Measuring and Evaluating the Quality of Urban Walkways from the Perspective of the Creative Urban Space; Case Study: Central Urban Walkways in Rasht City of Iran

In recent years, urban planners and designers have taken benefits of creativity and cultural and social attractions in urban spaces, as an opportunity to create an environment along with well-being and reconsideration in vitality and an opportunity for the creative class to be present in urban spaces. The current article aims to assess the appropriate qualities of the urban environment as a result of the sidewalk approach to evaluate and measure the creative city on the cultural sidewalk of Rasht in Iran. Consequently, regarding the research method, after explaining the nature of the creative city and also examining the thinkers’ views concerning environmental qualities, a conceptual model of creative urban space has been developed. Then, via questionnaire and analysis through SPSS software and regression model, Pearson and Friedman, the indicators and criteria of creative urban space have been evaluated. The results of the analysis of the five physical, functional, social, perceptual, and environmental components concerning the creative urban space reveal that the social, active, and functional components have a more significant level than the other components. Attention to the creative economy, cultural assets, spatial flexibility, urban placemaking, attention to indigenous and local forces and knowledge, promotion of indigenous economy, etc., creative urban environment was achieved. Lastly, based on analysis and empirical evidence, some suggestions are presented to improve the quality of urban spaces to achieve a creative city.