Investigating the factors affecting the social functions of urban parks:Study of Javan and Madar Parks in Tonekabon

AbstractIn addition to enabling the relationship between city dwellers and nature, urban parks enhance social interactions, and even affect the social functions of adjacent public spaces. Factors affecting the social functions of urban parks can be divided into two categories; internal features such as the size, facilities and physical characteristics of the park; and external features, i.e. the park's relationship with the surrounding public spaces. This article examines the two Tonekabon urban parks, which are markedly different in terms of these characteristics, to explain how these distinctive features affect their social functioning.This is a descriptive study and data collection was done by survey and field observation. The statistical sample includes 400 park users, which are selected exclusively from the residents of this city, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, t-test, correlation and regression were used to analyze quantitative data. According to the findings, the higher the relationship between parks and activities in the surrounding public spaces, the higher their security and vitality. In the Javan Park, the effect of the interrelationships of the parks with the surrounding activities and public spaces on user satisfaction, and in the Madar Park, the effect of physical quality and facilities on user satisfaction is higher. Although the social functions of urban parks are influenced by various physical factors and characteristics, but parks are integral part of public spaces and activities in it, and even the effectiveness of these factors and characteristics is more influenced by the specific spatial-social context in which the functions of the park are performed.