مهدي سعيدي

This study explores the spatial configuration of historical and contemporary housing in Sanandaj, Iran, focusing on how these configurations address users’ primary needs, particularly the quality of privacy. Employing Space Syntax theory, the research compares the spatial depth and segregation of domains in historical houses, characterized by Persian architectural features such as spatial hierarchy, sensory integration, and aesthetic coherence, with the integrated layouts of contemporary apartments. Historical houses effectively ensure spatial privacy through segregated spaces (e.g., inner/outer domains), aligning with the region’s cultural and social norms. In contrast, contemporary housing, influenced by modernization and initiatives like Mehr Housing, significantly compromises privacy due to reduced spatial depth and increased integration, stemming from open-plan designs and the absence of traditional elements like courtyards. The study also examines how spatial configurations adapt to evolving cultural and social conditions, such as urbanization and shifting social behaviors. While historical houses reinforce cultural identity through spatial seclusion, modern designs partially adapt to new social dynamics but undermine privacy and cultural continuity. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach, including Space Syntax analysis and digital analysis, this research validates the hypothesis: historical houses better fulfill privacy needs due to high segregation, and historical designs more effectively preserve cultural identity. The findings highlight the need for design and research solutions that align contemporary buildings with human-centric values and user needs, offering insights for architects and policymakers in Sanandaj to enhance culturally sensitive housing.

Urban park planning based on the needs and preferences of women, as a key aspect of public space development, plays an important role in enhancing the quality of urban life. Women, as half of the urban population, have specific needs and demands in the use of public spaces that are often overlooked in many urban planning processes. The main objective of this study is to optimize urban park planning with an emphasis on women's needs and preferences and the application of a gender-inclusive participatory approach in the planning process. Given multiple barriers and challenges such as insecurity, poor quality of urban furniture, and lack of adequate facilities, which hinder women's widespread presence in public spaces—particularly parks—this study conducts a case analysis of Shohada Park in the city of Sanandaj. A mixed-methods approach (quantitative-qualitative) was employed to collect and analyze data using structured questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, spatial analysis through GIS software, statistical analysis with SPSS, and qualitative analysis with MAXQDA. The statistical population consisted of women over 20 years old residing in Sanandaj, with quantitative sampling performed through simple random sampling and qualitative sampling conducted purposively. The findings indicate that multiple factors, including security, quality of urban furniture, adequate accessibility, presence of attractive surrounding land uses, and environmental responsiveness, significantly affect women's attendance and retention in parks. Furthermore, the conducted SWOT analysis provided a basis for formulating operational strategies with a participatory approach, including measures such as creating illuminated pathways for safe movement of women during nighttime, increasing welfare and cultural facilities, and improving green spaces. The results of this study emphasize that active participation of women in the urban planning process not only enhances their safety and comfort but also promotes social interaction, space efficiency, and overall improvement of urban life quality.

Informal settlements, as one of the fundamental challenges of urban management in developing countries, face issues such as a lack of essential infrastructure, poor-quality public spaces, widespread poverty, and weak social cohesion. These conditions not only diminish the quality of life for residents but also pose significant difficulties for urban planning and management. In this context, facilitation and local development offices can act as effective intermediaries between residents and urban management. These offices identify local needs and priorities, strengthen residents’ participation, and provide solutions to improve public spaces and infrastructure, thereby creating a suitable foundation for the empowerment of informal settlements. This study aims to propose an effective framework for facilitation action in the physical dimension. The proposed framework focuses on enhancing the quality of public spaces, improving urban infrastructure, and facilitating active and effective resident participation in decision-making processes and the implementation of neighborhood development projects. The case study of this research is the Islam Abad neighborhood in Sanandaj, which, despite its high population density, struggles with numerous issues such as narrow and unsafe streets, a lack of recreational and public spaces, and inadequate urban infrastructure. The research methodology is qualitative, employing semi-structured interviews with neighborhood residents, facilitation office experts, and urban managers and officials. Thematic analysis has been used to analyze the data, aiming to identify the neighborhood’s needs, priorities, and challenges and to propose a framework for its improvement. The findings of this research demonstrate that the facilitation approach can serve as a key tool to strengthen the connection between residents and urban management. This approach, through enhancing trust, fostering social belonging, and increasing residents’ sense of responsibility, promotes their participation in all stages of decision-making and implementation of development projects. Furthermore, the results indicate that improving public spaces, infrastructure, streets, and providing suitable facilities can significantly enhance the residents’ quality of life. Finally, the proposed framework of this research is presented as a comprehensive model for facilitation and local development offices. This framework can be effectively applied to other informal settlements in Iran facing similar challenges and play a pivotal role in improving urban living conditions.

This research focuses on the feasibility and planning of multi-functional streets to promote pedestrian zones in the central core of Sulaymaniyah city. The primary aim of the study is to identify the key factors influencing walkability, pedestrian experience, and urban space quality within a complex and multifunctional urban environment. By evaluating five streets using a comprehensive framework of 17 indicators—including social interactions, liveability, social and cultural criteria, economic performance, environmental quality, and spatial structure—this study employs advanced analytical tools such as space syntax, descriptive analysis, and the TOPSIS model to assess the potential of each street for pedestrianization. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to gather data from local residents, which was then analyzed quantitatively using linear regression, correlation coefficients, and pivot tables to determine key pedestrian metrics. The space syntax method was used to assess street connectivity and integration, providing spatial insights into how street networks function in terms of pedestrian mobility. By calculating the average values of indicators such as choice, integration, connectivity, and control, this study ranks the streets based on their suitability for becoming pedestrian zones. The findings reveal that the Great Mosque Street ranks highest in pedestrian potential due to its strong social, cultural, and environmental indicators, while Ozardi Beg ranks the lowest. These results provide valuable insights for urban planners and policymakers seeking to enhance walkability and social interactions in urban environments. Keywords: Pedestrianization, Multi-functional streets, Urban walkability, Space syntax analysis, TOPSIS model, Sulaymaniyah city

Many studies and initiatives aimed at revitalizing historic areas, particularly in Iran, have primarily focused on physical and symbolic aspects, paying less attention to content, culture, and cultural values. This approach has led to the loss of cultural-historical values, wealth, and identity, the destruction of meaning and sense of place, the migration of many old residents, their replacement by the lower class, and ultimately the inefficiency of valuable areas and poor living quality. Revitalizing historic areas using a culture-based regeneration approach emphasizes preserving the continuity of historical values and making better use of cultural-identity heritage, enabling contemporary adaptation of these areas by connecting old and new physical and functional elements. Qatarchiyan neighborhood, one of the historic and identity-rich areas of Sanandaj, due to its structural features and central location, presents a suitable opportunity to become a cultural-tourist neighborhood based on a contextual urban design approach. The main aim of this research is to revitalize the valuable historical elements of Qatarchiyan neighborhood using a culture-based regeneration approach grounded in contextual urban design to preserve the authenticity and culture in the reuse of buildings and spaces. This research is of an applied and developmental nature, with data collection methods based on the study of upper-level documents, field observations, and semi-structured interviews. For the research, 22 interviews were conducted with the residents of Qatarchiyan neighborhood, adhering to the principles of inclusivity and gender equality. To ensure the accuracy of the obtained data, triangulation was used, supported by information from interviews, observations, and upper-level documents. Additionally, the research was supervised by three urban planning professors from Kurdistan University from start to finish. For data analysis, qualitative content analysis based on three-stage coding was employed. After the analyses, final sketches for the neighborhood's revitalization were presented. The findings indicated that attention to the valuable elements of the historic Qatarchiyan neighborhood and their revitalization can improve the quality of life in the area by leveraging its potentials while preserving and maintaining its identity and culture. This can, in turn, increase tourism investments, economic prosperity, and sustainable development from within. The results showed that in culture-based regeneration grounded in contextual urban design of Qatarchiyan neighborhood, factors such as cultural identity, urban regeneration, physical and environmental aspects, socio-cultural relationships, employment opportunities, environmental quality, sense of belonging, and residents' experiences were influential. Among these factors, cultural identity had the highest impact, and employment opportunities had the least impact from the perspective of Qatarchiyan residents.

Urban development as a spatial concept defines changes in land use and density in order to meet the needs of urban residents in terms of housing, transportation, recreation and other related matters. The development of cities and their performance depends on urban transportation; Because urban transportation acts as an intermediary for moving people and goods. Due to population concentration and economic growth, most cities in the world suffer from serious urban traffic problems such as traffic congestion, accidents and environmental problems. The rapid increase in road traffic in cities, creating a coordinated urban transportation system to reduce traffic pressure, is a common issue that many countries face in the process of urban development. The construction of a ring road is one of the most practical solutions for solving movement and transportation problems. With the construction of these roads, it will be possible to prevent inner-city traffic and transfer traffic outside the city center. The problem of traffic congestion is one of the problems faced by Iraqi cities in general. As one of the important cities affected by the development of the Kurdistan region, Rania city has a special importance. Also, the road system of Ranieh city connects with other nearby cities such as Qaladze and Chwarkourneh and Serkapkan towns, and in the absence of the ring road, all movements end up in the city center, and this causes increasing traffic, security problems, accidents, and urban congestion, which creates the basis for social and economic crises. and brings social and economic inequality, in this regard, we are considering the proposed solution of ring road for Ranieh city, in this thesis, the direct effect of ring roads on urban development and the analysis of development on the city structure and the disadvantages and traffic problems are shown, and these are some of the These are the elements of physical development and urban traffic that were discussed in this thesis. In terms of results and consequences, the current research is of the type of applied research, in terms of the implementation process, it is of the mixed type (quantitative and qualitative), in terms of the logic of reasoning, it is of the type of inductive reasoning, and in terms of the place of time, it is of the prospective type. In accordance with the research questions, the results of the interviews, field surveys and the results of the network analysis were discussed. Also, MAXQDA software was used to analyze the qualitative interview data, Arc GIS Pro was used to analyze the spatial data network, and SPSS was used to analyze the questionnaires. The network analysis that was carried out by the geographic information system in the city, which had important spatial results. With the completion of the urban ring road, access times to city blocks will be reduced and improved, which can be critical in emergencies such as accidents and medical emergencies. With the completion of the ring road, it is expected that important changes in land use will occur in the eastern part of the city. The interview results were classified in three dimensions and 18 major categories. The three identified dimensions include urban physical development, urban land use pattern and urban transportation. The results of these three dimensions were in response to the three main research questions. if; With the construction of the Ranieh city belt and the increase in the size and density of the city, it will require new physical divisions. With the construction of the Raniye beltway and the increase of access to the surrounding areas, some uses are economically justified and it causes their development. It will also cause the development of commercial, tourism and residential use, it will have a significant contribution to the modes of transportation, so that it facilitates the variety of transportation methods. By analyzing the questionnaires that were conducted with the help of a single sample test, the construction of ring roads has the greatest impact on transportation. transfer and land use pattern compared to other components. By reducing congestion and traffic to the city center, it will create opportunities for cycling and walking in the city center. It is suggested that after the completion of the ring road of the city, incentive policies should be implemented for investors and private sectors who are building residential and commercial complexes, so that with this policy, Ranieh city will be freed from a single center and commercial centers will spread throughout the city, and also The direction of development is expected towards the south and southeast of the city.

Urbanization presents significant challenges for cities globally, exacerbating issues related to housing, infrastructure, and service delivery. This master's thesis investigates disparities in housing-related services within the context of urban land use planning in Sulaymaniyah, Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The primary aim is to evaluate current socio-spatial justice and the spatial distribution of urban services across residential areas. The analysis seeks to propose recommendations for achieving equitable spatial distribution of residential services, with findings intended for dissemination to relevant officials, organizations, and stakeholders. The research methodology employed is practical, utilizing the Average Nearest Neighbor model and network analysis based on time and distance in ARC GIS software to assess service spatial distribution and socio-spatial justice. Additionally, data gathered through questionnaires were analyzed using both one-sample t-test and independent-samples t-test models in SPSS software to evaluate the distribution method of urban services and the level of access to these services. This research methodology integrates variable nature and utilized models. Results indicate significant disparities in service access between central and peripheral neighborhoods, underscoring the necessity for targeted urban planning interventions to enhance service distribution and ensure equitable access throughout Sulaymaniyah. This study contributes to advancing urban planning strategies aimed at enhancing residents' quality of life and achieving fair spatial service provision in rapidly expanding cities.

Pavement construction as a strategy to enhance social and cultural interactions in urban environments plays a pivotal role in improving citizens' quality of life. Hamadan Martyrs Street was selected as the study area for this research due to its significant economic, social, and cultural importance, as well as its high traffic density. This study aims to examine the socio-cultural preferences of users regarding the construction of this street and its potential impacts on social identity, interactions, and the recognition of citizens' culture and sense of belonging. The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining descriptive, qualitative, and survey analyses. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews with diverse groups, including citizens, business owners, and passers-by. The analysis utilized tools such as MaxQDA for qualitative evaluation, while Excel software and Baroosh photo entropy were employed for data weighting. Prioritization was conducted using the SAW (Simple Additive Weighting) model. The findings indicate that the implementation of a sidewalk on Shahada Street can foster social interactions among citizens and transform the urban space into a conducive environment for social and cultural activities. Additionally, the design can enhance users' sense of belonging and strengthen local identity. However, the study also highlights resistance from certain groups, such as local business owners, and potential negative effects on adjacent neighborhoods. The research underscores the importance of incorporating cultural indicators, collective identity, and social needs into sidewalk design. These insights can assist urban managers and planners in creating more sustainable and socially enriched urban environments

So far, in the researches conducted on public spaces, attention to the presence of different generations of women in these spaces has been less investigated. While urban planners are looking for the realization that urban spaces can support the ideals necessary for the presence of all citizens regardless of their age, gender and other aspects of their identity. Based on this, the main goal of the current research is to investigate the factors affecting the presence of three generations of women in the public spaces of Sanandaj city. The present research is mix method (qualitative and quantitative). First, 36 semi-structured interviews were conducted with three generations of women and women's rights activists. The data obtained from the interview were analyzed through thematic technique and the main themes (concepts) were extracted. In the second stage, three generations of women were surveyed through a questionnaire designed in three parts (personal information, Likert scale and multiple choice questions). A total of 711 questionnaires were completed by women. In this part, one-sample T-test, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) were used to analyze the questionnaire .The findings of the research show that a set of physical and non-physical indicators affect the presence of three generations of women in the public spaces of Sanandaj city. In a general ranking, these indicators were grouped into six main factors. These factors, in order and based on their importance are: safety from crime, individual social norms, safety(from traffic and falling), distance and accessibility, and comfort facilities. Regarding the dependence of physical and non-physical indicators on the generation factor, it can be said that non-physical indicators are more dependent on the generation factor than physical indicators. In other words, 71% of non-physical indicators (individual social norms) are dependent on the generation factor, which means that the generation difference mostly causes different views about these indicators. On the other hand, only 28% of the physical indicators are affected by the generation factor. This means that the three generations have different views on only 28% of the indicators, and the three generations have similar views on the rest of the physical indicators. That is, the generation difference does not often create different views about these indicators. Regarding the encouraging and hindering role of physical and non-physical indicators in the presence of women, it can be said that out of the 25 physical indicators of the research, 10 indicators had an encouraging role and 8 indicators had an inhibiting role. It should be noted that the inhibiting indicators were often related to the dimension of safety from crime and safety from traffic and falling, and the encouraging indicators are related to environmental facilities and access. Out of seven non-physical indicators, only three indicators had a hindering role.

Despite the great benefits of free mobility and physical activity, and the recommendations of the World Health Organization in order to improve the general health of societies, the activity of children is decreasing, which has worrying consequences for the healthy growth and well-being of the child. On the other hand, little attention is paid to the effects of the child's health and environment. So, the aim of the current research is "Presenting a physical model that influencing the physical mobility of children in urban neighborhoods". The method of this research is mixed. Data has been collected through observation, interview and questionnaire. The statistical population is the children of neighborhoods in District 10 of Mashhad City. Questionnaires were distributed to 450 children who were between 9 and 13 years old, which 418 of them were valid. Five important physical features of the effective environment for increasing children's mobility in urban neighborhoods were extracted in the form of 41 indicators from the theoretical literature of articles. These features are Safety and Security, Human scale, Legibility and Wayfinding, Affordance, and Richness and Exploration. In addition to these features, another variable called Parental Licence was identified. Then, these indicators were developed through interviews with children; So that the indicators were expanded to a total of 64 indicators. Finally, the important and frequent indicators in the field of research were tested. The results of the Exploratory Factor Analysis showed that the indicators extracted from the texts were valid; so that they explain more than 70% of the variance of the subject; But with this test, the categories need to be revised. Therefore, these features of physical environment can be explained in the form of seven factors, which include the Child's Independence, the Child's Walking Path, Social Security, Affordance, Legibility, Environmental Experience for Exploration and Active Movement Behaviors. In this way, the findings show that the way indicators are classified from the child's point of view has differences compared to the research literature in this field. For this purpose, the features of the physical environment of the urban neighborhood from the point of view of children have their own functions and have a different meaning and are different from the point of view of adults.