Urban Economics and Planning

Urban Economics and Planning

The Comparative Approach of Urban Environment Quality with Emphasis on the Mental Image of Citizens of Tehran

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Farideh Khanmohammadi
Ph.D. in Urban Planning Geography, Islamic Azad University Research Science Unit, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/uep.2023.401366.1371
Abstract
Introduction
Nowadays, due to population growth, uncontrolled migration, horizontal urban development, and the intense demand for increased construction of residential units, there has been a disregard for the qualitative aspect of housing. The most significant issue observed in various areas of Tehran is that some neighborhoods have become the residence of high socioeconomic classes, while others are inhabited by the poor and low-income segments of society. The research aims to evaluate urban livability based on the different conditions of neighborhoods from the perspective of the residents in Tehran. In this regard, the quality of life and urban livability are considered one of the most important areas of urban studies in different countries, encompassing various social, environmental, and economic factors. Attention to these indicators in cities has gained significance as an effective tool for urban management and planning, ultimately determining the level of livability in cities. A quality living environment supports various human activities. The rapid growth of urbanization in recent decades has led to the decline of the values of these living environments in the old inner city areas, rendering them no longer capable of meeting human needs or providing suitable platforms for their activities. Some urban areas face significant challenges in terms of physical and environmental degradation, social deprivation, insecurity, unemployment, economic inequality, housing shortages, and traffic congestion, all of which severely reduce the quality of urban life. Nevertheless, policymakers and planners at international and national levels emphasize the capacity of cities to improve the quality of human life.
Materials and Methods
The present research is practical and falls under the descriptive-analytical type. The theoretical framework section of the study has been developed through information from existing statistics and documents in the library. The indicators and variables affecting the quality of the living environment in the current research, based on the study of foundations and research literature, are presented in Table 3. On the other hand, the data collection was conducted through field studies and the use of a questionnaire tool, which was designed based on the research indicators and variables. For data analysis, the SPSS 22 software was used. Descriptive statistics (frequencies) and inferential statistics (t-tests, analysis of variance, Pearson correlation coefficient, multiple regression analysis, and path analysis) were employed. The t-test and F-test were used to examine differences and path analysis was used to determine the impact of factors influencing the quality of the residential environment from the perspective of residents at the neighborhood level (Tajrish, North Narmak, and South Salsabil) in Tehran. Lastly, for spatial analysis, interpolation, and neighborhood classification, the ArcGIS 10.3 software was utilized.
Findings
Research findings have shown that there is a positive and direct relationship between the age of residents and their level of satisfaction. As their age increases, their satisfaction with living in the neighborhood also increases. There is a significant relationship between gender and the quality of the residential environment. Path analysis of factors influencing the quality of the residential environment from the perspective of citizens in three neighborhoods (Tajrish, Northern Narmak, and Southern Salsabil) in Tehran city reveals that social, economic, access to urban services and facilities, quality of public transportation, physical quality of neighborhoods, and environmental hygiene have the most influential effects, with the highest impact being 0.43 (social index) and the lowest impact being 0.06 (environmental hygiene index). Based on the results of the questionnaire distribution among residents of the three neighborhoods, the descriptive statistics of respondents are as follows: 41.9% of the sample population were women and 58.1% were men in response to gender questions. In terms of marital status, 23.7% of respondents were single and 73.3% were married. In terms of age, 6.6% of respondents were under 20 years old, 73.4% were between 21 and 40 years old, 14.9% were between 41 and 60 years old, and 5% were in the age group of 61 to 80 years old. Regarding education level, 1.2% were literate, 10.8% had elementary education, 31.9% had a diploma or pre-university education, 26.1% had post-secondary education, and 27.8% had a bachelor’s degree or higher education. In terms of occupation, 31.5% had government jobs and 68.5% were self-employment. According to the questionnaire results, 6.24% of the respondents had a monthly income of less than 3 million Tomans, 28.33% had an income between 3 and 6 million Tomans, 31.12% had an income between 6 and 10 million Tomans, 16.46% had an income between 10 and 13 million Tomans, and 10.95% had an income between 13 and 16 million Tomans, while 6.90% had an income above 13 million Tomans per month. In terms of duration of residence in the residential neighborhood, 18% had less than 10 years, 24% had between 10-15 years, and the rest had more than 15 years of residence history in the neighborhood. In terms of the economic index, the highest average is related to land prices, and the lowest average is related to neighborhood income. In the social index, the highest average is related to social participation, and the lowest average is related to social security. Among the variables related to the quality index of neighborhoods, the variable of building quality has the highest average and the variable of residential unit quality has the lowest average. In terms of access to urban services and facilities, the variable of access to services has the highest average and the variable of access to recreational facilities has the lowest average. In terms of quality of traffic and public transportation at the neighborhood level, the variable of access to public transportation has the highest average and the variable of street and alley quality has the lowest average. In the environmental hygiene index, satisfaction with waste collection has the highest average and sewage disposal has the lowest average.
Conclusion
The increase in population and extensive migration to cities has led to a quantitative approach to housing, ultimately resulting in a decline in attention to the quality of the residential environment. This has created various social, economic, and political issues in our country. Therefore, this research aims to define the effective indicators in the residential environment (environmental, economic, social-cultural, physical, and managerial) to assess the mental dimension of citizens through a survey. The assessment of the quality of the residential environment from different dimensions shows that in some cases, there are differences between what residents perceive about their living environment and the results obtained from objective measurements of the environment. The evaluation criteria for the residential environment largely reflect the citizens’ perception of space based on the indicators used in urban planning. In general, the research findings show that women are more satisfied with their residential neighborhoods than men. There is a significant relationship between the duration of residence in the neighborhood and the level of satisfaction with the neighborhood’s quality. As the duration of residence increases, the level of satisfaction with the neighborhood also increases. The determinants of the quality of the residential environment are not only physical and architectural criteria but also includes creating sustainable and innovative structures that align with social, cultural, environmental, and economic characteristics that can significantly improve residents’ satisfaction with the quality of their residential environment. Ultimately, aligning the mental and objective quality of the residential environment is a key solution to improving the overall quality of the residential environment.
Keywords
Environment Quality
Livability
Neighborhood
Tehran City

Subjects

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  • Receive Date 12 June 2023
  • Revise Date 09 September 2023
  • Accept Date 15 September 2023