Evaluation of urban worn-out structures with urban regeneration approach (Case: Miandoab city)

Many cities in Iran are grappling with the issue of worn-out and historical textures that are incompatible and incongruous with modern urban life and the characteristics of a modern city. Miandoab City is no exception to this rule, with over 240 hectares of worn-out textures characterized by dense urban structures. However, the western part of the city has low-quality rural textures and is in an inappropriate condition regarding safety, stability, accessibility, etc., while the eastern part includes the main texture zone, which is the central part of the city. The existence of these heterogeneous textures at the city level can pose significant challenges to desirable and sustainable development, and considering their dimensions in various parts is of particular importance. Therefore, this article aims to evaluate urban worn-out textures using an urban regeneration approach. It seeks to answer the questions:- How is the situation of worn-out textures in Miandoab City? What are the most influential dimensions in their regeneration in the studied city? Economic sustainability, intersectoral interaction and collaboration, and transparency of laws and regulations positively and significantly impact the development of participatory regeneration of worn-out textures. The variables of participatory development have positive and significant effects on social sustainability, internal development, and physical coherence.

The research method employed in this study is descriptive-analytical and applied in nature based on objectives. Library studies and field observations were utilized to gather the required information. In order to develop and evaluate the regeneration of worn-out and heterogeneous textures within the Miandoab City, a list of internal factors (strengths and weaknesses) and external factors (opportunities and threats) was extracted. Then, through expert surveys involving urban experts and managers, a set of factors that were deemed more significant by the respective experts were selected to enter the evaluation matrix of internal and external factors. Additionally, by combining the SWOT analysis with the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) within the Expert Choice software, pairwise comparisons of each internal and external factor were conducted to determine the weights and rankings of each factor, leading to the final score of the internal and external matrix. After performing the necessary calculations for the final weights of the factors, the strategies and sensitivity analysis of the strategies were extracted using the software as mentioned above. Finally, based on the internal and external factor matrix, the type of the four strategies was determined, and then the final ranking of these strategies was carried out using the FAHP model. Furthermore, the significance of the variables was assessed using the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) SMART PLS model.

The results obtained from the analysis of internal and external factors in the social and economic dimensions indicate that weaknesses, with a score of 0.237, are ranked first and have a higher priority than other factors. Strengths, with a score of 0.267, are in the second position, followed by threats and opportunities, with scores of 0.238 and 0.222, respectively. In the managerial section, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats have scores of 0.225, 0.224, 0.247, and 0.221, respectively. Among them, strengths have the most significant impact, while weaknesses have the least impact on the worn-out texture of Miandoab City. Examining strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats from an environmental perspective indicates that threats have the highest score (0.255) and are of higher priority, while weaknesses, with a final score of 0.224, have a lower priority within the study area. Furthermore, the results obtained from PLS analysis confirm all the research hypotheses. Economic stability positively and significantly affects development participation with a path coefficient of 0.142. Collaboration and interaction between sectors and transparency and regulations demonstrate positive and significant effects on development participation with path coefficients of 0.042 and 0.082, respectively. Overall, improving and developing participation in worn-out textures contributes to physical coherence, internal development, and sustainability.

The results of the structural equation modeling indicate a significant and positive relationship between the components of economic sustainability, transparency of laws and regulations, inter-sectoral collaboration, and interaction with development participation. As a mediating variable, development participation significantly impacts physical coherence, social sustainability, and internal development within urban worn-out textures. The greater the emphasis on development participation, the greater its impact on other components. On the other hand, the research findings show that the significant problems in the worn-out textures of the city are economic and social factors, which have a higher priority with a final score of 0.286 compared to other factors. The residents of different neighborhoods in the city are not inclined to renovate the texture due to economic difficulties. Despite government incentives such as facilities to encourage residents to improve and renovate their housing, the lack of sufficient income and savings hinders their willingness to renovate. Additionally, the negligence of the private sector in investing in these textures exacerbates the problems as mentioned above. Therefore, sustainable economic revitalization and improvement of the social situation are essential drivers for development in heterogeneous urban textures to enhance the quality of life and increase their sustainability, preventing further social and economic challenges. The managerial aspect is the second major problem facing the worn-out texture in Miandoab City, with a score of 0.274. Inefficient urban management in decision-making, necessary frameworks, and policies for planning and renovation have led to further deterioration. Insufficient coordination among officials and unfavorable economic and social conditions have resulted in low quantitative and qualitative values of livability in these areas. The infrastructure and physical aspect of the worn-out texture in Miandoab City ranked third with a score of 0.267. The urban texture faces challenges regarding building instability, lack of safety against natural hazards, use of inappropriate materials, aging structures, inadequate accessibility, lack of urban facilities and equipment, high housing density, etc., significantly affecting their sustainability. In conclusion, addressing the issues of economic and social factors, promoting development participation, and improving infrastructure and physical conditions are crucial for revitalizing and improving the worn-out texture of Miandoab City.