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Volume 38, Issue 2 (2023)
GeoRes 2023, 38(2): 211-219 |
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Received: 2022/10/30 | Accepted: 2023/04/5 | Published: 2023/06/26
Received: 2022/10/30 | Accepted: 2023/04/5 | Published: 2023/06/26
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Khaki M. The role of spatial structure in the vitality of the network of roads around Iranian Bazaar, Borujerd Bazaar. GeoRes 2023; 38 (2) :211-219
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M. Khaki *
Department of Architectural Engineering, Shamal University, Amol, Iran
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Introduction
Despite all their achievements, contemporary cities are filled with spatial, social, and environmental imbalances. This imbalance is particularly evident in the interaction between new urban elements such as streets and traditional, living fabrics such as bazaars, to the extent that it results in the inefficiency of urban structures, including the spatial structure. Inefficient spatial structures in cities lead to greater distances between people, reduced access to facilities and amenities, and a decline in quality of life. The role of the street in contemporary cities lies at the crossroads between “the street as a space of passage” and “the street as a public and social space” [Von Schönfeld & Bertolini, 2017]. Unfortunately, in Iran, prevailing trends in public spaces such as streets including privatization, control, commercialization, and automobile-orientation have diminished the role and function of streets as public spaces [Tahmasebi et al., 2020]. It is evident that one of the ways to overcome this challenge and to revive the street as a public space is to emphasize the concept of vitality in these environments [Sepe, 2017].
Aligned with the introduction of the concept of vitality, extensive research has been conducted on strengthening the bond between people and the city, with different theorists addressing the subject from various perspectives. Some studies have examined how people are attracted to specific spaces [Bakhtiarimanesh & Bakhtiary manesh, 2021]. Gehl and Svarre have highlighted the social and psychological dimensions of space in the interaction between public life and public spaces [Gehl & Svarre, 2013]. Appleyard’s research on urban spaces shows the impact of traffic intensity on reducing the flow of social life in urban environments [Appleyard, 1983].
Qi and colleagues, considering various temporal dimensions, propose a framework for assessing urban vitality using three factors: form (morphology), type of business (land use), and accessibility [Qi et al., 2020]. Factors such as physical, environmental, functional, cultural, and social dimensions, including accessibility and centrality [Yue & Zhu, 2019], safety and security [Sung & Lee, 2015], cleanliness [Alipour et al., 2018], diversity [Zhang et al., 2021], greenery [Akhavan et al., 2018; Xu et al., 2018], legibility [Garvin, 2016], street furniture [Wagner & Caves, 2012], land-use connectivity [Guo et al., 2021], sense of place attachment [Bakhtiarimanesh & Bakhtiarymanesh, 2021], social interaction [Gehl, 2011], creativity [Mehrabani et al., 2018], activity diversity [Zeng et al., 2018], paving [Shahbazi et al., 2018], and inclusiveness [Sung & Lee, 2015] have all been identified in previous studies as key components of designing vibrant urban spaces.
Most prior studies have analyzed various urban spaces, including squares and streets, while fewer investigations have focused on public spaces in Iran, such as bazaars. Accordingly, this article centers on the study of human–environment relationships and, more specifically, on analyzing vitality. Research in the field of vitality in urban spaces demonstrates the diversity of influencing factors and the need for in-depth analysis using appropriate tools. One suitable tool for examining the spatial structure of urban spaces is space syntax.
The method of space syntax helps identify the consequences of changes in the physical form of cities, particularly in the street network, on citizens’ perceptions and, consequently, their behavior. Space syntax comprises a set of computational techniques for modeling cities such that the resulting model incorporates a system of geometrically related elements, the analysis of which provides an understanding of how these elements interact [Jabari et al., 2018].
Ultimately, by calculating the statistical correlations between spatial properties derived from space syntax analysis and observational data, a model can be developed that explains or predicts the relationship between urban morphology and social behavior [Abbaszadegan, 2002]. Therefore, spatial organization is a logical process, as it must at least achieve functional objectives [Karbalaei & Soheili, 2019]. Kalantari and colleagues confirm a strong and direct correlation between spatial integration values obtained from space syntax analysis and users’ movement behaviors [Kalantari et al., 2019]. Similarly, Abedini et al. conclud that urban cohesion has gradually been disrupted by morphological changes over time, particularly in historical areas of cities. These changes and events have fragmented the former coherence of urban and public spaces. Variations in the spatial integration parameter and its standard deviation indicate a gradual decline in the homogeneity and coherence of urban expansion [Abedini et al., 2019]. In a similar study, Shahbazi et al. have found out that the number of commercial centers constitutes the most influential factor, followed by safety and security indices, the connectivity of transport access networks, land-use and functional connectivity, and the spatial relationship between built mass and open space, all of which significantly affect the vitality of streets [Shahbazi et al., 2018].
By applying space syntax, it is possible to identify existing behavioral patterns and, based on them, to predict desired patterns in proposed designs. This approach ensures the efficiency of proposed projects by integrating spatial and social quality considerations. Consequently, space syntax has become an effective method for studying various urban spaces, including bazaars and surrounding street networks. The aim of this paper is therefore to analyze the spatial structure of traditional bazaars and their surrounding street networks and to explain their relationship with the quality of vitality.
Methodology
The present study is a quantitative research with a descriptive–analytical approach, conducted in spring 2022. In this research, the street network surrounding the Borujerd Bazaar was examined based on spatial configuration features and factors influencing vitality. Subsequently, spatial data were combined with environmental and perceptual data. The relationship between physical and spatial aspects was analyzed in the following stages:
The face and content validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by 14 university professors and experts familiar with the study area. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used for this purpose. Items with a CVI score above 0.79 were retained, while others were eliminated from the questionnaire.
The reliability of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Since the coefficient for all seven parameters exceeded 0.70, their reliability was considered acceptable. Four internal parameters of the environmental dimension including physical, functional, mobility & accessibility, and environmental criteria and three internal perceptual parameters including psychological, social, and economic criteria were selected. According to the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the data distribution was normal, which allowed the use of parametric tests for research questions.
Comparison and analysis of urban areas require separate analysis of spatial parameters and social criteria, followed by correlational testing of numerical results from spatial analysis with social data [Van Nes & Yamu, 2021]. To analyze the spatial structure, the following indices were used: Accessibility, spatial depth, and spatial integration.
Findings
After entering the variance–covariance data into LISREL, the effects of environmental and perceptual components on their related parameters were illustrated. The factor loadings of each item with respect to its parameter was assessed. Based on the values of beta (Estimate), critical ratio (C.R), and significance level (p), it can be concluded that the relationships between these parameters and the environmental and perceptual factors are statistically significant.
The range of factor loadings within the physical factors fluctuates between 0.58 and 0.71, confirming the relatively close influence of different physical factors. Among the activity-related factors, functional diversity has the highest loading (0.72). The considerable difference between the factor loadings of “land-use diversity” and “land-use mix” indicates the distinction between more recent analyses and earlier literature that placed strong emphasis on mixed land uses. Within mobility-related factors, walkability exerts the greatest influence with a loading of 0.78. Within the spatial component, open space quality has the most significant effect, while within the environmental component, climatic comfort is the strongest factor. Among the social factors, inclusiveness has the highest effect (loading 0.78). Overall, the range of social factor loadings varies between 0.64 and 0.78.
Based on the results of discriminant validity testing for environmental and perceptual criteria, the selected indicators for measuring the constructs had sufficient discriminant validity. The square root of the average variance extracted (AVE) for each construct, presented on the diagonal of the matrix, was greater than its correlations with other constructs.
All parameters exhibited significant positive pairwise relationships, suggesting that the study possesses adequate discriminant validity. Given the positive correlations, it can be concluded that the changes in environmental and perceptual factors are aligned and positively associated. According to the tests performed, the components influencing urban street vitality can be decomposed into criteria that serve as appropriate measures of vitality.
After the vitality model was specified, spatial structure analysis of streets was conducted by preparing an axial map. Using the line map for Borujerd, various spatial configuration parameters for the city and its neighborhoods were extracted.
The integration levels of nodes differed from those of visual movement corridors. A street may have high integration, yet the nodes and intersections along that corridor may show lower integration. The visual movement corridor maps reveal that paths with higher visibility capture more visual information, indicating greater transparency and predictability. Conversely, historically formed routes exhibited lower visibility and less visual information, meaning they are less transparent and less predictable, which naturally results in fewer interactions in these areas.
To examine the relationship between space syntax analysis and vitality, the streets identified as non-vital by respondents were first marked on the neighborhood map. The size of the markers was proportional to the frequency of responses. These markings were then compared with the depth and integration maps. This comparison did not reveal significant correlations between integration and depth. In other words, there were streets with similar depth or integration values that were not identified as non-vital by respondents. Thus, data comparison was conducted across broader spatial zones. In this way, the relationships between perceptual and environmental parameters and the depth and integration of the street network were examined. Correlation analysis indicated that changes in vitality in the streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar were significantly related to variations in integration and depth.
After testing the theoretical model of vitality and confirming the effects of identified factors, spatial configuration analysis was carried out to evaluate the potential impact of urban design interventions on improving vitality in major urban streets. The extracted correlation coefficients revealed a strong positive relationship between integration and environmental factors, and a strong negative relationship between depth and environmental factors. This means that as the depth in the street network around Borujerd Bazaar increases, the perceived vitality of those main streets decreases. These relationships were not observed for perceptual factors, except for the psychological parameter, where a correlation coefficient of 0.724 was found between accessibility and integration.
Discussion
The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between the factors influencing vitality in the urban streets surrounding the Borujerd Bazaar and their spatial configuration. The findings of this study can be categorized into three parts: (1) the development and validation of a vitality model for the streets around Borujerd Bazaar, (2) the analysis of spatial configuration of the street network, and (3) the integration of spatial data with vitality-related findings in urban spaces.
The results of the first part indicate that the factors influencing urban street vitality can be grouped into environmental and perceptual components. The relationship among perceptual factors shaping vitality quality was stronger than that among environmental parameters. This implies that perceptual factors require greater attention in planning and management processes. This finding is consistent with the studies of Mosallanejad et al. (2019) and Tahmasebi et al. (2020), who showed that socio-psychological factors had a stronger effect than physical and spatial ones. Conversely, the results diverge from those of Zhang et al. (2021) and Xu et al. (2018), who categorized key parameters into three groups of physical, accessibility, and land use while giving limited weight to social and human factors.
The perceptual component included three sub-dimensions: social, psychological, and economic, while the environmental component comprised physical, activity, mobility and accessibility, and environmental factors. All parameters were found to influence the sense of vitality. Among environmental parameters, the physical factor was the most significant, whereas in the perceptual dimension, the psychological factor exerted the greatest impact on urban street vitality. This is consistent with the findings of Sung and Lee (2015).
Within the physical factors, flexibility, scale, physical diversity, urban furniture, materials, and enclosure had the strongest effects on vitality. Within the environmental component, climatic comfort and greenery were the most influential. Bakhtiarimanesh and Bakhtiarymanesh (2021) emphasized the role of trees as the most important physical factor, while Alipour et al. (2018) highlight the role of urban furniture, both consistent with this study’s results. Forsyth et al. (2008) and Tahmasebi et al. (2020) also underscore the importance of walkability.
Regarding perceptual factors, the findings confirmed the significance of the psychological and social dimensions in urban street vitality. Within the social dimension, inclusiveness and social mixing were the most important determinants, aligning with the findings of Tahmasebi et al. (2020). In terms of identity, the present results were consistent with those of Nikpour and Yarahmadi (2020), although this dimension has not been extensively addressed in other studies.
Overall, this study identified the components influencing the vitality of streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar. The proposed model can be applied to enhance the vibrancy of central Borujerd streets socially and to foster greater interaction in other urban streets through perceptual factors such as social, economic, and psychological dimensions. Moreover, the establishment of a significant relationship between spatial configuration and physical factors suggests that urban design interventions can partially predict their effects on street vitality. Specifically, increasing integration and reducing depth within street network configuration in urban design projects can enhance vitality. However, the lack of significant associations between perceptual factors and spatial integration, coupled with the stronger role of perceptual dimensions compared to environmental ones, underscores the necessity of conducting complementary cultural and social impact assessments.
The limitations of this research include the measurement of vitality across different time periods, which could reveal a broader spectrum of issues related to urban street vitality. Additionally, the lack of access to comparable datasets for generalizing the results represents another constraint of this study.
Conclusion
Among the parameters influencing the vitality of streets, the environmental parameters of the streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar were found to be associated with the spatial configuration of the street network. However, this association was not observed for the perceptual parameters. Within the perceptual parameters, only the social dimension showed a significant relationship with the spatial configuration of the streets.
Acknowledgments: The authors have no acknowledgments to report.
Ethical Permission: The authors have adhered to ethical principles of scientific research, including integrity, confidentiality, honesty, and related standards.
Conflict of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Author Contributions: Maziar Khaki (first author), Introduction Writer/Methodologist/Main Researcher/Statistical Analyst/Discussion Writer (100%)
Funding: The authors report no funding sources for this study.
Despite all their achievements, contemporary cities are filled with spatial, social, and environmental imbalances. This imbalance is particularly evident in the interaction between new urban elements such as streets and traditional, living fabrics such as bazaars, to the extent that it results in the inefficiency of urban structures, including the spatial structure. Inefficient spatial structures in cities lead to greater distances between people, reduced access to facilities and amenities, and a decline in quality of life. The role of the street in contemporary cities lies at the crossroads between “the street as a space of passage” and “the street as a public and social space” [Von Schönfeld & Bertolini, 2017]. Unfortunately, in Iran, prevailing trends in public spaces such as streets including privatization, control, commercialization, and automobile-orientation have diminished the role and function of streets as public spaces [Tahmasebi et al., 2020]. It is evident that one of the ways to overcome this challenge and to revive the street as a public space is to emphasize the concept of vitality in these environments [Sepe, 2017].
Aligned with the introduction of the concept of vitality, extensive research has been conducted on strengthening the bond between people and the city, with different theorists addressing the subject from various perspectives. Some studies have examined how people are attracted to specific spaces [Bakhtiarimanesh & Bakhtiary manesh, 2021]. Gehl and Svarre have highlighted the social and psychological dimensions of space in the interaction between public life and public spaces [Gehl & Svarre, 2013]. Appleyard’s research on urban spaces shows the impact of traffic intensity on reducing the flow of social life in urban environments [Appleyard, 1983].
Qi and colleagues, considering various temporal dimensions, propose a framework for assessing urban vitality using three factors: form (morphology), type of business (land use), and accessibility [Qi et al., 2020]. Factors such as physical, environmental, functional, cultural, and social dimensions, including accessibility and centrality [Yue & Zhu, 2019], safety and security [Sung & Lee, 2015], cleanliness [Alipour et al., 2018], diversity [Zhang et al., 2021], greenery [Akhavan et al., 2018; Xu et al., 2018], legibility [Garvin, 2016], street furniture [Wagner & Caves, 2012], land-use connectivity [Guo et al., 2021], sense of place attachment [Bakhtiarimanesh & Bakhtiarymanesh, 2021], social interaction [Gehl, 2011], creativity [Mehrabani et al., 2018], activity diversity [Zeng et al., 2018], paving [Shahbazi et al., 2018], and inclusiveness [Sung & Lee, 2015] have all been identified in previous studies as key components of designing vibrant urban spaces.
Most prior studies have analyzed various urban spaces, including squares and streets, while fewer investigations have focused on public spaces in Iran, such as bazaars. Accordingly, this article centers on the study of human–environment relationships and, more specifically, on analyzing vitality. Research in the field of vitality in urban spaces demonstrates the diversity of influencing factors and the need for in-depth analysis using appropriate tools. One suitable tool for examining the spatial structure of urban spaces is space syntax.
The method of space syntax helps identify the consequences of changes in the physical form of cities, particularly in the street network, on citizens’ perceptions and, consequently, their behavior. Space syntax comprises a set of computational techniques for modeling cities such that the resulting model incorporates a system of geometrically related elements, the analysis of which provides an understanding of how these elements interact [Jabari et al., 2018].
Ultimately, by calculating the statistical correlations between spatial properties derived from space syntax analysis and observational data, a model can be developed that explains or predicts the relationship between urban morphology and social behavior [Abbaszadegan, 2002]. Therefore, spatial organization is a logical process, as it must at least achieve functional objectives [Karbalaei & Soheili, 2019]. Kalantari and colleagues confirm a strong and direct correlation between spatial integration values obtained from space syntax analysis and users’ movement behaviors [Kalantari et al., 2019]. Similarly, Abedini et al. conclud that urban cohesion has gradually been disrupted by morphological changes over time, particularly in historical areas of cities. These changes and events have fragmented the former coherence of urban and public spaces. Variations in the spatial integration parameter and its standard deviation indicate a gradual decline in the homogeneity and coherence of urban expansion [Abedini et al., 2019]. In a similar study, Shahbazi et al. have found out that the number of commercial centers constitutes the most influential factor, followed by safety and security indices, the connectivity of transport access networks, land-use and functional connectivity, and the spatial relationship between built mass and open space, all of which significantly affect the vitality of streets [Shahbazi et al., 2018].
By applying space syntax, it is possible to identify existing behavioral patterns and, based on them, to predict desired patterns in proposed designs. This approach ensures the efficiency of proposed projects by integrating spatial and social quality considerations. Consequently, space syntax has become an effective method for studying various urban spaces, including bazaars and surrounding street networks. The aim of this paper is therefore to analyze the spatial structure of traditional bazaars and their surrounding street networks and to explain their relationship with the quality of vitality.
Methodology
The present study is a quantitative research with a descriptive–analytical approach, conducted in spring 2022. In this research, the street network surrounding the Borujerd Bazaar was examined based on spatial configuration features and factors influencing vitality. Subsequently, spatial data were combined with environmental and perceptual data. The relationship between physical and spatial aspects was analyzed in the following stages:
- Investigation of the physical parameters of vitality in Borujerd Bazaar using a direct questioning method (questionnaire).
- Development and presentation of a theoretical model of vitality for the streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar.
- Analysis of the spatial configuration of the bazaar and the surrounding fabric using UCL Depthmap 10 software.
- Comparison of spatial analyses with physical analyses.
The face and content validity of the questionnaire were confirmed by 14 university professors and experts familiar with the study area. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used for this purpose. Items with a CVI score above 0.79 were retained, while others were eliminated from the questionnaire.
The reliability of the questionnaire was tested using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Since the coefficient for all seven parameters exceeded 0.70, their reliability was considered acceptable. Four internal parameters of the environmental dimension including physical, functional, mobility & accessibility, and environmental criteria and three internal perceptual parameters including psychological, social, and economic criteria were selected. According to the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, the data distribution was normal, which allowed the use of parametric tests for research questions.
Comparison and analysis of urban areas require separate analysis of spatial parameters and social criteria, followed by correlational testing of numerical results from spatial analysis with social data [Van Nes & Yamu, 2021]. To analyze the spatial structure, the following indices were used: Accessibility, spatial depth, and spatial integration.
- Integration refers to the degree of connectedness of each line (space), defined as the mean number of intermediate lines (or spaces) required to reach all other spaces in the city [Sajjadzadeh et al., 2017]. Higher integration in public urban spaces increases the potential to attract more people [Bagheri et al., 2022].
- Depth denotes the minimum number of spatial steps required to reach any node in the graph from a given node [Shahbazi et al., 2018]. Depth is inversely related to integration.
- Connectivity represents the tangible concept of spatial connection and indicates the degree of linkage between axial lines and nodes with their adjacent neighborhood units [Shahbazi et al., 2018].
Findings
After entering the variance–covariance data into LISREL, the effects of environmental and perceptual components on their related parameters were illustrated. The factor loadings of each item with respect to its parameter was assessed. Based on the values of beta (Estimate), critical ratio (C.R), and significance level (p), it can be concluded that the relationships between these parameters and the environmental and perceptual factors are statistically significant.
The range of factor loadings within the physical factors fluctuates between 0.58 and 0.71, confirming the relatively close influence of different physical factors. Among the activity-related factors, functional diversity has the highest loading (0.72). The considerable difference between the factor loadings of “land-use diversity” and “land-use mix” indicates the distinction between more recent analyses and earlier literature that placed strong emphasis on mixed land uses. Within mobility-related factors, walkability exerts the greatest influence with a loading of 0.78. Within the spatial component, open space quality has the most significant effect, while within the environmental component, climatic comfort is the strongest factor. Among the social factors, inclusiveness has the highest effect (loading 0.78). Overall, the range of social factor loadings varies between 0.64 and 0.78.
Based on the results of discriminant validity testing for environmental and perceptual criteria, the selected indicators for measuring the constructs had sufficient discriminant validity. The square root of the average variance extracted (AVE) for each construct, presented on the diagonal of the matrix, was greater than its correlations with other constructs.
All parameters exhibited significant positive pairwise relationships, suggesting that the study possesses adequate discriminant validity. Given the positive correlations, it can be concluded that the changes in environmental and perceptual factors are aligned and positively associated. According to the tests performed, the components influencing urban street vitality can be decomposed into criteria that serve as appropriate measures of vitality.
After the vitality model was specified, spatial structure analysis of streets was conducted by preparing an axial map. Using the line map for Borujerd, various spatial configuration parameters for the city and its neighborhoods were extracted.
The integration levels of nodes differed from those of visual movement corridors. A street may have high integration, yet the nodes and intersections along that corridor may show lower integration. The visual movement corridor maps reveal that paths with higher visibility capture more visual information, indicating greater transparency and predictability. Conversely, historically formed routes exhibited lower visibility and less visual information, meaning they are less transparent and less predictable, which naturally results in fewer interactions in these areas.
To examine the relationship between space syntax analysis and vitality, the streets identified as non-vital by respondents were first marked on the neighborhood map. The size of the markers was proportional to the frequency of responses. These markings were then compared with the depth and integration maps. This comparison did not reveal significant correlations between integration and depth. In other words, there were streets with similar depth or integration values that were not identified as non-vital by respondents. Thus, data comparison was conducted across broader spatial zones. In this way, the relationships between perceptual and environmental parameters and the depth and integration of the street network were examined. Correlation analysis indicated that changes in vitality in the streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar were significantly related to variations in integration and depth.
After testing the theoretical model of vitality and confirming the effects of identified factors, spatial configuration analysis was carried out to evaluate the potential impact of urban design interventions on improving vitality in major urban streets. The extracted correlation coefficients revealed a strong positive relationship between integration and environmental factors, and a strong negative relationship between depth and environmental factors. This means that as the depth in the street network around Borujerd Bazaar increases, the perceived vitality of those main streets decreases. These relationships were not observed for perceptual factors, except for the psychological parameter, where a correlation coefficient of 0.724 was found between accessibility and integration.
Discussion
The aim of this article was to examine the relationship between the factors influencing vitality in the urban streets surrounding the Borujerd Bazaar and their spatial configuration. The findings of this study can be categorized into three parts: (1) the development and validation of a vitality model for the streets around Borujerd Bazaar, (2) the analysis of spatial configuration of the street network, and (3) the integration of spatial data with vitality-related findings in urban spaces.
The results of the first part indicate that the factors influencing urban street vitality can be grouped into environmental and perceptual components. The relationship among perceptual factors shaping vitality quality was stronger than that among environmental parameters. This implies that perceptual factors require greater attention in planning and management processes. This finding is consistent with the studies of Mosallanejad et al. (2019) and Tahmasebi et al. (2020), who showed that socio-psychological factors had a stronger effect than physical and spatial ones. Conversely, the results diverge from those of Zhang et al. (2021) and Xu et al. (2018), who categorized key parameters into three groups of physical, accessibility, and land use while giving limited weight to social and human factors.
The perceptual component included three sub-dimensions: social, psychological, and economic, while the environmental component comprised physical, activity, mobility and accessibility, and environmental factors. All parameters were found to influence the sense of vitality. Among environmental parameters, the physical factor was the most significant, whereas in the perceptual dimension, the psychological factor exerted the greatest impact on urban street vitality. This is consistent with the findings of Sung and Lee (2015).
Within the physical factors, flexibility, scale, physical diversity, urban furniture, materials, and enclosure had the strongest effects on vitality. Within the environmental component, climatic comfort and greenery were the most influential. Bakhtiarimanesh and Bakhtiarymanesh (2021) emphasized the role of trees as the most important physical factor, while Alipour et al. (2018) highlight the role of urban furniture, both consistent with this study’s results. Forsyth et al. (2008) and Tahmasebi et al. (2020) also underscore the importance of walkability.
Regarding perceptual factors, the findings confirmed the significance of the psychological and social dimensions in urban street vitality. Within the social dimension, inclusiveness and social mixing were the most important determinants, aligning with the findings of Tahmasebi et al. (2020). In terms of identity, the present results were consistent with those of Nikpour and Yarahmadi (2020), although this dimension has not been extensively addressed in other studies.
Overall, this study identified the components influencing the vitality of streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar. The proposed model can be applied to enhance the vibrancy of central Borujerd streets socially and to foster greater interaction in other urban streets through perceptual factors such as social, economic, and psychological dimensions. Moreover, the establishment of a significant relationship between spatial configuration and physical factors suggests that urban design interventions can partially predict their effects on street vitality. Specifically, increasing integration and reducing depth within street network configuration in urban design projects can enhance vitality. However, the lack of significant associations between perceptual factors and spatial integration, coupled with the stronger role of perceptual dimensions compared to environmental ones, underscores the necessity of conducting complementary cultural and social impact assessments.
The limitations of this research include the measurement of vitality across different time periods, which could reveal a broader spectrum of issues related to urban street vitality. Additionally, the lack of access to comparable datasets for generalizing the results represents another constraint of this study.
Conclusion
Among the parameters influencing the vitality of streets, the environmental parameters of the streets surrounding Borujerd Bazaar were found to be associated with the spatial configuration of the street network. However, this association was not observed for the perceptual parameters. Within the perceptual parameters, only the social dimension showed a significant relationship with the spatial configuration of the streets.
Acknowledgments: The authors have no acknowledgments to report.
Ethical Permission: The authors have adhered to ethical principles of scientific research, including integrity, confidentiality, honesty, and related standards.
Conflict of Interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest.
Author Contributions: Maziar Khaki (first author), Introduction Writer/Methodologist/Main Researcher/Statistical Analyst/Discussion Writer (100%)
Funding: The authors report no funding sources for this study.
Keywords:
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