https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_240830.html The physical structure of a city can be affected by many factors such as environmental, economic, social, political factors, prevailing trends and schools of thought, and urbanization patterns of the world. The growth and development of cities, due to various events in all historical periods, has led to physical changes and developments in cities, and for this reason, today, under the influence of these visual disturbances, the appearance and landscape of cities have acquired an unpleasant and undesirable appearance that lacks any attractiveness or beauty. On this basis, this research has been formed in order to examine the challenges of creating physical changes and developments in the city from the perspective of urban beautification in the city of Babylon. The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature. In order to collect data and information, two common parts, library and field (questionnaire), have been used. The statistical population of the study consisted of 209 officials and experts related to urban beautification and physical changes in Mazandaran Province and Babol Municipality. Therefore, the sample size was 135 using the Cochran formula. Cluster random sampling was also performed. Regression and ANOVA tests were used to analyze the data obtained from the questionnaire. The results of the regression test and the correlation coefficient were 0.687 and the determination coefficient was 0.472. This indicates that 47 percent of the urban beautification components (identity and creation of urban character, removal of visual clutter, creation of symbols and native elements) in Babol are related to creating physical changes and developments. The results of the present study can be generalized to most municipalities and urban management systems in Iran and indicate that there is a significant relationship between creating physical changes and development https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_239547.html The physical development of cities is a dynamic and continuous process, during which the physical limits of the city and its physical spaces in vertical and horizontal directions are increased quantitatively and qualitatively, and if this process is rapid and unplanned, it causes an unbalanced physical development of spaces. It becomes urban and as a result it will face many problems in urban systems. Therefore, the goals of this research are to analyze land suitability for the purpose of urban physical development with the approach of environmental considerations. The research method is applied according to the purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of its nature and method. The investigated criteria include 11 environmental components (height, slope, direction of slope, distance from the service area of the city, soil erosion, geology, distance from rivers, distance from fault, distance from rural areas, land use and distance from It is the road. To evaluate and analyze land suitability for physical development, various multi-criteria decision-making techniques (MCDM) have been used. Excel, GIS, IDRISI and Google Earth pro software were used for data analysis and map drawing. The results of the research showed that parts of the southern, southeastern, southwestern, and northeastern parts of the studied area are the most suitable places for the physical development of Oshnavieh city. The main reason for this choice was the appropriate slope, the distance from the river and the fault, etc. Finally, two priority ranges (A and B) were proposed for the physical development of the city for the coming years, which can be used in accordance with the needs in the phase of continuous and discontinuous urban development to develop and create residential settlements as an option, compared to other options. Others should be considered. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_240831.html AbstractThe rapid population growth in Asian megacities has posed a serious challenge for policymakers in managing and containing urban spatial expansion. Adopting an analytical–comparative approach, this study examines urban growth management policies in four selected Asian capitals—Beijing, Seoul, Riyadh, and Tehran—based on documentary analysis and insights from spatial policy theories. Within this framework, three key dimensions—political support, public preference, and planning priority—are analyzed alongside two dominant orientations: development-oriented and conservation-oriented policies. Findings reveal that greenbelts and urban growth boundaries have been the main instruments for controlling urban sprawl in these metropolitan areas. However, differences in governance structures, levels of social support, and planning priorities have led to distinct patterns of growth management. Riyadh has deviated from its growth boundary policy, resulting in dispersed development; Seoul has implemented a controlled conservation-oriented greenbelt policy; Beijing has adopted a hybrid approach combining conservation and development through both greenbelts and growth boundaries; and Tehran, through a dual model of growth boundaries and legal urban fringe, has emphasized conservation in theory but exhibited scattered and uncoordinated development in practice. Overall, the study concludes that the success or failure of urban growth management policies depends primarily on institutional and political conditions and the alignment of spatial policy instruments with governance objectives, offering valuable lessons for other developing megacities. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_239548.html This study aims to identify and analyze the key challenges and barriers that hinder effective public participation in the urban renewal projects of deteriorated areas in Tabriz. The central issue lies in the low level of citizen engagement in redevelopment initiatives, which often face stagnation or failure due to a lack of attention to social and institutional contexts. The research adopts a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 urban planning experts, and data were coded using thematic analysis in MAXQDA. In the quantitative phase, data were collected from 256 property owners with registered plots within the deteriorated areas and analyzed using SmartPLS. The qualitative findings revealed 9 main dimensions and 41 sub-indicators, including regulatory frameworks, lack of social capital, weak oversight, limited capacity building, and absence of participatory precedents. Structural regression analysis indicated that all hypothesized paths were statistically significant, with the highest path coefficient belonging to "regulations and policies" (beta = 0.699, t = 13.698). The coefficient of determination (R²) for the dependent variable "public participation" was calculated at 0.642, indicating that the model explains 64.2% of the variance. All variables met normality assumptions, and reliability indices (Cronbach's alpha > 0.70) confirmed internal consistency. In conclusion, achieving meaningful public participation in the renewal of Tabriz’s deteriorated urban fabric requires institutional reform and the restoration of public trust at the neighborhood level. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_240832.html Throughout history, Iranian residential architecture has been formed based on a set of criteria that are implicitly aligned with the principles of sustainable development. In the meantime, social sustainability as one of the main pillars of sustainable development has played an essential role in spatial organization and social relations in traditional Iranian houses. However, in contemporary residential architecture, many of these factors have been toned down or eliminated. The purpose of this research is to identify the parameters of social sustainability in the design of residential houses in Tehran during the Qajar period and to investigate how they are reflected in the spatial and physical structure of these houses. The architecture of the Qajar era, especially after the era of Naser al-Din Shah, is considered a period of transition between tradition and modernity, where residential houses show a combination of traditional Iranian architectural patterns and western architectural influences. The present research method is analytical-applied and the studied samples include three Qajar houses of Dabir al-Molk, Motamen al-Atebba and Mehraban Menesh located in Naesri wall in 12 districts of Tehran. The results demonstrate that the parameters such as social justice, social interactions, spatial flexibility, maintaining privacy and social security, creating a sense of peace , ,connection between private and collective spaces, and taking advantage of the climatic components have played a decisive role in the social sustainability of Qajar houses. In the conclusion, based on the findings, suggestions for using these factors in contemporary housing design are provided. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_239553.html This research aims to analyze the decorative elements and arrays of Qajar-era houses in Tabriz based on three key dimensions: aesthetic, functional, and sense of place. The study focuses on identifying how these dimensions contribute to the architectural value and cultural significance of the houses. The objective is to assess how decorative features enhance the spatial identity and functionality of the houses, and how these elements resonate with the social and historical context of the Qajar period. The research utilizes a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative analysis with a quantitative evaluation. A total of 20 experts in the field of architecture and urban planning were selected for this study. Data were collected through surveys and expert interviews, and were analyzed using the PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling) method. For weighting the criteria, Shannon entropy was applied, allowing for a more precise ranking of the houses based on their aesthetic, functional, and sense-of-place dimensions. The results indicate that "House X" achieved the highest score in terms of aesthetic and functional appeal, while "House Y" excelled in creating a strong sense of place. The findings also show significant correlations between the design elements and the socio-economic status of the original owners. The study concludes that the decorative arrays of Qajar houses not only reflect the artistic trends of the period but also serve as crucial elements in defining the identity and spatial experience of these historical buildings. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_239550.html This study aimed to measure the effectiveness of urban environmental management in improving the security, quality of life, and livability in phase one of the new city of Sahand. The main issue was the gap between management actions and tangible improvements in the security, quality of life, and the mediating role of livability to explain it. The research method is quantitative. Data were collected from 383 respondents randomly. The initial instrument consisted of 54 items in 17 indicators. After exploratory refinement by removing 7 weak items, the final version was stabilized with 47 items. Second-order confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling in AMOS software showed that the composite reliability of all indicators was higher than 0.70 and the average variance extracted was equal to or greater than 0.50. The structural results indicate that the path of urban environmental management to livability is significant and strong (β=0.69). Livability also has a significant effect on the security of quality of life (β=0.74). In contrast, the direct effect of management on the security of quality of life remained invalid (β=0.12). The coefficient of determination for livability was estimated to be 0.48 and for the security of quality of life was estimated to be 0.61. Also, bootstrap with 5000 repetitions reported the indirect effect of management on the security of quality of life to be 0.51 and significant. Among the different dimensions, water and wastewater, governance, green space and sustainable transportation played the greatest role in promoting livability and consequently in improving the security of quality of life. The findings show that management interventions lead to a sustainable improvement in the security of quality of life only if they lead to the daily experience of citizens in accessibility, quality of space, perceived safety and environmental comfort. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_239552.html Abstract:The purpose of this research is to elucidate and analyze the continuum of human resilience in the face of crises through examining roles physical structures and environmental quality in the Ekbatan residential complex in Tehran, using a mixed-method qualitative–quantitative approach to provide an integrated framework for enhancing urban resilience at the neighborhood scale. This study adopted an exploratory sequential mixed-method design. In qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 experts to identify main components and indicators influencing human resilience. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire consisting of 34 items was developed based on the qualitative results and distributed among 382 residents of the Ekbatan complex. Data were then analyzed using statistical methods. Quantitative findings revealed that among ten main indicators, satisfaction with quality of life (mean = 4.02) and safety and security (mean = 3.97) had the highest influence on human resilience, while accessibility and communication (mean = 3.21) had the lowest. Multiple regression analysis showed that physical and environmental components explained 29 percent and 34 percent of the variance in human resilience, respectively. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that all factor loadings were above 0.4, confirming the three-factor structure the conceptual model. Overall, the results demonstrate that human resilience in Ekbatan is shaped not only by the physical structure design of safe open spaces but also by environmental quality, sense of belonging, social cohesion, and life satisfaction. These findings provide a practical foundation for developing policies and design strategies aimed at fostering resilient residential neighborhoods in Iranian metropolises. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_239554.html The main objective of this study was to evaluate and rank the historical houses of Tabriz in terms of the impact of land use changes on various dimensions of sustainability, including physical, socio-cultural, economic, and environmental aspects. For this purpose, first, the influential indicators and sub-indices were identified and ranked using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). In this study, 24 sub-indices related to the sustainability of these houses were evaluated in four different dimensions. The collected data were analyzed through pairwise comparisons and Expert Choice and Super Decisions software. The results show that land use changes in some historical houses, especially the Constitutional House, the Amir Nezam Grosi House, and the Behnam House, have had positive effects on preserving historical architectural features and cultural identity, as well as economic efficiency and environmental compatibility. The Constitutional House ranks first with a final score of 0.80 and is known as the most successful example in preserving historical identity and interacting with new needs. In contrast, the Hariri House, despite having some positive economic and social features, ranks last due to its weakness in maintaining physical and environmental features. This research emphasizes the importance of paying attention to various dimensions of sustainability in the process of revitalization and changes in the use of historical monuments and shows that in order to achieve sustainable and successful results in restoration projects, it is necessary to simultaneously maintain architectural authenticity, improve social and cultural performance, economic productivity, and environmental compatibility. https://mpsh.uoz.ac.ir/article_242874.html