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Volume 38, Issue 1 (2023)
GeoRes 2023, 38(1): 83-90 |
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Received: 2023/01/3 | Accepted: 2023/03/4 | Published: 2022/04/14
Received: 2023/01/3 | Accepted: 2023/03/4 | Published: 2022/04/14
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Yarahmadi N, Khaliji M, Rezaie M. Zoning of the Urban Regions of Ahvaz City, Iran, Based on the Social Creativity Effective Factors. GeoRes 2023; 38 (1) :83-90
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1- Department of Urban Planning, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
2- Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
2- Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Marvdasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht, Iran
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Introduction
Creativity plays a crucial role in urban regeneration and redevelopment. The creative approach in cities signifies a transition from industrial to intellectual or creative production, and from a state-centered model toward governance based on collaboration among governments, corporations, and NGOs. Given the profound transformations currently occurring in urban environments, the creativity of policymakers, business owners, and residents is a vital factor in solving many urban problems. This approach emphasizes the creative engagement of citizens in addressing various urban issues [Mokhtarimalekabadi, 2014]. The significance of this subject is such that the talents, desires, motivations, dreams, and creativity of citizens have gradually replaced the traditional advantages of cities—such as geographic location, natural resources, and proximity to markets. The creativity of those who live in a city or manage its affairs ensures that city’s success in the future world [Rafieeyan & Shabani, 2015].
Cities and their public spaces, while capable of rendering social systems passive and lifeless, can equally contribute to enhancing cultural creativity and developing the broader cultural capital of society. Urban public spaces, as open and collective outdoor environments where social interactions occur, serve as places where people can establish new structures and define a distinct sense of identity. Receptive and diverse spaces attract a greater number of talented and creative individuals who contribute to innovation and growth [Florida, 2003]. These spaces provide venues for the exchange of ideas and information and foster the formation of social networks in which various social groups participate. Such spaces are more than mere physical environments—they constitute experiences through which individuals, by engaging with one another, produce and express their ideas and creativity [Gharehbaglou & Kargar, 2017].
Creativity not only focuses on generating ideas but also emphasizes their application and implementation [Landry, 2005]. It is considered an essential source of change, innovation, sustainable development, foresight, and visionary reconstruction. From intellectual and biological perspectives, creativity is an inherent characteristic embedded in all humans [Florida, 2005]. Human creativity is regarded as the primary source of human capital and an inexhaustible resource that drives future societal development [Shahraki et al., 2016]. This recognition has led urban management and stakeholders to increasingly invest in cultural infrastructure and creativity-based economies over the past two decades [Comunian, 2011]. Creativity encompasses experimentation, the ability to rewrite rules, rethinking problems, envisioning future scenarios and solutions, and viewing issues with flexibility and foresight [Bianchini & Landry, 1995].
A creative environment is defined as a spatial hub that combines soft and hard infrastructure and serves as a container for creative individuals and enterprises [Landry, 2005]. This concept parallels that of an innovative environment, characterized by four key features: the exchange of information among people, awareness and storage of knowledge, skill in specific activities, and the creation of something new beyond these three processes. In a creative environment, social and economic networks play a crucial role in fostering creativity [Baycan & Girard, 2011]. In creative urban settings, social boundaries can be broken, unplanned interactions can occur, and individuals from diverse backgrounds can connect in new contexts [Pakzad, 2010].
Creative urban environments can be categorized into macro, meso, and micro levels. At the macro level, the aim is to highlight urban regions and foster creativity in addressing issues beyond the scale of individual cities, such as cultural programs and broad policy initiatives developed by urban management. The meso level focuses on urban issues solvable through creativity and improving the quality of urban life, such as creative infrastructure, efficient urban transportation, and planning for cultural events and creative activities. At the micro level, the goal is to create urban creative spaces to facilitate innovative ideas and human interactions. Creative individuals require spaces for living, working, inspiration, and displaying their work; therefore, the quality and attractiveness of urban spaces become critical in attracting the creative class [Kurtarir, 2005].
The social activation of public spaces primarily depends on physical factors that enable people to enter and stay in them, including accessibility, visual appeal, natural elements, and other related features. However, beyond physical aspects, the creation of social events and activities has a stronger influence on social presence and interaction by fostering participation and enhancing the sense of place [Landry, 2006].
The quality of place in urban public spaces plays an important role in attracting and retaining the creative class. Maintaining urban spaces in alignment with the evolving needs, behaviors, and social activities of citizens is crucial. The creative class tends to favor environments that are innovative, diverse, and tolerant, and they value informal recreational experiences. Public spaces, considered the key factor in shaping a creative city, can serve as creative clusters when they embody qualities such as participation, identity formation, economic value, urban vitality, diversity, and attractiveness, all of which enhance the quality of urban life [Kurtarir & Cengiz, 2005]. Providing spatial conditions conducive to creativity is thus a defining feature of creative urban areas.
A creative city functions as a hub of innovation, creativity, and the transformation of ideas into wealth. Since ideas and innovation are the main competitive assets in the era of globalization, developing creative cities has become an aspiration of every society [Ghorbani et al., 2013].
Therefore, if conditions can be established in which people think, plan, and act based on ambitious research, and if continuous opportunities for growth are provided, the realization of a creative city becomes attainable. These opportunities may include initiatives that enhance economic productivity and improve the visual quality of the urban environment [Golmakani & Karimkhah, 2018]. Social creativity, however, represents a form of participation, interaction, and behavior that manifests within the urban community. The fundamental distinction between social creativity and creative urban environments lies in their focus: social creativity emphasizes the innovative social reactions of residents and users of space, whereas spatial creativity concerns the existing conditions and settings that enable creative expression. Urban neighborhoods, given their differences in physical, social, and economic characteristics, can provide diverse contexts for the emergence of various types of social creativity [Liu et al., 2015; Hall, 2000].
The aim of this study is to develop a model identifying the underlying factors influencing the emergence of social creativity in the urban environment and to spatially classify the districts of Ahvaz based on these factors.
Methodology
This research employed a descriptive qualitative–quantitative approach and was conducted in Ahvaz city in 2022. The literature review in the research domain was performed using a meta-synthesis strategy of the meta-analysis type. International articles were searched in the ISI, WoS, ESI, IWSC, and Scopus databases using the keywords “creative city” and “urban creativity.” Through the examination of the selected studies, 79 initial codes influencing the emergence of social creativity in urban spaces were extracted and categorized into five themes. Based on these, a preliminary questionnaire containing 79 items was designed using a five-point Likert scale (very effective, effective, neutral, ineffective, very ineffective).
The preliminary questionnaire was reviewed in two rounds of expert evaluation by a panel of 24 specialists in the fields of urban planning, urban design, and urban development. During these two rounds, repetitive items were eliminated, and similar items were merged, resulting in the second version of the questionnaire containing 74 indicators influencing urban creativity.
To ensure the selection of the most essential and accurate content (the necessity of the proposed items), content validity was quantitatively assessed using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI), calculated based on the opinions of the same 24 experts. As a result, the items were reduced to 71.
After approval and preparation of the final version of the questionnaire, a combination of fieldwork, on-site observation of urban areas, and citizen surveys was used to assess and map the creative status of Ahvaz’s urban districts. The required sample size, estimated at 680 individuals based on Morgan’s table, was selected through simple random sampling across eight municipal districts (85 respondents from each district).
Data analysis was performed using factor analysis in SPSS version 23. Before running the factor analysis, its assumptions, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, were tested and confirmed. The reliability of the questionnaire was verified using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.901), confirming internal consistency.
To weight the evaluated indicators in each urban district, the VIKOR method was applied. For spatial classification of Ahvaz’s urban areas based on their level of urban creativity, the obtained weights were entered into ArcGIS version 10.8, and the final creativity zoning map of the city was produced.
Findings
Five main dimensions underlying the emergence of creativity in urban spaces were identified: spatial context, general social characteristics, social characteristics of creative expression, individual characteristics, and economic characteristics. These five dimensions initially comprised 79 components. Following a detailed review of these components and expert panel evaluation, the final questionnaire was refined to include 71 items.
The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified 13 factors that together explained 68.546% of the total variance in the questionnaire. The factors obtained through EFA were subsequently analyzed and validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in AMOS software .
The levels of social creativity across the urban districts of Ahvaz were then assessed. Districts 1, 2, and 4 demonstrated very high (0.8), high (0.7), and high (0.6) levels of social creativity, respectively. Districts 3 (0.42), 6 (0.4), and 7 (0.5) exhibited moderate levels, while districts 8 (0.3) and 5 (0.2) showed low and very low levels of social creativity, respectively.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to develop a model of the contextual factors influencing the emergence of social creativity in urban environments and to spatially classify the urban districts of Ahvaz based on these factors.
Creative cities play a fundamental role in the growth and development of any urban area. The presence of cultural and economic infrastructures, creative leadership, and the contribution of innovative individuals are among the structural foundations that foster creative urban environments. A creative city is respected for its aesthetic significance and its ability to nurture perception and communication, a place where cultural diversity is valued and the expression of creativity in all its forms is encouraged. The diffusion of creativity into urban spaces is one of the key principles underlying urban vitality, spatial inclusiveness, and the social creativity of citizens.
The findings revealed that 13 factors account for 68.546% of the variance related to social creativity in urban spaces:
The spatial distribution of social creativity across Ahvaz’s urban districts, based on the identified factors, demonstrated that districts 1, 2, and 4 had the highest weights for contextual factors fostering social creativity. These districts, located in the central areas of Ahvaz, showed better potential for creative urban development. Conversely, districts 8 and 5 exhibited the lowest scores. In peripheral districts, factors such as social–economic interactions, economic vitality, and event orientation were less influential.
A comparison of the study’s findings with previous research confirms their consistency with earlier results. The emphasis on stakeholder participation and its impact on fostering creativity in urban spaces aligns with the findings of Goldberg-Miller and Heimlich (2017) and Shoshanah and Miller (2019), who highlighted the importance of cultural and artistic built environments and design attractiveness in nurturing creativity. The results also overlap with those of Yeh et al. (2022), concerning the influence of natural characteristics of place on social creativity, and Ameli Helali et al. (2019), who have emphasized contextual factors in creative urban environments. Similarly, Paknezhad and Latifi (2019) have explored issues related to the foundations of creative cities, strategic planning for creative city development, and the potential of intermediary spaces, which closely relate to the spatial context dimension identified in this study.
Sasaki (2010) also underscores the role of artists in creative cities at social, cultural, and economic levels. His study demonstrated that cities with strong artistic presence experience higher cultural consumption, and when this is combined with sectors such as medical and pharmaceutical industries, it helps stabilize population migration trends. This process not only contributes to urban regeneration in deteriorated areas but also enhances social environments and alleviates issues in low-income districts. Similarly, Bagheri Kashkooli et al. (2019) and Mirzayi et al. (2019) have noted that one of the main goals of creative cities and sustainable development is to attract and retain the creative and skilled class, a crucial prerequisite for knowledge-based urban competitiveness. Their findings show that Yazd’s cities lack sufficient infrastructure to attract this creative class due to weaknesses in demographic, economic, and social indicators.
Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the emergence of creativity in urban environments is influenced by a wide range of factors. These include social, individual, and personality characteristics of urban space users; vitality and dynamism of the environment; mixed land uses; event orientation of urban spaces; social capital and participatory spirit; safety and security of places; vibrancy and continuity of activities (especially at extended hours); and attention to scale and proportion—all of which are fundamental to fostering creativity in urban settings.
Accordingly, the most important measures to foster creativity in urban spaces are as follows:
Conclusion
The factors influencing the emergence of social creativity in urban environments can be categorized into five main dimensions: economic characteristics, social characteristics, spatial context, cultural attributes, and individual traits. The thirteen identified factors associated with these five dimensions collectively explained 68.5% of the variance in the emergence of creativity within the studied urban spaces. The conditions of the factors influencing social creativity in Districts 5 and 8 of Ahvaz require special attention, as these areas exhibited relatively weaker performance compared to others. In contrast, Districts 1, 2, and 4 demonstrated more favorable conditions for the development and enhancement of social creativity.
Acknowledgments: None reported by the authors.
Ethical Permission: None reported by the authors.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Authors’ Contributions: Yarahmadi N (First Author), Principal Researcher/Introduction Writer (50%); Khaliji MA (Second Author), Discussion Writer/Methodologist (25%); Rezaei MR (Third Author), Assistant Researcher/Statistical Analyst (25%)
Funding: The research expenses were independently and personally funded by the authors.
Creativity plays a crucial role in urban regeneration and redevelopment. The creative approach in cities signifies a transition from industrial to intellectual or creative production, and from a state-centered model toward governance based on collaboration among governments, corporations, and NGOs. Given the profound transformations currently occurring in urban environments, the creativity of policymakers, business owners, and residents is a vital factor in solving many urban problems. This approach emphasizes the creative engagement of citizens in addressing various urban issues [Mokhtarimalekabadi, 2014]. The significance of this subject is such that the talents, desires, motivations, dreams, and creativity of citizens have gradually replaced the traditional advantages of cities—such as geographic location, natural resources, and proximity to markets. The creativity of those who live in a city or manage its affairs ensures that city’s success in the future world [Rafieeyan & Shabani, 2015].
Cities and their public spaces, while capable of rendering social systems passive and lifeless, can equally contribute to enhancing cultural creativity and developing the broader cultural capital of society. Urban public spaces, as open and collective outdoor environments where social interactions occur, serve as places where people can establish new structures and define a distinct sense of identity. Receptive and diverse spaces attract a greater number of talented and creative individuals who contribute to innovation and growth [Florida, 2003]. These spaces provide venues for the exchange of ideas and information and foster the formation of social networks in which various social groups participate. Such spaces are more than mere physical environments—they constitute experiences through which individuals, by engaging with one another, produce and express their ideas and creativity [Gharehbaglou & Kargar, 2017].
Creativity not only focuses on generating ideas but also emphasizes their application and implementation [Landry, 2005]. It is considered an essential source of change, innovation, sustainable development, foresight, and visionary reconstruction. From intellectual and biological perspectives, creativity is an inherent characteristic embedded in all humans [Florida, 2005]. Human creativity is regarded as the primary source of human capital and an inexhaustible resource that drives future societal development [Shahraki et al., 2016]. This recognition has led urban management and stakeholders to increasingly invest in cultural infrastructure and creativity-based economies over the past two decades [Comunian, 2011]. Creativity encompasses experimentation, the ability to rewrite rules, rethinking problems, envisioning future scenarios and solutions, and viewing issues with flexibility and foresight [Bianchini & Landry, 1995].
A creative environment is defined as a spatial hub that combines soft and hard infrastructure and serves as a container for creative individuals and enterprises [Landry, 2005]. This concept parallels that of an innovative environment, characterized by four key features: the exchange of information among people, awareness and storage of knowledge, skill in specific activities, and the creation of something new beyond these three processes. In a creative environment, social and economic networks play a crucial role in fostering creativity [Baycan & Girard, 2011]. In creative urban settings, social boundaries can be broken, unplanned interactions can occur, and individuals from diverse backgrounds can connect in new contexts [Pakzad, 2010].
Creative urban environments can be categorized into macro, meso, and micro levels. At the macro level, the aim is to highlight urban regions and foster creativity in addressing issues beyond the scale of individual cities, such as cultural programs and broad policy initiatives developed by urban management. The meso level focuses on urban issues solvable through creativity and improving the quality of urban life, such as creative infrastructure, efficient urban transportation, and planning for cultural events and creative activities. At the micro level, the goal is to create urban creative spaces to facilitate innovative ideas and human interactions. Creative individuals require spaces for living, working, inspiration, and displaying their work; therefore, the quality and attractiveness of urban spaces become critical in attracting the creative class [Kurtarir, 2005].
The social activation of public spaces primarily depends on physical factors that enable people to enter and stay in them, including accessibility, visual appeal, natural elements, and other related features. However, beyond physical aspects, the creation of social events and activities has a stronger influence on social presence and interaction by fostering participation and enhancing the sense of place [Landry, 2006].
The quality of place in urban public spaces plays an important role in attracting and retaining the creative class. Maintaining urban spaces in alignment with the evolving needs, behaviors, and social activities of citizens is crucial. The creative class tends to favor environments that are innovative, diverse, and tolerant, and they value informal recreational experiences. Public spaces, considered the key factor in shaping a creative city, can serve as creative clusters when they embody qualities such as participation, identity formation, economic value, urban vitality, diversity, and attractiveness, all of which enhance the quality of urban life [Kurtarir & Cengiz, 2005]. Providing spatial conditions conducive to creativity is thus a defining feature of creative urban areas.
A creative city functions as a hub of innovation, creativity, and the transformation of ideas into wealth. Since ideas and innovation are the main competitive assets in the era of globalization, developing creative cities has become an aspiration of every society [Ghorbani et al., 2013].
Therefore, if conditions can be established in which people think, plan, and act based on ambitious research, and if continuous opportunities for growth are provided, the realization of a creative city becomes attainable. These opportunities may include initiatives that enhance economic productivity and improve the visual quality of the urban environment [Golmakani & Karimkhah, 2018]. Social creativity, however, represents a form of participation, interaction, and behavior that manifests within the urban community. The fundamental distinction between social creativity and creative urban environments lies in their focus: social creativity emphasizes the innovative social reactions of residents and users of space, whereas spatial creativity concerns the existing conditions and settings that enable creative expression. Urban neighborhoods, given their differences in physical, social, and economic characteristics, can provide diverse contexts for the emergence of various types of social creativity [Liu et al., 2015; Hall, 2000].
The aim of this study is to develop a model identifying the underlying factors influencing the emergence of social creativity in the urban environment and to spatially classify the districts of Ahvaz based on these factors.
Methodology
This research employed a descriptive qualitative–quantitative approach and was conducted in Ahvaz city in 2022. The literature review in the research domain was performed using a meta-synthesis strategy of the meta-analysis type. International articles were searched in the ISI, WoS, ESI, IWSC, and Scopus databases using the keywords “creative city” and “urban creativity.” Through the examination of the selected studies, 79 initial codes influencing the emergence of social creativity in urban spaces were extracted and categorized into five themes. Based on these, a preliminary questionnaire containing 79 items was designed using a five-point Likert scale (very effective, effective, neutral, ineffective, very ineffective).
The preliminary questionnaire was reviewed in two rounds of expert evaluation by a panel of 24 specialists in the fields of urban planning, urban design, and urban development. During these two rounds, repetitive items were eliminated, and similar items were merged, resulting in the second version of the questionnaire containing 74 indicators influencing urban creativity.
To ensure the selection of the most essential and accurate content (the necessity of the proposed items), content validity was quantitatively assessed using the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and Content Validity Index (CVI), calculated based on the opinions of the same 24 experts. As a result, the items were reduced to 71.
After approval and preparation of the final version of the questionnaire, a combination of fieldwork, on-site observation of urban areas, and citizen surveys was used to assess and map the creative status of Ahvaz’s urban districts. The required sample size, estimated at 680 individuals based on Morgan’s table, was selected through simple random sampling across eight municipal districts (85 respondents from each district).
Data analysis was performed using factor analysis in SPSS version 23. Before running the factor analysis, its assumptions, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measure and Bartlett’s test of sphericity, were tested and confirmed. The reliability of the questionnaire was verified using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0.901), confirming internal consistency.
To weight the evaluated indicators in each urban district, the VIKOR method was applied. For spatial classification of Ahvaz’s urban areas based on their level of urban creativity, the obtained weights were entered into ArcGIS version 10.8, and the final creativity zoning map of the city was produced.
Findings
Five main dimensions underlying the emergence of creativity in urban spaces were identified: spatial context, general social characteristics, social characteristics of creative expression, individual characteristics, and economic characteristics. These five dimensions initially comprised 79 components. Following a detailed review of these components and expert panel evaluation, the final questionnaire was refined to include 71 items.
The exploratory factor analysis (EFA) identified 13 factors that together explained 68.546% of the total variance in the questionnaire. The factors obtained through EFA were subsequently analyzed and validated using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in AMOS software .
The levels of social creativity across the urban districts of Ahvaz were then assessed. Districts 1, 2, and 4 demonstrated very high (0.8), high (0.7), and high (0.6) levels of social creativity, respectively. Districts 3 (0.42), 6 (0.4), and 7 (0.5) exhibited moderate levels, while districts 8 (0.3) and 5 (0.2) showed low and very low levels of social creativity, respectively.
Discussion
The purpose of this study was to develop a model of the contextual factors influencing the emergence of social creativity in urban environments and to spatially classify the urban districts of Ahvaz based on these factors.
Creative cities play a fundamental role in the growth and development of any urban area. The presence of cultural and economic infrastructures, creative leadership, and the contribution of innovative individuals are among the structural foundations that foster creative urban environments. A creative city is respected for its aesthetic significance and its ability to nurture perception and communication, a place where cultural diversity is valued and the expression of creativity in all its forms is encouraged. The diffusion of creativity into urban spaces is one of the key principles underlying urban vitality, spatial inclusiveness, and the social creativity of citizens.
The findings revealed that 13 factors account for 68.546% of the variance related to social creativity in urban spaces:
- Social capital and motivation for talent and skill expression
- Spatial responsiveness and the experience of place-making
- Culture, tradition, and community beliefs
- Authenticity, diversity, and uniqueness of space and urban furniture
- Vibrancy of nighttime and leisure activities
- Economic vitality and value of space
- Meaningfulness of public space and observance of scale and proportion
- Invitational quality and legibility of urban space
- Event-centeredness of space
- Spatial diversity and visual permeability
- Spatial positioning and the capacity for memory recall
- Attention to spatial territory, gender, and age groups
- Interaction of social and economic forces within space
The spatial distribution of social creativity across Ahvaz’s urban districts, based on the identified factors, demonstrated that districts 1, 2, and 4 had the highest weights for contextual factors fostering social creativity. These districts, located in the central areas of Ahvaz, showed better potential for creative urban development. Conversely, districts 8 and 5 exhibited the lowest scores. In peripheral districts, factors such as social–economic interactions, economic vitality, and event orientation were less influential.
A comparison of the study’s findings with previous research confirms their consistency with earlier results. The emphasis on stakeholder participation and its impact on fostering creativity in urban spaces aligns with the findings of Goldberg-Miller and Heimlich (2017) and Shoshanah and Miller (2019), who highlighted the importance of cultural and artistic built environments and design attractiveness in nurturing creativity. The results also overlap with those of Yeh et al. (2022), concerning the influence of natural characteristics of place on social creativity, and Ameli Helali et al. (2019), who have emphasized contextual factors in creative urban environments. Similarly, Paknezhad and Latifi (2019) have explored issues related to the foundations of creative cities, strategic planning for creative city development, and the potential of intermediary spaces, which closely relate to the spatial context dimension identified in this study.
Sasaki (2010) also underscores the role of artists in creative cities at social, cultural, and economic levels. His study demonstrated that cities with strong artistic presence experience higher cultural consumption, and when this is combined with sectors such as medical and pharmaceutical industries, it helps stabilize population migration trends. This process not only contributes to urban regeneration in deteriorated areas but also enhances social environments and alleviates issues in low-income districts. Similarly, Bagheri Kashkooli et al. (2019) and Mirzayi et al. (2019) have noted that one of the main goals of creative cities and sustainable development is to attract and retain the creative and skilled class, a crucial prerequisite for knowledge-based urban competitiveness. Their findings show that Yazd’s cities lack sufficient infrastructure to attract this creative class due to weaknesses in demographic, economic, and social indicators.
Based on these findings, it can be concluded that the emergence of creativity in urban environments is influenced by a wide range of factors. These include social, individual, and personality characteristics of urban space users; vitality and dynamism of the environment; mixed land uses; event orientation of urban spaces; social capital and participatory spirit; safety and security of places; vibrancy and continuity of activities (especially at extended hours); and attention to scale and proportion—all of which are fundamental to fostering creativity in urban settings.
Accordingly, the most important measures to foster creativity in urban spaces are as follows:
- Enhancing visual and physical flexibility of urban spaces and improving their responsiveness based on urban design principles.
- Using adaptable and context-sensitive urban furniture, aligned with the socio-cultural conditions of the community.
- Event-based planning in urban spaces to attract the public and encourage their active participation in ongoing events.
- Integrating cultural and national occasions such as Yalda, Nowruz, Ashura, and Tasua into urban space design to create meaningful environments; employing context-appropriate artistic elements in these celebrations can stimulate creativity.
- Considering the needs of different age and gender groups, and adapting spatial uses for various times of day to enhance social presence and stimulate social creativity in urban environments.
Conclusion
The factors influencing the emergence of social creativity in urban environments can be categorized into five main dimensions: economic characteristics, social characteristics, spatial context, cultural attributes, and individual traits. The thirteen identified factors associated with these five dimensions collectively explained 68.5% of the variance in the emergence of creativity within the studied urban spaces. The conditions of the factors influencing social creativity in Districts 5 and 8 of Ahvaz require special attention, as these areas exhibited relatively weaker performance compared to others. In contrast, Districts 1, 2, and 4 demonstrated more favorable conditions for the development and enhancement of social creativity.
Acknowledgments: None reported by the authors.
Ethical Permission: None reported by the authors.
Conflict of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Authors’ Contributions: Yarahmadi N (First Author), Principal Researcher/Introduction Writer (50%); Khaliji MA (Second Author), Discussion Writer/Methodologist (25%); Rezaei MR (Third Author), Assistant Researcher/Statistical Analyst (25%)
Funding: The research expenses were independently and personally funded by the authors.
Keywords:
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