Introduction
In contemporary discourse on urban public spaces, a paradigmatic shift has occurred from an emphasis on physical form toward human experience, social interaction, and embodied perception. Public spaces are no longer viewed merely as infrastructures for movement, but as dynamic arenas where urban memory, symbolic identity, and lived experiences are continually produced and reproduced. Accordingly, the analytical framework for such spaces must consider the continuous interaction among three core pillars: physical form, users’ behavior, and perception; this framework becomes fully comprehensive only when time is introduced as a fourth dynamic component. Current theoretical literature increasingly conceptualizes the city as a time-sensitive, multi-layered construct, in which temporal rhythms actively shape spatial experience.
Two major traditions have influenced this field. The physical–perceptual tradition, grounded in the seminal works of Lynch (1960) and Gehl (2011, 2013), highlights how qualities such as legibility, enclosure, imageability, and active edges structure perception and behavior. The phenomenological–temporal tradition, informed by Heidegger (1927) and Giedion (1941/2009), views place as inherently temporal and historically stratified—a notion expanded by Carmona (2021) and Madanipour (2007), who describe urban space as a “historical palimpsest” shaped by successive layers of time.
Despite this theoretical richness, a key analytical gap persists: most studies focus either on static physicality or treat time abstractly, with few examining form–time interaction through spatio-temporal rhythms—defined as organized patterns of social activity tied to spatial and temporal structures. This gap is particularly critical in historic environments, where physical stability and temporal fluidity coexist. Traditional bazaars exemplify such settings, combining economic roles with cultural identity, collective memory, and ritual-based rhythms (e.g., Nowruz, Muharram) that intensify behavioral and perceptual dynamics.
In Iran, although valuable research has addressed physical form, behavior, or perception individually, integrative studies that examine all four dimensions—form, time, behavior, and perception—within actively used historic spaces are limited. Consequently, the mechanisms through which a stable physical fabric interacts with event-based temporal cycles to shape behavior and its cognitive representation remain insufficiently understood.
The Purpose of the Research
The present study, focused on the Historic Bazaar of Kerman (from Arg Square to Ganjali Khan Square), utilizes Nowruz as an event-based temporal rhythm to address the following research question:
How, and through what mechanisms, do physical and temporal dimensions reorganize users’ behavioral patterns in historic public spaces, and how are these changes reflected in cognitive maps and mental structures?
The Kerman Bazaar, characterized by a relatively unchanged Safavid–Qajar physical structure alongside dramatically fluctuating temporal rhythms during festive periods, provides an exemplary case for empirically exploring these multi-layered interactions. The overarching objective is to formulate an integrated analytical framework for understanding the Form–Time–Behavior–Perception system and to extract practical insights for the flexible and sustainable management of historic public spaces.
Methodology
This study employs a convergent parallel mixed-methods design, in which quantitative (behavioral) and qualitative (perceptual) data are collected simultaneously under the same spatio-temporal conditions and subsequently integrated at interpretive levels. This design enables a comprehensive analysis of four interacting components that cannot be effectively understood through sequential procedures. Moreover, Nowruz—acting as an intensive temporal stimulant—creates rapid shifts in the behavioral–perceptual system; therefore, synchronized data collection was necessary to avoid information loss.
The research was conducted in two parallel phases:
Quantitative Phase: Systematic behavioral observation during two distinct timeframes: pre-Nowruz (ordinary rhythm) and Nowruz holidays (event-based rhythm).
Qualitative Phase: Assessment of environmental perception, lived experience, and cognitive mapping during the same timeframes.
These datasets were integrated in a third phase to interpret the interactive mechanisms underlying the system.
Sample and Data Collection
The statistical population includes all users (pedestrians, shoppers, vendors, and tourists) present in the selected section of the bazaar. For qualitative analysis, 60 participants were selected using maximum diversity sampling (considering age, gender, activity type), and data collection continued until theoretical saturation. For the quantitative phase, each observable behavior was classified as a separate unit of analysis. Over 14 observation days (two 7-day periods), behavioral data were recorded in six 2-hour daily sessions, yielding 4238 coded behavioral units.
Tools and Analytical Techniques
• Structured Behavioral Observation with behaviors coded into five categories: Necessary Movement (R1), Short Stop (R2), Long Stop (R3), Optional Activity (R4), and Social Interaction (R5).
• Cognitive Mapping (Lynch-based sketch mapping), with data aggregated into weighted collective maps.
• Semi-structured Interviews (15–25 minutes), capturing perception, sensory experience, and temporal awareness.
Analytical techniques included descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, K-means clustering, spatio-temporal mapping (ArcGIS 10.8), multivariate logistic regression, and thematic coding (NVivo 12). Validity was assured through triangulation, inter-coder reliability (κ = 0.89), and member-checking.
Findings and Discussion
Quantitative Findings: Analysis of Behavioral Patterns
The distribution of the five behavioral categories changed significantly between the pre-Nowruz and Nowruz periods (χ² = 47.8, p < 0.001). Key changes include:
• Necessary Movement (R1) decreased sharply from 62% to 38%.
• Social Interaction (R5) increased dramatically from 4% to 15%.
• Optional Activity (R4) increased from 6% to 18%.
This indicates that Nowruz, as a temporal stimulus, significantly increased the share of social and optional behaviors, transforming the space from a “movement corridor” to a “social destination.”
Cluster analysis of users revealed three distinct groups whose proportions shifted markedly: “Purposeful Shoppers” (decreased from 72% to 35%), “Experience-Oriented Tourists” (increased from 18% to 45%), and “Socializers” (increased from 10% to 20%). This signifies a shift from instrumental motivations (shopping, passage) to experiential ones (experience, interaction).
Spatial analysis showed a fundamental shift in activity hubs. In the pre-Nowruz period, about 68% of behaviors were concentrated along the linear axis from Arg Square to Ganjali Khan Square. During Nowruz, the behavioral focus shifted to three attractor nodes: Ganjali Khan Square (40%), Chaharsough (14%), and Ganjali Khan Caravanserai (15%). This represents a shift from linear, flow-based movement to circular, nodal movement.
Viewshed analysis confirmed a strong correlation (r = 0.89, p < 0.01) between wide visual angles (open sightlines) and the occurrence of social and optional behaviors. Spaces with the widest views (Ganjali Khan Square: 270+ degrees, Chaharsough: 240 degrees) attracted the highest share of these behaviors during Nowruz, while narrow passages with limited visibility remained primarily movement corridors.
Multivariate logistic regression analysis (Nagelkerke R² = 0.76) identified four variables as significant predictors of social behavior during Nowruz: Path Width (Odds Ratio, OR=2.32), Spatial Visibility (OR=3.42), Proximity to a Landmark (OR=2.63 for decreased distance), and Population Density (OR=0.52, reflecting a negative effect).
Qualitative Findings: From Sensory Experience to Mental Structure
Analysis of the 60 cognitive maps revealed that spatial perception was heavily organized around landmarks and main paths. Ganjali Khan Square, Chaharsough, and the historic bathhouse were the most frequently drawn elements—precisely the same points that were identified as behavioral hotspots. This finding highlights the process of “imageability” as described by Lynch.
Thematic analysis of interviews revealed a transformation in sensory and phenomenological experience during Nowruz:
• Visual: From crowded, chaotic visuals focused on goods to colorful, orderly, ritually decorated environments.
• Auditory: From functional sounds (bargaining, engines) to social and leisure sounds (music, laughter, conversation).
• Olfactory: From a mix of commercial smells (spices, leather) to dominant spring scents (flowers, herbs) and local foods.
• Kinesthetic/Tactile: From hard surfaces, crowding, and restricted movement to varied textures, open spaces for sitting, and smoother flow.
Key phenomenological themes emerged from the interviews, including a sense of belonging and identity (among locals), pride (especially during Nowruz), a sense of “suspended time,” the contrast between tradition and modernity, and a heightened sense of community and shared ownership of the space.
The use of the collective pronoun “we” to describe the bazaar experience increased from 42% to 78% during Nowruz (compared to pre-Nowruz), indicating a stronger sense of social inclusion.
Integration and Interpretation of Findings
The Interaction Mechanism of Form-Time-Perception-Behavior: A crucial finding was the high spatial overlap between points of peak behavioral density during Nowruz (Ganjali Khan Square, Chaharsough) and the symbolic landmarks identified in the collective cognitive map. This demonstrates a direct and reinforcing relationship between physical quality, perceptual attractiveness, and collective behavioral patterns.
The Nowruz event, by injecting event-based elements (decorations, programs, temporary activities) and temporarily altering space use, transformed not only behavioral patterns but also the mental structure that individuals held of the bazaar. The space changed from a purely functional environment to a vibrant, multifunctional urban stage.
Conclusion
This research confirms that a comprehensive understanding of historic public spaces requires conceptualizing time not as a secondary or decorative factor, but as a structural dimension equal to form, behavior, and perception. The Kerman Bazaar case illustrates how cultural–temporal rhythms such as Nowruz can temporarily reorganize spatial meaning, behavior, and mental representation even without physical intervention.
The study contributes theoretically by conceptualizing the Form–Time–Behavior–Perception relationship as a living system, and methodologically by demonstrating how mixed-methods triangulation can reveal embedded mechanisms of interaction. Practically, it suggests that designing time—via cultural programming and soft interventions—offers an effective strategy to enhance the livability and identity of historic spaces, minimizing the need for costly physical modifications.
Ultimately, historic bazaars like Kerman’s can continue serving as vibrant arenas for collective life when planning approaches shift from protecting physical objects to cultivating temporal vitality.