Semi-private Territories and presence of women in informal communal spaces (Case Study: Rasht Shahrdari Square & The Area around Lahijan Lake)

A presentable place for women is a place that is socially acceptable for them to be present in. Women's attendance in public spaces and communities has increased in recent years because of lifestyle changes and cultural shifts. However, there are a variety of issues that limit women's social participation in public spaces. One factor limiting women's social involvement is that public spaces are not organized or designed with women's demands, social aspects, or behaviors. This research aims to achieve indices and characteristics in public spaces that reflect women's demands and behaviors to make the spaces more appealing to them.

After performing document studies and forming the literature of study, field studies and data collection techniques based on qualitative research methods, such as in-depth interviews, participant observation, and the grounded method, were used to meet research objectives. The views and behaviors of different women regarding spatial indices affecting their presence in communal spaces were assessed to prove the concept explained in this article, and discussions with participants were conducted in two public spaces in Rasht Shahrdari Square and the area around Lahijan Lake to validate the theory. I also done data analysis as coding.

Analyzing the results presents the concept of "semi-private territory." Semi-private territories have unique characteristics that make them appealing to women, such as reduced exposure, privacy, and warmth. They have some characteristics of private territories and some similarities to private spaces, although they are in a public field. They are not entirely open to the public eye.

While the findings support the listed characteristics, they also indicate that semi-private territories in relation to women's behavioral characteristics and territorial behavior impact the promotion of women's presence in informal common spaces. As a result, by designing and considering such locations in public spaces, it is possible to boost women's willingness to join these spaces and lay the groundwork for their increased presence there.