Evaluating the Impacts of Urban Landscape Quality on Pedestrian Promotion in Urban Public Spaces (Case Study of Ramian City, Golestan Province)

Subject Areas :

zahra Kaghazadlou ¹ , alireza ladanmohadm ² , Saeed Akbari ³

1 - MSc Student of Landscape Engineering, Aliabad Katol Branch, Islamic Azad University
2 - Associate Professor of gardening, Faculty of Agriculture, Islamic Azad University, Garmsar Branch
3 - Assistant Professor of Architecture, Aliabad Katoul Branch, Islamic Azad University

Received: 2019-08-01 Accepted : 2020-01-29 Published : 2020-04-20

Keywords: pedestrian, public spaces, Urban Landscape, Ramyan city, Visual qualities,

Abstract :

       The spread of modernity has led to the widespread use of cars around the world. So that in urban environments that were human-dominated before the Industrial Revolution, spaces became a priority for car traffic, but planning scholars began to pay attention to the priority of human traffic over cars in urban spaces  As a solution to reduce air pollution and create lively human environments. The present study, with this approach, has evaluated the quality of urban spaces (with emphasis on urban landscape) in Ramian city, Golestan province. In this regard, descriptive-analytic method and factor analysis model have been used. Citizenship questionnaire and statistical sample number of 380 cases were identified. The validity of the tool was confirmed by the teachers of urban planning and design and the reliability of the research was confirmed by the KMO test. Finally, eight factors related to the quality of public spaces and urban landscape have been identified using factor analysis. The results indicate that visual qualities play an undeniable role in promoting pedestrian orientation in public spaces (given that the first factor identified is physical-visual, social, and environmental factors, including aesthetic dimensions). And functionality is: the status of urban furniture, green space and park, the status of specific cultural monuments such as exhibitions, the status of tourism spaces. Using these factors can be considered as a major strategy for creating pedestrian urban spaces. Extended Abstract: Introduction:          Urban public areas (street, sidewalk, square, park, etc.) are the most important part of cities and urban environments. In such areas, most contact, communication and interaction occur between humans. These spaces encompass all parts of the urban context that people have physical and visual access to. The literature on urban development has focused on the relationship between human-built environments and citizens' traffic behavior, But considering the dimensions of the urban landscape and answering the question of whether the urban landscape (and its elements and factors can influence the quantity and quality of the urban landscape) has not received much attention; Therefore, the answer to this question has been the focus of this study. Ramian city with a population of 86210 is located in the south of Golestan province. The city has two subdivisions (Central and Fndarsk), four cities (Ramyan - Deland - Khan Bain and Upper Tatars) and four districts (Miran Castle, Deland, North Fndersk and South Fndersk).The area of the city consists primarily of agricultural lands, then grassland and finally forest. The average city height is 291 meters and the average rainfall is about 700 mm per year. The city of Ramian (case study) The center of the city of Ramian has a population of 13,000 and an area of 5 square kilometers.The city's natural welfare and natural-climate capabilities have led to a population growth rate of 1.6 percent over the last two censuses (Iran Statistics Center Web site, 2016).A survey of demographic trends for small towns (including the city of Ramian) shows that although such cities comprise the majority of the country's cities, they do not account for a significant proportion of the urban population. The situation can be explained by the phenomenon of migration (village-town and small town-metropolis).The root cause of the migration of environmental hazards (drought, floods, earthquakes), the elimination of biological-biological needs, access to livelihoods and facilities, along with the acquisition of new jobs and higher incomes, the elimination of poverty and unemployment economically and economically Socio-cultural needs such as education, raising the level of culture, and a desire to live in specific areas are the most important motivations for migration; So part of the needs that lead to migration to metropolises (congestion, pollution and social problems, etc.),It comes from cultural-social needs. Research suggests that promoting physical and urban qualities (as part of socio-cultural needs) can be a factor in promoting urban quality, Increasing physical and visual attractiveness and its direct and indirect effects are of great importance in terms of population sustainability in small towns in the country and can increase population survival and attract rural immigrants to these cities, ultimately The preservation of the productive foundations of the country has resulted in the prosperity of the regional economy.  Methodology:       The descriptive-analytical method and the factor analysis model are used. Citizenship questionnaire was used to collect data and 380 statistical samples were identified. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by the teachers of urban planning and design and the reliability of the research was confirmed by the KMO test. Finally, eight factors related to the quality of public spaces and urban landscape have been identified using factor analysis.  Results and discussion:       After performing various stages of the factor analysis process, eight factors should be identified in terms of grooves. In fact, the more components that are present in the primitive factors, the more important and influential the end result is. In order to name the extracted factors, the extracted components and characteristics must be specified. Earlier factors are more important in this process. The eight extracted factors are presented and presented in the following table and are proportional to the number of duplicate indices named for the selected factors. In the following, in order to identify the dimensions related to the dimensions and factors related to pedestrian (also related to landscape and street qualities) using the results of factor analysis test is presented and presented. In fact, identified factors can lead to improved overall street quality.  Conclusion:       The evaluation showed that 8 key factors play a key role in the creation of public spaces (in Ramyan Street Imam Street). The most important identified factor is named as physical, social and environmental factor. The interpretation of this factor indicates that the improvement and improvement of the quality and quantity of pedestrian traffic depends on the improvement of visual-physical quality (aesthetic and functional status such as urban furniture, status of specific cultural monuments such as exhibitions, status of tourism spaces) and socio-biological Is the environment (park and green space suitable for all age groups and ... and spaces and furniture at certain intervals for people to rest), so the research hypothesis is based on the relationship between urban landscape quality and pedestrian quality. Confirmed. Other identified factors that are significant but less important than the primary factor are identified and ranked as follows: Factor 2: Security, Traffic and Environment, Factor 3: Environmental, Factor 4: Socio-cultural and Security, Fifth Factor: Visual-Physical, Fifth Factor: Public Safety and Traffic Safety, Fifth Factor: Traffic and Access, and finally Factor eight: Socio-Cultural and Leisure.

References:

1. Applyard, Donald (2003): Streets Can Cause Cities to Die (Guidelines for Designing Streets in Third World Cities), Modern Translation by Tholey, Abadi Quarterly, No. 39.


2. Bahraini, Hossein, Izadi, Mohammad Saeed, Mofidi, Mehr Anoush (2011): Approaches to Urban Renewal Policies (From Reconstruction to Sustainable Urban Recreation), Urban Studies Quarterly, No. 9, Winter 2013.


3. Bahraini, Seyyed Hossein (1996): Analysis of Urban Spaces, University of Tehran Press, Third Edition


4. Bahraini, Seyyed Hossein (1998): The Urban Design Process, University of Tehran Publications


5. Basiri, Raya, (2009): Planning and Design for Pedestrians, Tehran, Your Expectations, p. 10.


6. Bentley, In (2006): Responsive Environments, translated by Dr. Mostafa Behzadfar, Tehran, Iran University of Science and Technology Publications.


7. Pakzad, Jahanshah (2006): The Thoughts on Urbanization from Quantity to Quality, Tehran, Armanshahr Publications.


8. Pakzad, Jahanshah (2007): Design Guide for Urban Spaces in Iran, Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.


9. Tibbalds, Francis (2008): Citizenship Urbanism, Translated by Mohammad Ahmadinejad, Isfahan, Soil Publishing.


10. Habibi, Seyed Mohsen (1999): Civil Society and Urban Life, Journal of Fine Arts, No. 7.


11. Habibi, Kiomars, Pour Ahmad, Ahmad, Meshkini, Abolfazl (2007): Improvement and Renovation of Ancient Urban Textures, Tehran, Kurdistan University Press.


12. Rapport, Amos (2005): The Meaning of the Built Environment: A Non-Verbal Communication Approach, Farah Habib translation, Tehran, Urban Planning and Publication.


13. Soleimani, Alireza, Maroussi, Nafiseh, Faramarzi, Mahsa (1979): An Analysis of the Impact of Physical Planning on Behavior in Urban Spaces (Case Study of Imam Urmia Street). Urban Planning and Research Quarterly, 9 (33), 49-68.


14. Farrokhian, Forouzan, Maidzadeh, Hoda (2018): The Impact of Urban Green Space on the Quality of Life of Citizens of Ahvaz, Journal of Urban Research and Planning, 9 (33), 49-68.


15. Gol, Jan (2004): Public Spaces and Collective Living, Turkmah Ali Ghaffari and Sadegh Soheilipour, Tehran.


16. Lorestani, Akbar, Current, Mohammad, Hosseini Movahed, Seyed Jalal, Biranvand Zadeh, Maryam (2012): Strategic Planning for Organizing Urban Decay Textures (Case Study: Decay Texture around Qom Jami Mosque), Geography and Planning Quarterly Zagros Urban Landscape, Fourth Year, No. 13.


17. Mojdizadeh, Sweden (2000): The Importance and Place of Root Walking, All Shadows, No. 19, Second Year.


18. Appelyard, Donald, Foreward, Edited by Anne Vernez Moudon, 1987, Public street for public use, Columbia University Press, New York


19. Appelyard,Donald, 1981, Livable Streets. University of California Press. Berkeley.


20. Brambilla, R. and Longo, G. (1977), Pedestrian Zones: A Design Guide, Columbia University.


21. Fruin, J. (1971); Pedestrian Planning and Design, NewYork.


22. Gehl- Jan, Gemz ّ e(2001), ‘New city spaces’, The Danish Architectural Press.


23. Harwood, D.W.1986, NCHRP 282: Multilane Design Alternatives for Improving Suburban Highways, (Transportation Research Board: Washington, DC, March 1986).


24. HassKlau, C (1990); the Pedestrian and City Traffic, London: Belhaven Press.


25. Jensen, W. A. Stump, T. K. Brown, B. B. Werner, C. M. & Smith, K. R. (2017). Walkability, complete streets, and gender: Who benefits most? Health & Place, 48, 80-89. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.healthplace.2017.09.007


26. Kim, J. Y. (2016). "Cultural entrepreneurs and urban regeneration in Itaewon, Seoul." Cities 56: 132-140.


27. Omar, S. S. et al. (2016). "Bringing the New to the Old: Urban Regeneration through Public Arts." Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences 234: 515-524.


28. Pusharev, B.S & Zupon, J. M, (1975);Urban Space for Pedestrian, Cambridge, Mass,Mitpress.


29. Roger, W. (2005). Encyclopedia of the City, published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library


30. Simpson, B, J, (1988); City Center Planning and Transport, England, Van strand Vein bold.


31. Su, S. Zhou, H. Xu, M. Ru, H. Wang, W. & Weng, M. (2019). Auditing street walkability and associated social inequalities for planning implications. Journal of Transport Geography, 74, 62-76. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtrangeo.2018.11.003


32. Tan, X. et al. (2018). "Localized place-making and the knowledge-based regeneration strategies – The case of Xiasha Village in Shenzhen." Habitat International.


33. Uysal, Ü. E. (2012). "An urban social movement challenging urban regeneration: The case of Sulukule, Istanbul." Cities 29(1): 12-22.


34. Wall et al. (2006). More Urban Less Poor - An introduction to Urban Development and Management. London, UK: Earthscan Publications Ltd.


35. Wang, A. et al. (2016). "Group Decision Making Model of Urban Renewal Based on Sustainable Development: Public Participation Perspective." Procedia Engineering 145: 1509-1517.


36. Wang, R. Lu, Y. Zhang, J. Liu, P. Yao, Y. & Liu, Y. (2019). The relationship between visual enclosure for neighbourhood street walkability and elders’ mental health in China: Using street view images. Journal of Transport & Health, 13, 90-102. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jth.2019.02.009


37. Yıldızer, G. et al. (2018). "The association of various social capital indicators and physical activity participation among Turkish adolescents." Journal of Sport and Health Science 7(1): 27-33.


38. Yung, E. H. K. et al. (2017). "Underlying social factors for evaluating heritage conservation in urban renewal districts." Habitat International 66: 135-148.


39. Zheng, H.W. Shen, G.Q. Wang, H. 2014. A review of recent studies on sustainableurban renewal. Habitat Int. 41, 272–279.


40. Zhou, H. He, S. Cai, Y. Wang, M. & Su, S. (2019). Social inequalities in neighborhood visual walkability: Using street view imagery and deep learning technologies to facilitate healthy city planning. Sustainable Cities and Society, 50, 101605. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2019.101605