Investigating the Role of Diversity Index in the Quality of Urban Environment Emphasizing the Role of Market (Case Study: Rasouli Crossroad Market of Zahedan)

Paying attention to the diversity of urban environment is very important for creating an identity, maintaining the attractiveness, vitality and flexibility of the urban environment. This study aimed to investigate the effective variables in the urban environment quality emphasising the diversity in the Rasouli crossroads market in Zahedan.

In this study, the list of effective variables on the urban environment quality was presented by a comprehensive model using a qualitative content analysis method. Then, using a questionnaire, different dimensions of urban environment quality with emphasis on diversity criteria were evaluated. Data were analyzed using one-sample T-test through SPSS 26 software. The impact factor of each dimension as an independent variable on the dependent variable of urban environment quality was investigated through a structural equation model of multicritria regression by SPSS and Lisrel softwares.

Economic (0.221), perceptual-mental (1.23), socio-cultural (1.20) and functional (0.99) dimensions of Rasouli crossroads market had the highest impact on the diversity of Zahedan urban environment, respectively. The components of the diversity of guilds, the reasonable price of goods and the appropriateness of market guilds for all age groups and the possibility of more social interaction with others were ranked higher. Environmental (0.72) and physical-spatial dimensions (0.98) also had the lowest impact coefficients.

Physical diversity is a necessary condition for improving the quality of the urban environment, because it can provide a suitable space for the presence of people. Consequently, it is necessary to provide facilities in order to improve the environmental dimensions in these conditions. Due to the multiple interactions between the proposed indicators, improving the physical and environmental dimensions of the neighborhood should be considered by city officials and planners.