Globalization and patterns of behavior of citizens in urban spaces; Model design and explanation with Grounded Theory (Case study: Public space of Rasht city center)

The process of globalization has affected all aspects of human life. Urban spaces are also affected in both environmental and behavioral dimensions. This study examines the relationship between environment and behavior with a probabilistic approach. The main purpose is to analyze the impact of the globalization process on the behavioral patterns of citizens in public spaces and to provide a comprehensive theory about it. The main question of the research is how the patterns of citizens' behavior in the central context of Rasht have changed due to globalization? To answer this question, the method of grounded theory is used. The interviewees were identified purposefully using the snowball technique. Finally, using line-by-line analysis of conversations in the open coding stage, 537 codes were extracted from 15 detailed interviews with experts in the field of research and finally 18 categories were identified. In the axial coding stage, a paradigm model was used to organize the connections between categories. Also, in the selective coding stage, the proposed design was refined. Findings show that the impact of globalization exists in all three aspects of human activities in urban spaces (optional, social, necessary) and occurs in the form of physical, environmental, socio-cultural and political components. According to the analysis, the central public space of Rasht has been updated both physically and in terms of globalization. More invitations to the public space of Rasht city center, more stops and pauses in it, new behaviors, peer hangouts, group games with strangers, sitting and talking and socializing, and walking and wandering calmly are the most important categories studied in this research.