Investigating the extent of Shiraz metropolis's child-friendly city indicators and effective factors in improving the current situation
maryam haghpanah
1
(
Department of Architecture, Shiraz Azad University
)
Keywords: Sustainable Development, Shiraz Metropolis, Child-friendly city,
Abstract :
child-friendly city stands out as a crucial concern in contemporary times. Such cities should be meticulously designed, prioritizing the rights and needs of children at their core. Recognizing the significance of indicators for a child-friendly city, particularly in large urban centers, is essential. Shiraz, with its rich historical and cultural background, is no exception and should embrace this perspective in its development. This research, utilizing a descriptive-analytical methodology and field data, employs a questionnaire as its data collection tool. The statistical population encompasses the city of Shiraz, totaling 1,565,572 individuals. The sample size, determined using Cochran's formula, is 384 people. The validation and reliability of the questionnaire were confirmed through structural and identity validity tests, as well as Cronbach's alpha exceeding 0.70. The findings indicate that Shiraz is considered a child-friendly city, albeit with social-cultural, environmental-physical, design, and access indicators falling below 0.05, resulting in average scores of 2.079, 2.003, 1.970, and 1.131, respectively. These scores reflect a suboptimal condition. The factor analysis identifies four major factors contributing to the enhancement of the existing situation: management and urban planning for children's needs (35.85%), empowerment and attention to children (13.02%), beautification, design, and placement of services for children (11.02%), and development of urban spaces for children (9.85%). Furthermore, the results of the structural equation modeling demonstrate that these factors collectively contribute to creating a child-friendly city, with an effect of 0.59. Empowering children through municipal programs (explaining 0.80) and involving children in urban space planning (explaining 0.79) emerge as influential components in fostering a child-friendly city.
