نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسندگان English
Urban public spaces, particularly streets, constitute one of the most significant components of the urban fabric and play a fundamental role in shaping social life, collective memory, and urban identity. Beyond their traditional transportation function, contemporary urban streets serve as multifunctional spaces that facilitate social interaction, economic activities, cultural exchange, and civic engagement. In recent decades, rapid urbanization, increasing motor vehicle dependency, and the prioritization of traffic-oriented planning approaches have significantly reduced the social and environmental quality of many urban streets. Consequently, the concept of urban street regeneration has emerged as a critical strategy for restoring the social, spatial, and environmental functions of streets while promoting human-centered urban development. Within this framework, enhancing environmental quality and increasing the presence and participation of citizens in urban spaces have become central objectives of sustainable urban planning and design.
Sattarkhan Street in Shiraz represents one of the city’s most important urban corridors due to its strategic location and concentration of diverse land uses. The street accommodates a wide range of functions, including specialized healthcare facilities, administrative offices, commercial centers, educational institutions, and cultural services. These characteristics have transformed Sattarkhan Street into a highly active and frequently used urban axis that attracts a substantial number of residents, employees, visitors, patients, and shoppers on a daily basis. Despite its strategic importance and functional diversity, the street faces several urban challenges that negatively affect its overall performance and user experience. Issues such as traffic congestion, insufficient pedestrian facilities, environmental degradation, visual disorder, inadequate green spaces, declining perceptions of safety, and limited opportunities for social interaction have gradually reduced the street’s attractiveness and its capacity to accommodate meaningful public life.
Given the growing importance of creating people-oriented urban environments, there is an urgent need to investigate the factors that influence environmental quality and citizen presence within this urban corridor. Regenerating Sattarkhan Street requires a comprehensive understanding of the physical, social, and functional dimensions that contribute to the vitality and livability of urban streets. Therefore, this study aims to identify and analyze the key factors affecting the quality and presence-friendliness of Sattarkhan Street and to provide practical insights for urban regeneration strategies that prioritize human experience and public engagement.
The research adopts a qualitative methodology grounded in the principles of Grounded Theory. This methodological approach was selected because it enables the systematic exploration of users’ perceptions, experiences, and interpretations of urban space while allowing theoretical concepts to emerge directly from empirical data. Data were collected through structured interviews conducted with eighty-six users of Sattarkhan Street. Participants were selected randomly from different age groups, genders, occupations, and user categories to ensure a diverse representation of street users and experiences. The interview process focused on understanding how individuals perceive the quality of the street environment, what factors encourage or discourage their presence, and how they evaluate the overall functionality and attractiveness of the space.
The collected data were analyzed through an iterative coding process involving open coding, axial coding, and selective coding. During the open coding phase, numerous concepts related to environmental quality, urban vitality, accessibility, safety, visual attractiveness, and social interaction were identified. In the axial coding stage, these concepts were categorized into broader thematic dimensions based on their relationships and interactions. Finally, selective coding facilitated the development of a conceptual framework that explains the factors influencing environmental quality and citizen presence in the study area.
The findings reveal that three primary dimensions play a decisive role in enhancing both the quality and presence-friendliness of Sattarkhan Street. The first dimension is urban vitality and dynamism, which emerged as the most significant indicator of citizen presence. Respondents consistently emphasized the importance of active public spaces, continuous pedestrian movement, diverse user groups, and opportunities for social interaction in creating an attractive and lively street environment. Urban vitality was found to be strongly associated with feelings of safety, comfort, and belonging. Streets characterized by active human presence are perceived as safer and more welcoming, thereby encouraging longer stays and repeated visits.
The second dimension identified in the study is spatial attractiveness and visual quality. Participants highlighted the importance of aesthetic elements such as street landscaping, urban furniture, greenery, façade quality, cleanliness, lighting, and visual coherence. The findings indicate that visually appealing environments significantly enhance users’ emotional attachment to place and positively influence their willingness to spend time in public spaces. Conversely, visual pollution, neglected urban elements, and poor maintenance were identified as factors that diminish the perceived quality of the street environment and reduce citizen engagement.
The third dimension relates to the type and quality of activities, including both active and passive uses of urban space. Active activities encompass commercial interactions, cultural events, recreational opportunities, and community gatherings, while passive activities include walking, observing urban life, resting, and casual social encounters. The results demonstrate that the diversity and quality of activities available along the street directly influence patterns of use and levels of public participation. Streets that offer a broader range of opportunities for engagement are more likely to attract diverse user groups and sustain activity throughout different times of the day.
The interaction between these three dimensions generates a synergistic effect that contributes to the overall success of urban streets as public places. The findings suggest that environmental quality and citizen presence are not independent phenomena but rather interconnected aspects of urban experience. Improvements in visual quality, for example, can strengthen urban vitality by attracting more users, while increased activity levels can enhance perceptions of safety and comfort. Similarly, the provision of diverse activities can stimulate social interaction and foster a stronger sense of place attachment among residents and visitors.
From a planning and policy perspective, the study underscores the necessity of shifting from vehicle-oriented approaches toward more human-centered urban regeneration strategies. Enhancing walkability, improving pedestrian infrastructure, increasing green spaces, upgrading public amenities, strengthening street identity, and supporting mixed-use development are among the key interventions recommended for improving the quality and functionality of Sattarkhan Street. Such measures can contribute to creating a more inclusive, vibrant, and resilient urban environment that better responds to the needs and expectations of contemporary urban residents.
The research contributes to the growing body of literature on urban street regeneration by emphasizing the central role of citizen experience in evaluating and transforming public spaces. Unlike conventional approaches that focus primarily on physical infrastructure, this study highlights the importance of integrating social, perceptual, and behavioral dimensions into urban planning processes. The findings demonstrate that successful street regeneration depends not only on physical improvements but also on fostering environments that encourage active public life, social interaction, and meaningful engagement with urban space.
In conclusion, the regeneration of Sattarkhan Street should be approached as a multidimensional process that simultaneously addresses environmental quality, urban vitality, and activity diversity. By prioritizing these interconnected factors, urban planners and policymakers can enhance the street’s capacity to function as a dynamic public realm that supports social cohesion, economic activity, and urban sustainability. The results of this study provide valuable guidance for future urban regeneration projects in Shiraz and other cities facing similar challenges, offering a practical framework for designing streets that are not only efficient transportation corridors but also vibrant places for everyday urban life.
کلیدواژهها English
