The Role of Utilizing Urban Spaces in Increasing Mobility and Its Effect in Reducing Mortality Rates (Case Study of Mashhad Urban Parks)

Mobility, walking, and sports in today's urban spaces are at least very difficult, if not impossible. The increase in the crowded spaces often means eliminating the necessary facilities for physical activity, depriving citizens of walking and the use of adequate and suitable open spaces. Such a process endangers the physical and mental health of citizens. Parks are among the most important urban spaces in this regard. Proper design and rational distribution of these spaces affect the mobility of citizens, and it is assumed that increasing mobility has a direct impact on reducing mortality. The current research was conducted in Mashhad to examine this hypothesis regarding the use of parks and green spaces. This descriptive and analytical study was started in mid-2008 and completed in the fall of 2018 in Mashhad. The required data were collected by a questionnaire from a sample of 800 people who were divided into four different groups. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The results showed that most visits to parks occurred within a radius of 500 meters and the mortality rate of people who use the parks and have the necessary mobility in these spaces is 50% lower than others. It was also found that if immobility increases threefold, the mortality rate quadruples, and if the duration of sedentism increases from 10 minutes to 40 minutes, the risk of death doubles. Therefore, urban planners must provide and distribute green spaces in such a way that citizens have access to these centers with a minimum distance, while equipment and designs should be in a way that makes them more mobile.