Urban and Regional Development Planning
Marjan Golipour; Pouyan Shahabian; Behnaz Aminzadeh Goharrizi
Abstract
The recent developments and the speed of construction in cities and the subsequent disorder in the appearance of urban spaces require a more careful look at the issue of the urban landscape and at a smaller level the issue of the urban landscape.In order to provide solutions for improving the quality ...
Read More
The recent developments and the speed of construction in cities and the subsequent disorder in the appearance of urban spaces require a more careful look at the issue of the urban landscape and at a smaller level the issue of the urban landscape.In order to provide solutions for improving the quality of facades of residential buildings, Tehran city was chosen due to the experience of forming facade committees in the last decade in the municipal structure. According to the level of effectiveness and performance, the effective actors were classified into two categories: urban management (decision-making, decision-making, and executive) and inclusive stakeholders (land, design, construction, public). Research data were identified, coded and analyzed using qualitative content analysis method with inductive approach and semi-structured in-depth interviews with influential people (urban management category). Therefore, the axes hidden in the text, the emphasized topics, the most used terms, the causes, the contexts and the current conditions of facade management and its improvement solutions were obtained from each of the interviews and by showing the hidden systems and recurring patterns. Conceptual models and maps were created.The analysis of the results determined the factors affecting the appearance of residential buildings in the order of importance including "documentary", "management and legal", "social", "design (designers)", "technology", "theoretical", "economic" and "executive". and the solutions for improving facade quality include a hierarchical structure with the aim of providing key information to effective groups (actors) and based on a broad perspective of criteria.
Hamid Amadeh; Abdorasoul Ghasemi; Amir Mohamad Jirsaraee
Abstract
As societies grow and develop, pollution has emerged as a fundamental management challenge in the contemporary world. This issue holds particular significance in developing countries where economic growth and environmental quality often clash in policy-making. Urban solid waste is a prevalent ...
Read More
As societies grow and develop, pollution has emerged as a fundamental management challenge in the contemporary world. This issue holds particular significance in developing countries where economic growth and environmental quality often clash in policy-making. Urban solid waste is a prevalent form of pollution afflicting cities, including Tehran. The pivotal question is whether the production of urban solid waste increases in tandem with citizens' incomes. This article delves into the relationship between the per capita income of Tehran residents and the volume of urban solid waste they generate within the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) framework. Given that household activities directly drive municipal solid waste production, the findings of this study shed light on citizens' environmental preferences. Utilizing panel data from 2007 to 2016 across 22 districts of Tehran, the study confirms that the quadratic model hypothesis of the EKC adequately analyzes this relationship based on Wald's test. Additionally, utilizing the fixed effects method, the study demonstrates the significant impact of per capita income on waste generation. Moreover, the analysis includes population density and household size as control variables, revealing a negative correlation between population density and waste production, while the impact of household size remains statistically insignificant.
Keywords: Solid Urban Waste, EKC, Panel Data, Tehran.
Introduction
The escalating population growth, urbanization expansion, and industrial development witnessed in recent decades have significantly elevated environmental concerns. A paramount issue among these concerns is the discharge of diverse pollutants, posing a pressing challenge for contemporary societies and garnering considerable attention from governmental entities, academia, and researchers. Waste, as a by-product of human endeavors, manifests in various dimensions and necessitates thorough examination. This study delves into the production of municipal solid waste (MSW) and its correlation with citizen income.
The primary focus of this research is to scrutinize the interplay between citizens' income levels and waste generation, particularly waste directly emanating from households. The underlying research hypothesis posits that as citizens' income rises, there is an initial upsurge in consumption and subsequent waste production. However, as per capita income levels advance, it is anticipated that individuals' preferences will undergo a transformation. This evolution is envisaged to manifest as a heightened environmental conscientiousness, leading to a shift towards prioritizing environmental quality and consequently diminishing waste generation.
Literature Review
Within the realm of environmental economics, scholarly attention has been directed towards exploring the intricate relationship between waste generation and per capita income through the lens of the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory. This hypothesis posits an inverted U-shaped association between per capita income and environmental degradation, with a specific focus on urban solid waste within the scope of the present study. Over the recent years, the Environmental Kuznets Curve theory has been employed as a theoretical framework to elucidate the link between per capita income levels and the proliferation of diverse environmental pollutants.
The term "Environmental Kuznets Curve" (EKC) was coined by (Dasgupta and Maler, 1994) owing to the resemblance of this curve to the fundamental Kuznets curve. Subsequently, (Shafik and Bandyopadhyay, 1992) posited, under the assumption of technological stability, consistent consumer preferences, and continued investment in environmental conservation, that escalating economic activities serve as a catalyst for environmental deterioration. Expounding on this notion, (Beckerman, 1992) delineated the presence of evidence showcasing environmental pollution during the early stages of economic advancement. Ultimately, Beckerman advocated for the augmentation of societal income as the paramount and most effective strategy to safeguard and ameliorate the environment.
Methodology
The focal point of this study revolves around the interplay between the income levels of Tehran's residents and the volume of solid waste generated by them. Urban solid waste emanates directly from household sources or urban establishments, indicative of the significant influence citizens possess over the production of this particular form of pollution. This investigation draws upon panel data encompassing 22 districts within Tehran. Specifically, the study incorporates data from the 22 districts under the purview of Tehran Metropolitan Municipality over a temporal span stretching from the year 2006 to 2016, totaling a duration of 10 years. The principal dependent variable under scrutiny pertains to the per capita quantity of waste generated by individuals, with this data sourced from official statistics released by the Municipality of Tehran through the Information and Communication Technology Organization.
Results
To initiate the model estimation process, the F-Limer's test was employed to ascertain the distinct impacts of individual sections. The test results unequivocally rejected the null hypothesis with complete certainty, signifying the inadequacy of assuming uniform origins across all regions. Consequently, the data conveys a nuanced perspective by embracing the notion of unique regional effects as opposed to a homogeneous data distribution. Subsequently, the Hausman test was utilized to discern the most appropriate estimation method between fixed effects and random effects.
Upon a thorough examination of the statistical values within the table and the associated probabilities, it was determined that the random effect estimator should be disregarded with a probability exceeding 95%, thereby endorsing the utilization of the fixed effects method. Subsequently, the quadratic model was estimated employing the fixed effects approach.
The estimated coefficients for the variables exhibit significance, barring the household dimension variable. Remarkably, the coefficient of the squared per capita income variable is not only negative but also statistically significant, underscoring the presence of an inverse U-shaped correlation between per capita income and urban solid waste production. This observation aligns with the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis, indicating that as the income of citizens in the 22 districts of Tehran rises, the initial surge in solid waste generation eventually plateaus and diminishes beyond a certain threshold. Moreover, the estimated coefficient for population density displays a negative and statistically significant relationship with urban solid waste production, elucidating that heightened population density inversely correlates with the amount of solid waste yielded by inhabitants.
Discussion
In specific districts within Tehran, the initiation of efforts to diminish urban waste generation has been spurred by income escalations, while in alternate areas; a decline in waste output is projected to transpire once a particular threshold of per capita income is reached. It is imperative to emphasize that these outcomes should not be construed to imply a passive reliance on income augmentation alone to address urban waste management issues, thereby underscoring the continued significance of espousing efficient policies within this domain.
Moahmmad Mahdi Mowlaei; Sobhan Yahyaei; Mozhgan Hajizadegan; Mohammad Hamed Ehsanbakhsh
Abstract
This article, with a theoretical lens made from the combination of "Good Urban Governance" and "Cultural Citizenship in the Age of Information", seeks to answer the question of how the two-way interaction of citizens and urban management can be understood through modern tools of information and communication ...
Read More
This article, with a theoretical lens made from the combination of "Good Urban Governance" and "Cultural Citizenship in the Age of Information", seeks to answer the question of how the two-way interaction of citizens and urban management can be understood through modern tools of information and communication technology. Therefore, this study was conducted with the aim of gaining an understanding of the public opinion flow in cyberspace, and finding a pattern of urban interactions in it. For this, 18095 Instagram posts and 48300 Tweets were collected, and their quantitative and qualitative classification was done by quantitative content analysis and thematic analysis method. Then, a model of urban interactions was drawn. According to the findings of this study, urban activist groups on Twitter and Instagram can be divided into five categories: "Urban Management", "Governing Actors Related to Urban Management", "Political Groups", "People" and "Mass Media". The comparison of Instagram and Twitter shows a significant difference in this regard, and it can be said that the focus on Twitter, due to the diversity of active groups in it, more than Instagram can reflect the state of urban interactions on social media. Unlike Instagram, Twitter is dominated by content with a negative orientation towards Tehran's urban management, and actor interactions sometimes take a hostile approach.
Mohammad Ghaffari; Seyyed Alireza Kiayi; Ahmad Abbasi; Mina Khoshroo
Abstract
One of the effective components of the growth of tourism destinations is the perceived quality of the destination brand, which can attract tourists. Therefore, the present study has developed a comprehensive framework for measuring the dimensions of perceived quality and ranking them in tourism destinations. ...
Read More
One of the effective components of the growth of tourism destinations is the perceived quality of the destination brand, which can attract tourists. Therefore, the present study has developed a comprehensive framework for measuring the dimensions of perceived quality and ranking them in tourism destinations. The present research is applied research using descriptive-survey method. The statistical population of this study includes foreign tourists who traveled to Tehran in the summer of 2019. From this population, a sample of 265 people was selected by the available sampling method. A researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect the research data. SPSS software was also used to analyze the data. The research findings show that the factor analysis of perceived quality of tourism destination consists of six dimensions which according to the Friedman ranking test are as follows: Perceived quality of human relations, perceived quality of tourist attractions, perceived quality of tourist attractions, perceived quality of tourism destination management, perceived quality of physical facilities and perceived quality of destination health standards.
Maryam Ghorbanpour; Saeed Sedaghatnia; Seyed Abdolhadi Daneshpour
Abstract
The outbreak of the covid-19 virus has faced cities with many challenges. The most important of which is endangering the sustainability and livability of urban neighborhoods. Actions recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent the outbreak of the virus, including physical distancing and home ...
Read More
The outbreak of the covid-19 virus has faced cities with many challenges. The most important of which is endangering the sustainability and livability of urban neighborhoods. Actions recommended by the World Health Organization to prevent the outbreak of the virus, including physical distancing and home quarantine, have led to Create new mechanisms that have severely affected the livability of neighborhoods. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of the outbreak of covid-19 on the livability indicators and factors of urban neighborhoods based on residents’ views. The methodology of this research is quantitative. This research is conducted using questionnaires of residents in the neighborhoods of District 8 of Tehran and ten basic factors were identified by using exploratory factor analysis, including health and pleasure, recreation and entertainment, housing, transportation, environmental health, security, economy and employment, cultural status, education and identity. Based on residents' views, The outbreak of the covid-19 had the greatest impact on health and pleasure with an explanatory percentage of 8.34. Among the neighborhoods of District 8, Madaen has better met the living needs of the residents based on their views during the outbreak of covid-19. This ranking has been done separately in the neighborhoods of District 8, which represents the priority of intervention of the indicators to improve the livability of the neighborhoods based on residents' views. Finally, based on the priority of each factor and residents' views, suggestions have been made to improve the livability of the neighborhoods during the outbreak of covid-19.
Sarvenaz Hossein Razavi; Zohreh Davodpour; Manouchehr Tabibian; Maryam Moeinifar
Abstract
Today, a complete understanding of the city requires moving from the real world to the virtual world and vice versa. Urban space is a platform in which social relations and civic life flow. Technology, as an integral part of life, has influenced cities to undergo fundamental and functional changes, and ...
Read More
Today, a complete understanding of the city requires moving from the real world to the virtual world and vice versa. Urban space is a platform in which social relations and civic life flow. Technology, as an integral part of life, has influenced cities to undergo fundamental and functional changes, and is recognized as a new feature in the 21st century. These changes have led to the dual spatialization of life and, consequently, to citizens with behavioral transformation. In other words, hybrid urban space has created a dual-function citizenship of virtual-virtual. This study deals with the spatial-functional duality of citizens or the dichotomy of citizenship in the context of Tehran.
The research is qualitative in nature and practical in terms of purpose. In addition to documentary and library studies, data collection was done through a simple random questionnaire. Since the study population was uncertain and unlimited, the number of samples was determined based on Cohen's formula559, which was completed to ensure666 questionnaires from 22 districts of Tehran. The validity of the questionnaire was measured by adjusting and filling out a 35-item test questionnaire and the reliability of the questionnaire was measured based on Cronbach's alpha. According to the research findings, there is a significant correlation and relationship between research variables and among the main factors of social interactions and urban structure, it has a higher priority than technology.Studies show that the interaction of the three main elements, city (body), citizen and technology, the phenomenon of two permissible approaches - the reality of citizenship and space in Tehran as a symbol of the 21st century city is strengthened every day and social innovation is being formed.
Ahmad Ghiasvand
Abstract
The present study investigates the attitude of the people of Tehran (District 19) towards wall painting depicted in the public spaces of city.The theory of stimulus-response was used to examine people's attitudes. The conceptual model had three processes: attention, accuracy, and acceptance. Also, ...
Read More
The present study investigates the attitude of the people of Tehran (District 19) towards wall painting depicted in the public spaces of city.The theory of stimulus-response was used to examine people's attitudes. The conceptual model had three processes: attention, accuracy, and acceptance. Also, the functional, aesthetic, and identity effects of wall paintings were evaluated. A survey was used and the population of the study consisted of residents of District 19 in the year 2015/16. The sample size of 500 was calculated through the Cochran formula and a a two-stage sampling method was implemented. The results of the study show an increase in paintings of "Nature and Urban Life" more than any other theme. Attention and perception of wall paintings play an important role on the functional, identity, and aesthetic effects. Of course, the impact of perception component is more than attention. People's perceptions of wall paintings have been analyzed in three themes: "Nostalgic perception" (mainly wall paintings of martyrs, war, and officials), "religious identity perception" (mainly of religious paintings), and "critical perception" (other wall paintings).