Investigating the Physical Criteria Effective on the Formation of Women's Mental Image of the Ideal Urban Space: Case Study of Ahvaz City

Subject Areas : Urban planning

Majid Goodarzi ^{1 *} , Parviz Soleimani Moghaddam ² , Ebtesam Albu Baledi ³

1 - Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Payam-e-Noor University, Tehran, Iran
3 - Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Received: 2024-06-22 Accepted : 2024-09-26 Published : 2025-04-17

Keywords: Mental image, urban spaces, SECA model, Ahvaz,

Abstract :

A mental image is the image or perception of every human towards himself, others, and the surrounding environment. Therefore, it is necessary to deal with the mental concepts of the person and the formation of the mental image of the environment and its effect on behavior, as well as judgment regarding the choice of a suitable place for women. Urban space is the basic element of city construction, which is related to the center of social strategies and shapes people's behavior and social life. At the same time, the urban public space is a space that, with its physical structure and social function, can provide a favorable arena for the growth and development of civil society. The present study aimed to investigate the physical criteria that effectively form women's mental image of the desirable urban space in Ahvaz City. This applied study employed a descriptive-analytical research method. The study also used the SECA model to analyze the data. The research results showed that ten factors impacted the criteria for forming women's mental image of the desirable urban space of Ahvaz. Among these criteria of shopping and tourism centers in Ahvaz City, Mahziyar City Center got the first rank, Imam Khomeini Bazaar obtained the second rank, and Burj Shopping Center ranked third.

 

Extended Abstract

Introduction

A city is the home of different groups of people, and only by understanding the images that various groups and people of the city have in their minds can we know them. Their relationship can create a pleasant environment where everyone is happy to live. This point indicates that the image of any environment is not only the result of the effect of external manifestations of that environment on the observer's mind, but also the observer's imagination has an effective contribution in creating it. Since different groups use the city, it must be accepted that it is imperative to understand the images that the main groups of society have in mind. Today, the relationship between "gender" and "urban space" is one of the primary debates for optimal design in urban planning, and it has affected the attitude and how to organize the living space from various psychological, social, cultural, and economic aspects.

Another critical point is whether the differences between men and women are inherent or acquired. Forgetting the differences and being limited to similarities is incorrect and has negative consequences. The person-environment relationship at individual levels is related to feeling, perception, values, and subjective experiences; it is formed at social levels, such as different social groups or groups that are similar in age and gender. Therefore, the characteristics of each group and stratum must be examined at each level. On the other hand, gender, such as factors such as place of residence, age, socio-economic conditions, ethnicity, and income level, affect perceptions and knowledge of the environment. Therefore, it becomes necessary for women to deal with the individual's mental concepts and the formation of the mental image of the environment and its effect on behavior, as well as judgment regarding the choice of a suitable place.

 

Methodology

The present applied study employed a descriptive-analytical research method. The data were collected through the library and field study techniques. In the library technique, first, to examine the research records and background of the subject and explain the theoretical-conceptual framework, the existing books, articles, and dissertations were reviewed. In the field study technique, the data were collected using a questionnaire. The statistical population consisted of women over 18 years of age living in Ahvaz City, 381,294 individuals, according to the General Population and Housing Census 2015. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula, which included 384 participants. The participants were selected via a simple random sampling method. Data analysis was done using the SECA model.

 

Results and discussion

Table 1: Weight of criteria and score of the options

Criterion code	Criterion name	Weight of criterion	Option code	Option name	Option score	Option rank
C1	Physical and functional	0.1910	A1	Imam Khomeini Bazaar	0.8341	2
C2	Structural and spatial	0.1296	A2	Mahziyar City Center	0.8939	1
C3	Natural	0.2320	A3	Karun Shopping Center	0.7554	5
C4	Sociocultural	0.2339	A4	Burj shopping center	0.8112	3
C5	Economic	0.2136	A5	Imam Reza Bazaar	0.7931	4
			A6	Tabiat Bridge	0.7068	6
			A7	Ahvaz artificial waterfall	0.4494	10
			A8	Jazireh Park	0.6651	7
			A9	Museum of Contemporary Art	0.5418	9
			A10	Mayar's house	0.5863	8

 

As was determined from the results of the SECA method, the weights of the criteria and the scores of the options have been calculated at β=5, which are given in Table 7. Based on this, among the ten shopping and tourism centers in Ahvaz, Mahziyar City Center obtained the first rank, Imam Khomeini Bazaar obtained the second rank, and Burj Shopping Center won the third rank.

 

Conclusion

This research employed the SECA model. In this method, we examined five steps. In the first step, we formed a decision matrix using the opinion of experts. Then, in the second step, the criteria are normalized. In the third step, the value of is determined. This section calculates the correlation difference between one criterion and another criterion. So, , which is the correlation between the criteria, should be calculated first, and then, based on the correlation value of each criterion, the number is subtracted from 1, then the sums are added in a row. The fourth step determines the normal values of σj and πj. In this section, the normal values of σ_j and π_j are calculated. The value of π_j was calculated in the previous step, and for its normalization, each π_j should be divided by the total number of π_j to obtain normal values. For the normal value of σ_j, one must first calculate the value of σ_j, which is the same as the standard deviation. To normalize it, each σ_j is divided by the total sum of σ_j. In the fifth step, by using the optimization model and solving it in this section, using the model, a non-linear optimization model is created and solved by Lingo software. In this model, six models were implemented for β values from 0.1 to 6. The weight of the criteria and the score of options were obtained for each implementation. The weight values of the criteria (W) and the score of the options (A) are respectively given for different values of β. This research ranked ten shopping and tourism places in Ahvaz based on five physical and functional, structural and spatial, natural, social and cultural, and economic criteria.

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