Measuring the Quality of Urban Environment in Small Cities in East Azerbaijan Province

In recent decades, the quality of the urban environment has become one of the key issues in human environment studies. Measuring quality can be done not only on the basis of the objective environment but also on the basis of individuals’ perception of the environment to which they belong. In this regard, the environment quality can be also based on the satisfaction of citizens. Therefore, it is required to investigate how individuals consider the quality of the place where they live. This study aimed to assess the quality of the urban environment in Ajabshir, Ilkhichi, Malekan and Azarshahr and also investigate the status of these four cities in terms of quality indicators of the urban environment in order to identify the factors influencing the quality satisfaction in the urban environment. The research method was based on multivariable regression analysis known as the experimental model of measuring environment quality. In accordance with the results gained, the quality of the urban environment in the four cities was lower than the average. Moreover, according to the specific characteristics of small cities regarding social matters and the relationship between citizens, the content quality characteristic of these cities was in good condition. Totally, among the factors affecting the quality of the urban environment, the highest rank belonged to the quality of the residential environment.