Identifying the socio-cultural needs pattern of sense of place with an emphasis on the influence of digital technology on improving the quality of urban architecture (Case study: Mashhad)

Issues such as extreme physical expansion and socio-cultural, economic, and physical-spatial inequalities in Mashhad, and the methods applied for dealing with the issues have created great challenges, requiring changes towards a more qualified structure and more intense sense of belonging to the place. Another important issue is cities’ fates that depends on the digital technology. It seems necessary to redefine such issues as modern patterns and technologies for overcoming some of the challenges. This study was conducted to identify patterns related to socio-cultural needs of sense of place with an emphasis on the impact of digital technology on improving the quality of urban architecture in region 1 of Mashhad. The applied and descriptive-analytical study focused on the residents of region 1 of Mashhad as population statistics. The size of the sample was determined to be 2000 participants using R software. Cluster method was applied for sampling. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to present a model of the factors and sub-factors impacting the improvement of the quality of urban architecture and Apriori algorithm was used to reach a conditional pattern for identifying the relationships between quality improvement indicators and such factors as the area grouping, individual characteristics, and the type of ownership. The results indicated that except for the statistical indicators of signs and comfort that seem to be average regarding the existence and being implemented in the neighborhoods, other indicators showed a significant difference from the average value. Moreover, from the respondents’ perspective, the whole indicators “social cohesion and solidarity, mobility and dynamism, sense of belonging, readability, identity, originality, order, and desired style in different neighborhoods” are less than the average. Moreover, the patterns resulted from exploring the obtained data showed that in most of the neighborhoods, the different situations of the existence of 6 indicators have a value less than the average. The study applied the interactive online forms, cloud-based analytical tools, machine learning, and data-exploring algorithms, the result of which is significant relationships of hidden patterns. Moreover, it showed that digital technologies can provide a suitable ground for more detailed analysis of problems and more suitable solutions through automatic and timely identification of patterns and showing the deepest desires of residents. The technologies can cover as well the urban architecture through regulating urban data, and combining and displaying patterns. The result could be a more united and meaningful whole with the help of more exact patters and in connection with the patterns influencing the quality of urban architecture.