Geography and Urban Research

Assessment of the status of urban space desirability components in Sarab

Document Type : Article extracted from the dissertation

Authors

esmaeil chalangari 1
Omid Mobaraki 2
Zahra Afzali 3

1 Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Humanities, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Humanities, University of Maragheh, Maragheh, Iran.

3 Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22130/gur.2026.2080742.1034
Abstract
With the emergence of multiple social, cultural, economic, physical, and environmental crises in cities across the world during the second half of the twentieth century the desirability of urban space, particularly in developing countries, has declined. Accordingly, in recent years this issue has become one of the most fundamental topics within the fields of human and environmental studies. The evaluation of urban space quality is undertaken not only on the basis of the objective environment but also according to individuals’ perceptions of the environment to which they belong. In this regard, the present study aims to assess the desirability of the urban space of Sarab. The research is applied in nature and employs a descriptive–analytical method. Data were collected through a survey using a questionnaire. Sarab has a population of approximately 45,031 people, and based on Cochran’s formula, 380 questionnaires were randomly distributed among citizens over 15 years of age. The research components include environmental (13 items), accessibility and comfort (14 items), aesthetics and identity representation (13 items), and security (10 items). SPSS software was used for data analysis, employing statistical tests including the one-sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, stepwise regression, and Tukey’s test. The findings reveal that the status of Sarab across all examined components—environmental (2.90), accessibility and comfort (2.49), aesthetics and identity representation (2.62), and security (2.94)—was below the average threshold, namely the value of 3. Regarding the research components, the results indicate that the security component, with a beta value of 0.179, carries relatively greater importance in shaping the desirability of urban spaces in Sarab, whereas the aesthetics and identity representation component, with a beta value of 0.060, holds the least significance. Overall, the urban space of Sarab does not exhibit a desirable condition in terms of desirability. Therefore, urban managers and planners in Sarab must, through proper and efficient management, take measures to enhance the desirability of urban space and thereby ensure the welfare, comfort, and security of citizens.

Keywords

Evaluation
Urban Space
Desirability
Sarab City
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Geography and Urban Research
Volume 2, Issue 4
Winter 2026
Pages 41-56

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