Comparative Study of Identifying Factors Influencing the Enhancement of Environmental Quality in Urban Neighborhoods with Emphasis on Place Identity from the Perspective of Citizens and Design Engineers (Case Study: Qasr al-Dasht Neighborhood, Shiraz)

Abstract

Today, the issue of quality has become one of the emerging discussions in contemporary architecture and urban planning. Place identity and the application of its components lead to the enhancement of urban environmental quality. Therefore, assessing the qualitative status of these environments—including urban neighborhoods—and evaluating the level of satisfaction and use of these spaces, as well as efforts to strengthen the social interactions of all stakeholders in such urban environments, is essential. The purpose of this research is a comparative study aimed at identifying the factors influencing the enhancement of environmental quality in urban neighborhoods, with emphasis on place identity, from the perspectives of both citizens and design engineers. The selected area for this study is the Qasr al-Dasht neighborhood in the city of Shiraz, which is one of the old neighborhoods located in Shiraz. Urban planners believe that environmental and spatial quality is a key concept in regional and social planning and is associated with concepts such as quality of life, diversity of social spaces, physical characteristics, activities, spatial attachments, and urban identity. Understanding the relationship between humans and place is an essential requirement for comprehending place identity and its elements, and for improving urban environmental quality through its components. In this article, based on definitions, concepts, and criteria of environmental quality, and considering the stages of place identity formation, effective indicators of spatial quality were collected. Finally, these indicators were refined and localized according to the aims of the research. Based on the conducted studies in the selected area, the criteria were classified into three general categories: physical factors, activity-related factors, and semantic factors. Regarding semantic factors, it was observed that the criterion of wayfinding had the greatest influence, from the respondents’ perspective, on the enhancement of environmental quality. Concerning activity-related factors, the presence of life and activity in the neighborhood after sunset was reported as having the most significant impact on environmental quality. Regarding physical and structural factors, physical connectivity was identified as having the greatest effect on improving environmental quality. The statistical population of the study consists of 306 residents of residential units in the Qasr al-Dasht neighborhood of Shiraz and 30 design engineers, all selected through simple random sampling. For analyzing the questionnaire data, SPSS statistical software was used, and the Friedman test was applied to rank and determine the importance of the criteria influencing neighborhood quality enhancement.