Assessment of Cultural Sustainability Indices in Relation to Quantitative Indices of physical Density (Case Study: Three Residential Complexes in Tabriz Metropolis)

Housing indices are efficient tools in evaluation of the principles and polices involved in residential planning. Such indices provide a visible and precise picture of the housing conditions and illustrate the shortcomings and the advancements in achieving the goals set by the housing sector. Unfortunately, development of cites and the growth of indices related to density in solving the problems of housing have an eye on quantitative features neglecting discussions on quality. Today, cites in Iran are facing quantitative growth and arguments on sustainability as a qualitative concept are dramatically absent from the scene. Cultural sustainability plays an important role in sustainability of future developments and it is necessary to pay special attention to cultural values alongside the physical-spatial principles while licensing any kind of building project in residential planning programmes. The present study aims to establish a physical-cultural order, with emphasis on indices of density and cultural indicators in line with residential sustainability programmes, to examine the role of density in form and physicality and its effect on cultural sustainability of residential complexes. Utilizing library research, field study and distributing questionnaires, this study will survey three residential areas in city of Tabriz with equal coefficiency in density to examine cultural sustainability ratio with reference to six factors of equality, nature, proportions, privacy, security and contribution. The results show that apart from coefficient density, as the most prominent indicator, sustainability within boundaries is related to qualitative sub-indicators of density like level, ground space, and open spaces which again lead to modification of physical order in the complexes.