The Role of Third Places in Enhancing Citizens’ Sense of Belonging. Study Case: From Valiasr Square to the Intersection of Valiasr Street, Tehran

The social life of citizens has always been affected by various factors, one of which is the third place, which is one of the most important places in public arenas. These places have always been a place for everyday life to flow in front of official life, which has significantly impacted the city's public life and its citizens' social life. The third place, as one of the central institutions of the public domain, can play the role of an alternative shelter relative to home or workplace. It is a place where people can visit regularly and connect with friends or strangers. The city's attraction is that it frees people from norms strongly felt in personal spaces and allows people to learn about themselves and others. The key to successful public social life is for people to consistently replace essential activities with optional activities (activities they enjoy) in places where they feel comfortable, safe, and have time to spend. Urban spaces are places that belong to the general public. They are not limited to the physical aspect and gain meaning with the presence of humans and their activities. Urban spaces have a long history in the history of urban planning. They have appeared in cities in different forms in different periods and caused the formation of urban fabric around or around their axis. The degree of success of urban spaces is proportional to the amount of use of that space and the presence of people in it. Architecture and urban planning should seek to increase social interactions and solidarity of people instead of differentiation and separation. However, what we face today in most urban spaces is the reduction of relations and social participation of the residents in these spaces. The disconnection of the human relationship as a meaningful whole with the living world has caused humans' unknowing interference and occupation. On the other hand, the resulting crises have created homeless people. This placelessness has caused feelings like belonging and identity to fade. A good location with suitable characteristics of communal and native places of the city will make these faded feelings change the color and smell of the contemporary cities of Iran. This research seeks to provide a suitable assessment of an excellent location of a third place in the contemporary world of Iran. At first, the third-place concept was defined as the project's main topic. This research aimed to organize third places in urban spaces (Valiasr Square to Valiasr Crossroads in Tehran) to increase the sense of belonging. Hence, Indicators such as sense of belonging, presence, interactivity, evaluation of festivals and cultural events, and satisfaction with environmental quality were evaluated within the range. The research method and collection of documentary and analytical information were based on the distribution of 100 questionnaires among the single-sample statistical population. The inferential findings section used the Pearson t correlation coefficient to analyze the research data. The results show that the condition of Valiasr Square to the intersection of Valiasr Street in Tehran is relatively suitable based on indicators (in terms of sense of belonging, presence, interactivity, and satisfaction with environmental quality). However, the attitude and evaluation of cultural projects and events according to the degree of desired Participation and holding of festivals is relatively low and requires more serious planning and attention. The correlation coefficient results also indicate positive and significant statistical relationships between all indicators. Citizens have expressed dissatisfaction with the topic and manner of holding events and festivals, active participation in the environment, and interactivity, because their needs, wishes, and desires have not been paid attention. Moreover, these things hinder the promotion of the sense of place. The third places are attractive public areas, and the creation of sidewalks with an attractive visual environment and suitable opportunities for leisure is one of the effective strategies for developing and strengthening the third place and promoting the sense of place. Therefore, sidewalk construction projects are the initial response to this repressed need of the citizens after decades. The weaknesses in these projects do not prevent the attention and positive reaction of the citizens towards them. Therefore, city managers must pass this initial level of satisfaction, continuously monitor and evaluate the performance of these sidewalks and try to improve their quality level. In this regard, the realization of third urban places and their qualities can be the next level of targeting for urban planners and managers.