Assessing the Impacts of Zayandehrood River of Esfahan's Seasonal Drought on individuals sence of place attachment to its urban spaces (Case Study of Khaju Bridge Riverside)

Place attachment is the emotional bond with a place and positive emotional attachment that develops between place and individual and clarify ones sensitivity to especial geographical situation that bond individual to place. The concept of attachment alludes to the desire to maintain proximity to the object of attachment. When people feel positive sense to a place it means that they love that place and wanted to be there and communicate with it, therefore fate of place get important for them and they feel responsible about that place. But if people loose their sence of place attachment, they might be indifference to that place or they might avoid it, and their connection with the place will be reduced. Zayandeh-Rood which means “life-giving River” has caused beauty, elegance, Social interaction and vitality in the city of Isfahan and is a symbol of history and identity of it, this river attract many tourists from inside and outside of Iran each year. Zayandeh-Rood urban spaces because of its natural attractions like water and green infrustructors and its historical and artificial attractions like Khaju Bridge, can affect on individuals attachment to its urban spaces. The banks of the flowing river were the centre of all social, recreational and economic activities in the city. Now the river, which flowed for 400 kilometres from the Zagros Mountains in the west through parks and under Safavid-era bridges and was known for its fertile and verdure, has been drought and replaced by dirt and stones. The question of this study is that, amount of individuals sence of place attachment of urban spaces around the Zayandeh-Rood river how has changed in comparison with before the drought of it? And how much is the effect of Zayandeh-Rood drought on each dimensions of place attachment? This research is applicatory and has evaluated the effect of river drought on the amount of people sence of place attachment in urban spaces around the Zayandeh-Rood river via a quantitative- qualitative method. In this regard the effective elements and indicators of the place attachment have extracted and with analysis of 100 questionnaires by correlation test and regression, the people's attachment to Zayandeh-Rood urban spaces has assessed rather than before river drought. Results showed that attachment of people to urban spaces around the Zayandeh-Rood has reduced in comparison with before drought. People in the natural environments like zayandeh-Rood urban spaces has expect to experience psychological benefits through interacting with the place and the other people in that place, therefore try to keep their bond with the place. But because of river drought, the possibility of answering all these demands is less than before. Thus attachments to these spaces reduce over time and it provides settings to be abandend and forgotten places and converting them to unsecured places during the time. Thus negative impact of river drought on people tendency to refer to such places has revealded. Therefore attachment to the Zayandeh-Rood urban spaces, has received the most negative impact from the river drought, especially from behavioral aspect.