Investigating the extent of Shiraz metropolis's child-friendly city indicators and effective factors in improving the current situation
Subject Areas :
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.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
With the expansion of the wave of urbanization in the world on the one hand and the increase of the population on the other hand, children are neglected in modern urban developments and the need to pay attention to them in cities is felt more than ever. The city is a living and dynamic reality that should not impose itself on the child, but should be shaped according to his personality. There are many theories about the relationship between the city and the child, the most reliable of which is the "child-friendly city", which was first presented in the 90s by UNICEF, or the Children's Protection Fund. A child-friendly city is one of the most important approaches in today's era. In this type of cities, development should be planned according to children's rights and meeting the needs of this group should be prioritized. Based on this, cities try to emphasize the indicators of a child-friendly city in the heart of development. This issue has become more important in big cities. Shiraz metropolis, as a city with a rich historical and cultural background, should move in this direction. In this context, knowing the extent to which this city has child-friendly city indicators, as well as effective factors in improving the current situation, can be one of the first measures that have been pursued in this research.
Methodology
The current research is of a quantitative and applied type and is part of a descriptive-analytical research, which was completed using documentary data (articles, books, Iran Statistics Center, etc.) and field data (completion of a questionnaire). The statistical population of the research included the citizens of Shiraz. The population of this city was equal to 1565572 people according to the latest statistics available to the researcher and based on the population and housing census of 2015. Based on Cochran's formula, the statistical sample was calculated as 384 people. Data collection methods are in two forms: library (documents) and field (survey). The main research tool for collecting field data is a researcher-made questionnaire. For analysis, the data are summarized, coded and categorized and finally processed to provide the basis for analysis and connections between these data in order to answer the questions. SPSS and AMOS software were used for data analysis. Quantitative methods have been used to measure and analyze the data, which include structural equation modeling as well as factor analysis and sample t-test.
Results and discussion
The assessment of Shiraz metropolis in terms of having the socio-cultural indicators of a child-friendly city through the sample T-Tech test shows that all the socio-cultural indicators were significant at the level of less than 0.05 and equal to 0.000. Examining the direction of significance according to the mean indicates that the minimum mean is related to the existence of leisure facilities for children with a value of 1.645 and the maximum mean is related to the index of participation and giving importance to children with a value of 2.312. The comparison of minimum and maximum average socio-cultural indicators shows that the situation of Shiraz metropolis is not favorable in this regard. Among other indicators of this department, we can point out the weakness of playground equipment for children with an average of 2.140 and also the lack of a library for children with an average of 2.205.Another indicator of a child-friendly city is the environmental-physical indicators of the city. The assessment of Shiraz metropolis in terms of having the environmental-physical indicators of a child-friendly city through a sample T-Tech test shows that all the environmental-physical indicators were significant at the level of less than 0.05 and equal to 0.000. Examining the significance direction according to the mean shows that the minimum mean related to the use of acceptable architecture for children was 1.763 and the maximum mean related to the green space index necessary for children to play was 2.341. The comparison of minimum and maximum average environmental-physical indicators shows that the situation of Shiraz metropolis is not favorable in this regard. Other indicators of this section include the inappropriateness of street asphalt with an average of 1.979, as well as inappropriate furniture in urban spaces for children with an average of 1.817.
The assessment of Shiraz metropolis in terms of having child-friendly city design indicators through the T-Tech test shows that all the design indicators were significant at the level of less than 0.05 and equal to 0.000. Examining the direction of significance according to the average shows that the minimum average is related to the existence of suitable sidewalks for children with a value of 1.763 and the maximum average is related to the design index of bench and park seats for children with a value of 2.242. Comparing the minimum and maximum average urban design indicators shows that the situation of Shiraz metropolis is inappropriate in this regard. Among other inappropriate indicators, we can mention the inappropriate coloring and beauty of the city for children with an average of 1.929, as well as the absence of a separate bicycle lane for children with an average of 1.934.
In general, it can be said that the 15 investigated factors include the implementation of cultural programs and festivals in accordance with the realization of a child-friendly city, giving importance to the place of children in urban management, using the elements accepted by children at the city level, determining the annual budget. For a child-friendly city in the municipality, paying attention to children's creativity and innovation in the development of the city, expanding services and public spaces for children, optimal location of services for children's access, allocating bicycle spaces for children, creating safe spots for children in the city, designing and the beautification of urban spaces for children, forward-looking towards the spaces needed by children in urban management, creating a child-friendly city office or unit in the municipality, accompanying families with urban management in the field of promoting child-friendly city indicators, empowering children through municipal programs Children's participation in the planning of urban spaces can be effective in realizing a child-friendly city and improving the existing situation. Examining the impact of different factors in the realization of a child-friendly city (improving the existing situation) shows that the total effect value is 0.59, and in total, the investigated factors can account for about 59% of the variance, role-playing and positive effects in the realization of a child-friendly city and the improvement of the situation. Explain what is in Shiraz metropolis. According to the results of this model, the most effective is related to the empowerment of children through municipal programs with an explanation of 0.80.
Conclusion
The results of this research and their analysis show that the city of Shiraz does not have a favorable situation in terms of various indicators of a child-friendly city, including social-cultural, environmental-physical, access and design indicators. In this regard, we can point to the inappropriateness of playground equipment for children, the lack of participation and importance for children, the weakness of sports facilities for children, the lack of coloring and beauty of the city for children, the problems of light and the necessary lighting of urban spaces for children, etc. . cited. The analysis of the results shows that four major factors include urban management and planning based on children's needs; empowering and paying attention to children; Beautification, design and location suitable for children and the development of services and urban spaces for children can be effective in improving the existing situation; Because although the indicators of the child-friendly city in Shiraz metropolis are weak, there are also diverse and reliable capacities that can improve the situation.
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