The Role of Architectural and Physical Design Components of Urban Spaces in Enhancing Users’ Perceived Security

Abstract

The present study aimed to determine the role and contribution of architectural and physical design components, including lighting, enclosure, visual permeability, land-use diversity, urban furniture quality, vegetation, legibility, and sense of belonging, in enhancing users’ perceived security within urban spaces in Tabriz. This descriptive-analytical correlational study was conducted using a quantitative approach in three urban spaces in Tabriz, including a historical street, a modern street, and a pedestrian pathway redesigned according to CPTED principles. The sample size was estimated at 384 participants using Cochran’s formula, and ultimately 403 valid questionnaires were analyzed. Data were collected using a researcher-developed questionnaire consisting of 24 items measuring eight physical design components and 8 items assessing perceived security on a five-point Likert scale. Reliability was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of 0.85 for physical design components and 0.82 for perceived security. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and two-way ANOVA in SPSS version 26. The findings indicated that the mean perceived security score in the redesigned pedestrian pathway (4.5) was significantly higher than that of the modern street (3.8) and the historical street (2.5). Lighting showed the strongest positive correlation with perceived security (r = 0.72), followed by visual permeability (r = 0.68) and urban furniture quality (r = 0.65), whereas enclosure demonstrated no significant relationship (r = 0.08). Multiple regression analysis revealed that the physical design components collectively explained 67% of the variance in perceived security, with lighting emerging as the strongest predictor (β = 0.41). Furthermore, the two-way ANOVA demonstrated a significant interaction effect between urban space type and time of use, indicating that perceived security decreased more sharply at night in poorly designed spaces. The results demonstrated that lighting, visual permeability, and urban furniture quality are the most influential physical design components in enhancing perceived security within urban spaces. Appropriate environmental design can substantially reduce the decline in perceived security during nighttime. Moreover, enclosure alone did not contribute significantly to perceived security and may even reduce users’ sense of safety under certain conditions. Therefore, urban improvement strategies should prioritize high-quality lighting, increased transparency, and enhancement of physical environmental elements in public spaces.