Transformation of Public Spaces and Changing Pattern of Mobility in a Historic City, Case Study:Isfahan, Iran (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Influence of Urban Design Performance on Walkability in Cultural Heritage Sites of Isfahan, Iran
Land, 2024
This research explores the impact of urban design performance qualities on pedestrian behavior in a cultural heritage site designated by UNESCO. The study employs a multi-method approach, including a questionnaire survey, empirical observation of pedestrian activities, and empirical axial line and visibility graph analysis using the space syntax technique. The first part of the study involved a questionnaire formatted as a polling sheet to gather expert assessments of spatial performance measures. The second part used a pilot survey to capture the perspectives of end users regarding the study’s objectives and their perceptions of the site. Pedestrian flow was observed using a technique called “gate counts”, with observations recorded as video clips during specific morning and afternoon periods across three pedestrian zones. The study also examined the behavioral patterns of pedestrians, including their movement patterns. Finally, the ArcGIS 10.3.1 software was employed to evaluate the reliability of the results. The main finding of this research is that pedestrian behavior and walkability in the historical areas are significantly influenced by landmark integration, wayfinding behavior, and the socio-economic functions of heritage sites. This study highlights the importance of using cognitive and syntactic analysis, community engagement, and historical preservation to enhance walkability, accessibility, and social interaction in heritage contexts. In addition, it identifies the need for improvements in urban design to address inconsistencies between syntactic maps and actual pedestrian flow, emphasizing the role of imageability and the impact of environmental and aesthetic factors on pedestrian movement. This research provides valuable insights for urban designers and planners, environmental psychologists, architects, and policymakers by highlighting the key elements that make urban spaces walkable, aiming to enhance the quality of public spaces.
Assessing the Impacts of Pedestrianisation on Historic Urban Landscape of Tehran
Int. J. Architect. Eng. Urban Plan, 28(1): 91-104, 2018
Urban planning has received tremendous public attention in the last few years. Energy cost, environmental issues, traffic congestion and the feeling of lack of belonging in the cities are among the factors that have contributed to the development of pedestrian areas. These public spaces provide opportunities for shopping, entertainment, eating facilities and gatherings where people can experience urban life as pedestrians. Over decades, the concept of pedestrianisation has become part of social urban life in the developed countries. However, developing countries such as Iran have just recently paid attention to pedestrianisation and walking as a mode of transportation. The historic core of Tehran, the capital of Iran, embraces significant tangible and intangible values. For a long time, enhancing the mobility in the area has been the important concern of the urban developers; pedestrianisation is their recently solution to this issue in this site. To study and evaluate this project, a literature and field research have been performed through investigating the valid documentations and using questionnaires and interviews with the locals and visitors. Taking advantage of the Historic Urban Landscape approach, the results of the field and bibliographic research have been evaluated and recommendations have been made for improving the pedestrian-oriented areas in the historic context. The findings of this research show that converting a street to a pedestrian zone does not mean to simply ban the vehicles from entering the site. On the contrary, there are essential bases in the site such as multifunctional places, human-scale dimensions or activities during the whole day and night that should be taken into consideration to provide a suitable space for pedestrians including citizens and tourists. Pedestrian zones include different functions such as residential, social, cultural, tourists, physical, economic, etc. on various dimensions and scales which affect the whole city design and management. Moreover, these spaces should be supported by variety of facilities like parking lots, public transportation and equipment for people with disabilities. Assessing the impacts of pedestrianisation in Tehran Grand Bazaar can pave the way for future studies with the aim of conserving unique features of the historic sites within an urban development process.
Manzar, the Scientific Journal in Landscape, 2022
The components of a traditional Iranian city include harmonious and cohesive structures arising from different concepts. The network of passages is one of the most significant communicative elements in these cities, which in addition to connecting different parts of the context, have contributed to the presence and various activities of the residents of the neighborhood and have had an important place in the public domain of the city. The exposure of the space organization and current life in these passages to the content and physical transformation of cities is a significant issue. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to scrutinize the position of historical passages in the structural system of public spaces of the city and to extract the factors affecting the position. To this end, this study examined to see how this element works in the public and collective domains of today’s cities. This research employed a qualitative approach and a descriptive and analytical method, and it examined the concept and characteristics of historical passages and the components of public space related to them through bibliographic and document studies. These components included access and movement, hierarchy, stillness, contrast and divergence, mobility and diversity, land-use intermixture, spatial flexibility, and continuity. This study used spatial physical analysis to examine the interaction of factors in the study area of Dar-Khoungah passage. The analysis was based on visual evidence and field observations. Due to the formation of the public space of Dar-Khoungah passage based on the organization system of neighborhood centers and the existence of evident characteristics such as historical buildings, spatial openings, old land-uses, and their arrangements, this study analyzed this passage from different perspectives such as urban space organization, part-whole relationship, joint communications, and component analysis and explained its effective qualities on the public space of the city. Analysis of the data shows that these qualities include physical connection and semantic relation of the public space, identification of the public space, balancing the public space, and the function of physical elements of the passage in explaining the public space, which can be a basis for future development of the passage, promotion of activities, social interactions and solving its physical issues and problems.
Re-coding The Characteristics of Public Spaces: The Case of İstanbul
Iconarp International J. of Architecture and Planning
This study proposes a quantitative assessment method to ascertain urban square potential at 12 gates of the historic city wall where different typologies, characteristics and periodic features are observed in Fatih district of Istanbul. The quantitative assessment method is based upon a series of indexes including 7 factors in total consisting of 35 indicators. The proposed method developed an "urban square potential index", making use of "transport and accessibility", "convex size", "builtup environment", "purpose of use and density", "morphology", "landscaping character" and "identity" factors. This index enables assessment of a square according to a) historical-cultural heritage richness and identity, b) functional diversity, c) accessibility, and d) vitality and spatial quality. This paper presents a base for "decisionsupport system" for decision-makers in determination of the most suitable square with a limited budget, time, labor and equipment during urban square development, design and improvement activities. Furthermore, it allows determination and implementation of the necessary interventions/improvements in order for the available undefined urban spaces to gain urban square functions.
2019
The advent of technology has reduced the need of citizens to buy, work and do even social interactions in urban space. This condition has increased the power of individuals to choose between attend or absent from the public space and consequently has highlighted the importance of public space quality. The purpose of the public life study is to focus on the daily life of urban space to identify factors affecting public life and provide a favorable urban environment for the presence of various social strata. In this regard, the 17th Shahrivar project in Tehran was selected, which, despite the planning for pedestrians, has not been able to provide the invited and desired space for citizens. The present research, with an emphasis on the ideas of Jan Gehl, uses Gehl's study tools of public life, including counting, mapping, looking for traces, keeping a diary and test walks in the area. The findings of the research show that the study area has not had a proper public life condition except in the evenings. The main factor was lack of transparent, attractive, dynamic and diverse activities in the axis. For this reason, abandoned spaces have been created with little social monitoring which cause unwanted and unplanned functions, such as becoming a vehicle park or the emergence of social unpredictable activities that is related to the background and potential context of space. By changing the social context of users toward abnormal, alien and specific people, has reduced the quality of the environment, especially in terms of psychological security, and has decreased the presence of normal people, specifically women and children.
The Chronological Process of Changes in Iranian Urban Spaces–A Case Study: Tehran and Its Squares
Journal of Civil Engineering and Architecture
One of the key current challenges in urban design and planning worldwide is the notion of "scale", which is important in various levels of decision making for urban spaces such as squares. How "scale" is defined in the field of design and planning will lead to divergent approaches towards urban spaces, such as adaptation, obeying, alteration, and neglect. In order to create successful urban spaces with suitable scales that respond to users' expectations, it is necessary to minimize the gap between the subjectivity and objectivity, and to this end, this paper studies the chronological process of such changes in Tehran and their impact on the design of one type of space: the urban square. Furthermore, this paper aims to identify if and how the subjectivity and objectivity of squares in Tehran have been changed as a result of chronological phases of transformation, particularly since the foundation of the city in 1524. The findings reveal how aspects of the city's squares are disappearing, but need to be revived to achieve socio-cultural sustainability. The main methods applied include a review of the related literature, an appropriate analysis, and direct observation.
Bagh-e Nazar, 2019
Problem Statement:A glance at the changes in the quality of urban spaces in our time would indicate the impact of outer forces that create new challenges in managing and improving the quality of urban space. Due to the power of these forces, transformations that once used to occur gradually throughout history are taking place much more quickly. Therefore, understanding the nature of urban transformation will open up new ways of coping with contemporary challenges for urban planners. A look at the existing literature shows that this issue has been treated insufficiently at the scale of urban space. Aims:As a result of rapid urban transitions and subsequent fundamental transformations in urban spaces, there is a need for another form of urban space analysis that has received little attention in classical urban space analysis. Historic cities are a suitable context for this kind of analysis. Methodology:The present study on the one hand analyzes the macro-level transformation of the city of Isfahan as a whole through an interpretive-historical method and, on the other hand, investigates the forces affecting the formation and transformation of new urban spaces in Isfahan through an analytical-descriptive approach and data collection methods such as document analysis, field observation, and interview. Conclusion:The results indicate that the most important forces of transition of the urban space include political system, government, people, events, technology, environment, and time. Also, analysis of major transformations in the macro-structure of Isfahan indicates that, during the history of the development of Isfahan from the Seljuk era (1037-1194), until the last three decades and despite the negative trends in urban space transformations during the Pahlavi period (1925-1979), the process of transition in the city has mainly focused on the city center. In recent decades, however, the central and historical areas of the city have experienced rapid, temporary, and discrete transitions whereas urban spaces outside the city have been developed, which have contributed to the formation of two opposing forces of urban transformation.
Changing patterns of urban public space
Cities, 1999
This paper looks at new, high-profile redevelopment projects in Tokyo and New York City and their surroundings for examples of trends in the design of urban public spaces and changing patterns in how they are used. This includes new parks and other open spaces, landscaped plazas or public squares associated with new office towers, shopping centers and other largescale commercial developments, and various popular "festival sites" such as those along recreation waterfronts. A comparison indicates that both cities have quite a few new public spaces that enhance the quality of urban life and add aesthetic appeal, but that also reflect certain social problems and divisions. We see the following common trends: (1) increasing privatization of spaces that were once more clearly in the public domain; (2) increasing surveillance of public spaces and control of access to them in order to improve security; and (3) increasing use of design themes that employ "theme park" simulations and break connections with local history and geography. In the Tokyo area there is also a curious trend to create large, landscaped open areas near new development projects that few people use. They can be called "planned wastelands" or "new urban deserts". New York City, on the other hand, has succeeded in having more people come together for enjoyment in parts of the city that were once all but abandoned. The paper is illustrated with photographs, and draws on the examples of Times Square, South Street Seaport and Battery Park City in New York, and Yebisu Garden Place, Teleport-Daiba, Makuhari New Town and Minato Mirai 21 in the Tokyo-Yokohama area.
Impact of Urban Open Spaces on City Spatial Structure (In Case of Isfahan)
Urban Agglomeration [Working Title], 2022
Public spaces can be considered as important elements to improve the quality of the environment and increase the sense of citizenship. On the other hand, the cohesive network of urban spaces shows the integrated structure of a city’s spatial organization, in which not only the connection of form and function is considered, but also meaning finds its place in a complex urban system. Since the spatial structure of the traditional Iranian cities is ingrained in geographical factors and culture of the settlements, the evolution of this structure in Isfahan as one of the most famous historical cities in Iran is examined. The aim of this study is to answer this question: How do urban open spaces impact city spatial structure? The research method is descriptive-analytical, which has been concluded in a process of content analysis. The development of Isfahan’s structure over time and role of urban spaces in its formation has been studied. Entrances, key points, roads, and water edges as mai...