Investigation of the Factors Affecting the Sense of Belonging to a Place in Urban Spaces (with Emphasis on Physical and Environmental Factors)

Nowadays, the importance of recognizing the factors influencing the quality of urban spaces in order to meet the needs of citizens in order to promote the presence and level of their social interactions becomes more and more important. The familiar citizen's perception of the environment is created in a process of experience and education, and the difference in sense of place in individuals and in cities and towns is the result of the difference in experiences from activities and spaces. By developing human societies and changing the way people live, the attention of architects, designers and planners has increased the quality of spaces and built environments. The role of design has become more important as a tool for shaping the ideal living environment and meeting the needs and expectations of mankind. One of the important meanings in improving the quality of human environments is the sense of belonging to the place. This feeling, which is an important factor in the formation of the communication bases of users and the environment, will ultimately lead to the creation of quality environments. The sense of place is one of the concepts whose further recognition can help researchers and planners in various fields and ultimately lead to the development of the environment. Physical and environmental features include: spatial layout, fitness, form, confinement, and visual aesthetics as well as factors such as: environmental and aesthetic factors and positioning, which are themselves an important factor in creating sense of belonging and should be well considered by designers and Planners. In fact, planning to improve the physical and environmental factors should also be aimed at increasing the possibility of forming various activities. It is also an improvement in the image of environment in the minds of the users in order to enhance the identity and sense of belonging in urban spaces.