The Role of Urban Furniture in the Vitality of Historical Context Sidewalks (investigation: Shahrdari Street and Hafeziyeh Street)

In architecture and urban design، considering the ideas of citizens is one of the most important factors for designing. That is to say، what features the space and surrounding environment should have in order to attract people. One of these urban elements that cause this attractiveness is urban furniture. Urban furniture is an element، which is very important in terms of creating identity، beauty، and readability of the city. From the perspective of a western theorist، if city intelligence should be identified، its urban furniture has to be considered. According to this perspective، we realize the importance of urban furniture. The present study aims at investigating the role of urban furniture in the vitality of historical context sidewalks. To conduct this research، the sidewalks of Shahrdari and Hafezieh streets in Shiraz were selected as samples. The study is a combined research and the data collection was done through library and indirect observation methods. In the indirect method، two types of questionnaires related to two historical places were provided and randomly distributed among 118 pedestrians (58 people on Shahrdari Street and 58 ones on Hafeziyeh Street in Shiraz). The collected data were investigated by Correlation Coefficient Test (Spearman Correlation) and Single-sample T-test and were evaluated using the 5-point Likert scale. Reliability of the questionnaires assessed using Cronbach''s Alpha was 0. 870. Results of the present study indicate that creating vitality by using appropriate urban furniture in historical places may reduce the depreciation of those places. Investigating other factors effective on these sidewalks، it is to say that factors، such as environmental comfort as well as the monuments themselves، make these historical places lively. It is implied that the factors effective on vitality، including urban space، have an effective relationship with urban space and tourist''s attraction.