The functional effect of public spaces in the stability of the sense of place belonging (case example: public spaces in the central context of Zanjan city)

Introduction

The distinction of a place for the citizens and the feeling of attachment, vitality and dependence, forms a sense in which the social bond is established and creates a sense of belonging to a place. In public spaces with diverse functions, the amount of this feeling affects the level of vitality and social vitality of the citizens, and the variety of activities combined with the factors of space design is the factor of attraction and permanence of the population in the desired space, and as a result, it reduces the social effects caused by building density, leading to social density. . By examining the various functions of the public spaces in the central fabric of Zanjan city (as the attracting pole of the urban population), this research has investigated the effect of space diversity on citizens' sense of place belonging. The innovation of this research is to deal with the functional diversity of public spaces on a spatial scale in order to find out what is the role and effect of the functional diversity of spaces on different scales in the sense of spatial belonging? How is the difference in the sense of place belonging in the various functions of the central fabric spaces of the city and how is the relationship between them?

Methodology

The structure of the current research was formed based on the combined qualitative method based on interpretative inference and quantitative based on descriptive-inferential statistical methods, which is practical in terms of nature and purpose. The studied statistical population includes consumers (citizens) of public spaces in the central fabric of Zanjan city (Imam pedestrian walkway, Sabzeh Maidan complex, cultural and historical places, market and business). The method of data collection was document and survey based on observation, case interview and questionnaire. Due to the unknown size of the studied population, an unstructured sampling method based on saturation was used, the number of which was 380 for the questionnaire method and 70 for the interview method. Collected qualitative data were analyzed in the summary of inferential explanatory tables and quantitative data were analyzed by entering the Spss27.1 software with multivariate regression model based on path effect and posterior model. The variables of the research include the four main components of identity, attachment, dependence and social connection of the place with 41 indicators, part of which corresponds to the research model of Low and Altman and the other part is created by the researcher. In order to localize the narrative validity, the studied variables were sent to about 25 experts in different fields (geography, psychology, urban planning, urban planning, sociology, urban design and other urban field experts) and requested coefficients from 1 to 9 for the variables and items. (number 1 is the lowest value and number 9 is the highest value). The results show the average coefficient of 7.48, which shows the appropriate validity of the variables. The reliability of the research was obtained based on Cohen's kappa coefficient and Cronbach's alpha. The obtained value of Cohen's kappa for qualitative analysis is equal to 0.68 and Cronbach's alpha for quantitative analysis is equal to 0.81, which shows the good reliability of the used tools and variables. The figure shows a conceptual model of the research.

Results and discussion

In spite of their functional diversity, the public spaces of the city center have an above-average sense of place belonging with a tendency towards desirability. There is a sense of belonging to a place in the center of the place and the space around it, which has decreased in intensity by moving from the center of focus to the surrounding area, but it has not disappeared and is not completely removed. The variety of functions in public spaces in the center of the city leads to a difference in the sense of belonging to a place where public spaces with collectivist functions have been able to create a greater sense of belonging to a place. The radar of changes in the spatial sense of belonging in the public spaces of the city center with a tendency towards the periphery has shown the relative desirability of the sense of belonging indicators, while the radar curve in collective spaces, cultural and historical spaces tends more towards the periphery (maximum desirability). 95% confidence coefficient and acceptable level of significance (less than p-value: 0.05) shows the difference and the significant difference of various functional spaces in the central fabric of the city. It is between collective spaces (collectivist and cultural) with linear and point spaces (pedestrian and commercial). On the other hand, the sense of place belonging in the functional spaces of the central tissue indicates the existence of a significant difference between spaces with similar functions. In fact, the significant internal difference between the spaces with the function of pause, stop and short standing, the restriction of sitting and resting, little discourse (linear pedestrian space and business points) and the spaces with the function of long-term stopping and standing, the design of sitting and talking and resting (discourse-oriented) (Green Square) and the Grand Mosque) in terms of the sense of belonging to a place is at the minimum level (0.04).

Conclusion

The two-way issue of activity and sense of place are different according to the type of function of the space, so that it is possible that places located in spaces with similar functions have the same sense of belonging with minimal significant difference, while the adjacent places do not have similarity and connection, or have minimal connection. . In general, the diversity of the functions of the space has an effect on the sense of local belonging and it becomes stronger and weaker according to the functional type of the space.