فروغ خزاعی نژاد

Never before has humanity faced such an accumulation of multiple crises in cities. Therefore, it seems necessary to pay special attention to cities in general and the concept of urban livability in particular in the world and in Iran.

The present research was compiled with the aim of identifying the driving forces affecting urban livability.

This research is applied in terms of purpose and hybrid in terms of method. In order to collect information, library and field methods (questionnaire of experts) have been used. Regarding the identification of influential drivers, 20 experts in urban livability were selected as samples. In this research, six economic, social, environmental, service and infrastructural, urban and historical management dimensions were examined in the form of 24 variables. Data analysis has been done using the interaction analysis method in Micmac software.

Studied Areas:

 In this research, the central part of Bojnord city, the capital of North Khorasan province, has been selected as a study sample.

Paying attention to the drivers of livability and additional studies and investigations in this important role in improving and promoting urban livability in the current state of the city and improving the performance and conditions of the central living area of Bojnord not only at the present time but also in the future will also have. Based on the research, the variables of transportation facilities, favorable access, historical signs and symbols, residents' sufficient income, preservation of historical signs and symbols, management of dilapidated structures and variety of job opportunities have the most influence and the least dependency.

According to the results obtained in the field of livability drivers of the central part of Bojnord city, investment and study and research in public transportation facilities and improving the performance of urban sidewalks can play a significant role in improving the livability of this part.

The livable city is one of the new and effective concepts in the current urban systems that has found a significant place due to its important and fundamental role in the evolution of the ideas and ideals of the contemporary society. Due to the importance of improving living conditions in the central part of cities on one hand and the importance of quality instead of sole focusing on quantity on the other hand, the purpose of the present work is to examine the mediating role of identity in the relationship between the livability of the central part of Bojnourd and some of its key and selected indicators. The theoretical foundations of this study were collected using a library study and the required data for analysis were collected using a questionnaire completed by 384 residents of the central part of the city. To meet the goals of the study, SPSS and Smart PLS software were used to prepare and process the data. The findings of the study indicate the significant role of the variable of identity and sense of belonging as a mediator on other indicators studied in this study, namely social participation, security and education in the viability of the central part of Bojnourd. Therefore, the variables of identity and sense of place belonging are not only an effective factors on the livability of a place but also they play a significant role in the impact of other factors and variables, which adds to the importance of the identity and sense of place belonging in livability studies. Thus, giving special attention to these concepts has a crucial role in improving urban livability.

A new urbanism theory has emerged in recent decades in response to numerous urban problems of the twentieth century, with the goal of creating vibrant, compact, diverse and desirable cities in terms of work, walking, life, and transportation options. In view of the widespread acceptance of this theory among the Iranian researchers, the aim of this study is to assess the sustainability of organic and planned neighborhoods in Mashhad based on the spatial-physical indexes of new urbanism. In this regard, two neighborhoods, Rah Ahan (organic neighborhood) and the second phase of Rezashahr (planned neighborhood) were selected. This research method is descriptive- analytical and the mixed model of AHP and GIS has been used to assess the stability of two neighborhoods. Accordingly, the Sustainability Measurement Model was used as a hierarchy in the form of 7 physical-space indicators (type of road, pedestrian width, land use, area of lots, access to the center of the neighborhood, number of floors and access to public transport) . Tthe research results show that in Rezashhar, 68.43% of neighborhood area has moderate to high stability and 31.57%  of the total of the neighborhood area is the lack of stability, and in Rah Ahan, 70.84%  of the total of the neighborhood has moderate to high stability and 29.16% of the total of the neighborhood is lack of stability. Therefore, according to the spatial indicators of the new urbanism, the neighborhood of Reza Shahr is more unsustainable than the old neighborhood of Rah Ahan. Therefore, this study shows the richness of traditional Iranian urbanization and the superiority of old neighborhoods. So, it can be said that traditional and organic urbanization is a more appropriate basis for applying the new urbanism approach and this approach can be used in the form of urban regeneration.

Increasing growth of urban development and decrease in the quality of living conditions in cities on one hand and replacing quality approaches instead of paying attention to the quantity standards on the other hand has led to raising issues such as urban livability which can be discussed in different aspects , areas and scales. Unlike the regular way of studies in the field of livability seeing it as the status of a place , the idea of the present research is livability as a subordinate phenomenon caused by the nature of the factors forming the developments of urbanism and urban life. Hence, considering the location under study )District 12 ( , identifying the livability of central district Tehran is subject to recognizing the factors and processes of development in Tehran's urban system and the transformations in the central district of this. The finding of this research that is based on library and field study ( filling out questionnaire in snowball sampling method from elite academic lecturers and the selected experts of municipality) and Freedman test for testing the rate of effects of the questions shows that macro factors such as extending the capitalism relations, oil-based economy , industry orientation , modernism , decisions, rules and urban plans, demographic transformations and environmental factors are the most important factors affecting urban developments in Tehran and following it, the condition of livability in district 12. Hence, the condition of livability of a place can be attributed to some factors beyond minor local factors.

A city is a dynamic, alive and vibrant entity, rooted in history and nature. The starting point of every city, is the central and historical core, in which the body of the city gradually develops. However, since the beginning of the 20th century, in many cities of the world, the rapid growth of urban constituents in new regions and suburbs has been at the cost of the downfall and decline of their central part. This situation in the central part of the cities has caused physical burnout, decline and then the deterioration of the structure of the neighborhood structure, the migration of the indigenous and original population. This has consequently resulted in the drop of the central urban segment, the drop of environmental quality, inefficiency of urban infrastructures and degradation of social life that has led to the spread of urban instability in the central parts of the cities. All these conditions have caused urban livability as a subset of sustainability which directly affects the physical, socioeconomic and psychological aspects of people's lives and includes a collection of environmental acquisition features making it a desirable and attractive place to live, work and visit for everyone to attract the attention of the urbanists and urban planners within the discourse of sustainability and ecological outlook during the last decades. The present paper has been done with the aim of identifying the status of the livability of the neighborhoods of district 12 Tehran with emphasis on the residents in District 12 and involves the primary and historical cores and old textures of Tehran. This region had a population more than 244000 people in 2015 living in 6 regions and 13 neighborhoods. A number of 383 households were selected as sample dividing by the neighborhood using Cochran formula. They were then questioned by Spatial Cluster method and simple random method in the next stage. The pattern governing the study is “ Evaluating-comparative.” The present study covers six aspects of the urban economy, social, environmental, servicing and infrastructural, urban management and historical within 20 parameters and 94 items. T-Test, ANOVA, TUKEY HSD tests have been used to analyze the findings, and GIS software and its lateral accessories have been used to recognize the spatial pattern of distribution of the dimensions under discussion throughout the district and neighborhoods. The reason for using the interpolation method in the present research is that a total of 383 questionnaires were distributed in the area among the resident citizens. Therefore, as all residential units and citizens had not been questioned, an interpolation method was used, which means determining the value of unknown points by the known points. In the first step of studying livability, based on the six aspects, T-test single sample was used. Comparing the averages observed in in the aspects with expected averages, showed a significant negative difference in economic, urban management, environment and historical aspects. ANOVA Test and the findings of Post-Hoc ANOVA Test (Tukey HSD) proved that not only there is a significant difference between the status of livability in different neighborhoods of district 12 Tehran, but also this difference between different neighborhoods is to the degree that they can be classified as the worst to the best and neighborhoods with a similar condition can be placed in one category. Based on the findings of this test, Pamenar, Shahid Harandi, Baharestan, Ferdowsi, bazar and Imamzadeh Yahya were placed in one category with undesired condition and |Darvazeh Shemiran, Kosar and Takhti were placed in a homogenous rather desirable condition category and the neighborhoods Iran, Abshar, Sanglaj, and Ghiam were placed in a favored category as compared with standard 282 for livability. Studies in terms of space and preparing the plans resulted by interpolating the points being studied in the region also conform the findings of the tests. The findings showed that in terms of the six aspects of urban livability, only the aspect of “services and infrastructures” and the “Social” aspect are higher than average and the other four aspects are lower than the average. This study also showed that the spatial pattern of the distribution of livability aspects of district 12 is in Northern- Southern direction. This means that the aspects of livability in the Northern neighborhoods have a better condition as compared to the southern neighborhoods and the neighborhoods with lower livability have been distributed in the southern parts. Furthermore, in the composition and conclusion of the set of aspects studied, the neighborhoods of the region have different situations and conditions. As Sanglaj neighborhood and parts of Pamenar neighborhood (which are located in the east of the region and beyond the power and dominance of the Bazar Bozorg Tehran and government organizations and institutions), in the best situation have the widest possible favorable conditions for livability and the districts Kosar and Shahid Harandi has the most consistent and significant density of undesirable conditions. Generally, based on the parameters of livability considered in this paper, the district 12 and its neighborhoods have a low level and only Sanglaj neighborhood located in the western half of the district is in a rather desirable condition. Therefore, we can say that this district in the central region of Tehran has lost lots of its capacities and capabilities through its historical transformations. Hence, continuing the urban life and livability as the center of this metropolitan requires plans with livability approach adapting with modern urban functions in the scale of Tehran metropolitan.

Industrial Revolution and its outcomes caused fast growth of cities and urbanization. Population and industries and overconcentration (especially metropolitans and big cities) and low quality of life on one hand and the limitations of horizontal growth on the other hand, put the strategy of building new towns as the agenda of the governments aiming to absorb population overflow and removing concentration from the metropolitans. Building new towns in Iran has begun since 1980s as a basic solution in the country's system of urbanism. Now with more than two decades of new towns activity, assessment of their Performance seems necessary. For this goal Andishe new town with population of 75596, the most populated new town within other new towns around Tehran-the country's biggest metropolitan is studied. In this research the data of Statistical Centre of Iran interviews with the authorities of New Towns Construction Company, field studies and questionnaires were used. SPSS software was used for data analysis. The findings show that Andishe new town has been successful in absorbing population overflow, gaining the inhabitants satisfaction and providing jobs.

Tehran's urban complex is a geographical area which is created by the functional correlation and interaction of activities and residence in some cities and population community, in a way to form an integrated spatial system. Tehran urban complex is one the most important and largest urban areas of our country with a population of over 13422367 individuals.Our aim in this paper is to study the changes of population settlement pattern in Tehran urban complex and its some effective factors during the last three decades (1976-2006) from the view point of authors. Analytical- descriptive method has been used in this paper.The results of this study show that population settlement in Tehran urban complex during the three decades of under study has been more in other urban points and villages than in metropolis of Tehran.