility, smart environment, and smart living. This research aims to evaluate the characteristics of the smart governance and smart living dimensions in District 9 of the metropolis of Mashhad. This applied research employs a descriptive-analytical methodology. Collected through fieldwork and literature review, the data were analyzed using statistical techniques in SPSS software and the COPRAS model. The statistical population of the study consists of experts and citizens at District 9 of Mashhad. The sample size included 15 experts and 360 citizens, selected using the Cochran formula. The results obtained from the Friedman test, which compared the three districts in terms of the level of enjoyment of the studied indicators, revealed significant differences. Area 1, with an average rank of 4.501, ranked highest among the districts. It is noteworthy that the transparency index was evaluated as weak in all three areas. Furthermore, the findings suggest that citizen participation in decision-making can significantly improve transparency indicators (with a beta coefficient of 0.533) and enhance public and social services (with a beta coefficient of 0.311). The results of the COPRAS model indicate that education is the most critical factor for enhancing smart city standards at the district level.

Abstract This research was conducted to analyze the impact of cultural-identity elements on the organization of the Khoy-Qotur city entrance and to propose improvement strategies. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, this applied study analyzed data from a survey (380 valid questionnaires from residents and experts) via a one-sample t-test and the DEMATEL technique. The t-test results indicated that all organization indices, especially ‘symbolism,’ are highly significant from both groups’ perspectives. Among cultural symbols, ‘Shams,’ ‘Sunflower,’ and ‘Ayatollah Khoei’ were identified as the most prominent and accepted identity elements, while symbols like ‘Honeybee’ and ‘Important Mosques’ were less favored. The DEMATEL analysis revealed that ‘symbolism,’ ‘inspiration,’ and ‘presence of natural elements’ are the primary causal variables and drivers of the system, directly influencing effect indices such as ‘aesthetics,’ ‘landscape quality,’ and ‘spatial order.’ At the symbol level, ‘Shams’ and ‘Ayatollah Khoei’ also possess a causal and pivotal nature. These findings confirm that strengthening symbolic components is the main prerequisite for enhancing the visual and functional quality of the city entrance. Therefore, mere physical organization, without considering the community-accepted semantic and cultural layers, will not lead to the creation of a sustainable, identity-oriented space.