A B S T R A C T
The sense of place manifests a person's sense of space with which he has established emotional relationships and feels alive with attachment and dependence from being in it. This research method is based on a combination (qualitative and quantitative) based on interpretative and statistical methods. The data collection method is library-field (interview, observation, and questionnaire). The studied community includes the users of public spaces in central Zanjan city, which was studied in a sample of 380 subjects. The research indicators include four main components as place identity, place attachment, place dependence, and social connection. Data analysis is based on inductive and quantitative interpretation based on multivariate regression according to the structure of path analysis and a posteriori model. The results show that the public spaces with different functions in the central context of Zanjan city function differently despite the tendency towards desirability. The sense of belonging to a place is formed in two aspects as the sense of the main place and the sense of the surrounding place, the intensity of which decreases according to the social stratification from the center to the periphery, but it does not reach destruction. Multivariate regression at the confidence level of 95% with 96% effectiveness explains the path of indicators of the sense of place belonging, and the posterior model shows the significant difference of the variables of sense of place belonging in different functions of the space with an acceptable level of significance. The findings state that the structure of activity and the sense of place are different according to the type of function of the space. Therefore, places in spaces with similar functions have the same sense of belonging with a minimal significant difference. Thus, the diversity of the functions of the space affects the sense of local belonging, and it becomes stronger and weaker according to the functional type of the space
Extended Abstract
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 citizens' vitality and social vitality. The variety of activities combined with the factors of space design are the factors of attraction and permanence of the population in the desired space. 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 texture 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 texture spaces of the city and how is the relationship between them?
 
Methodology
The current research structure was formed based on the combined qualitative method based on interpretative inference and quantitative method based on descriptive-inferential statistical methods, which are practical in terms of nature and purpose. The studied statistical population includes consumers (citizens) of public spaces in the central texture of Zanjan city (Imam pedestrian walkway, Sabzeh Maidan complex, cultural and historical places, market, and business). The data collection method was a document and survey based on observation, case interviews, and questionnaires. 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. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using
 
SPSS27.1 software with a multivariate regression model based on path effect and posterior model. The research variables 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 researcher creates the other part. In order to localize the narrative validity, the studied variables were sent to about 25 experts in different fields (geography, psychology, urban planning, sociology, urban design, and other urban field experts). They requested coefficients from 1 to 9 for the variables and items. (number 1 is the lowest value, and number 9 is the highest). The results show an 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, showing the good reliability of the tools and variables. The figure shows a conceptual model of the research.
 
Results and discussion
Despite 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 city's center leads to a difference in the sense of belonging to a place. In contrast, public spaces with collectivist functions have created a greater sense of belonging. 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. In contrast, the radar curve in collective, cultural, and historical spaces tends more toward the periphery (maximum desirability). 95% confidence coefficient and acceptable level of significance (less than p-value: 0.05) show the difference and the significant difference of various functional spaces in the central texture of the city. It is between collective (collectivist and cultural) and 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 a significant difference between spaces with similar functions. There is a significant internal difference between the spaces with the function of pause and stop. 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 it is possible that places located in spaces with similar functions have the same sense of belonging with a minimal significant difference, while the adjacent places do not have similarity and connection, or have a minimal connection. In general, the diversity of the functions of the space affects the sense of local belonging, and it becomes stronger and weaker according to the functional type of the space.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.
Extended Abstract
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 citizens' vitality and social vitality. The variety of activities combined with the factors of space design are the factors of attraction and permanence of the population in the desired space. 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 texture 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 texture spaces of the city and how is the relationship between them?
 
Methodology
The current research structure was formed based on the combined qualitative method based on interpretative inference and quantitative method based on descriptive-inferential statistical methods, which are practical in terms of nature and purpose. The studied statistical population includes consumers (citizens) of public spaces in the central texture of Zanjan city (Imam pedestrian walkway, Sabzeh Maidan complex, cultural and historical places, market, and business). The data collection method was a document and survey based on observation, case interviews, and questionnaires. 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. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using
 
SPSS27.1 software with a multivariate regression model based on path effect and posterior model. The research variables 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 researcher creates the other part. In order to localize the narrative validity, the studied variables were sent to about 25 experts in different fields (geography, psychology, urban planning, sociology, urban design, and other urban field experts). They requested coefficients from 1 to 9 for the variables and items. (number 1 is the lowest value, and number 9 is the highest). The results show an 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, showing the good reliability of the tools and variables. The figure shows a conceptual model of the research.
 
Results and discussion
Despite 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 city's center leads to a difference in the sense of belonging to a place. In contrast, public spaces with collectivist functions have created a greater sense of belonging. 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. In contrast, the radar curve in collective, cultural, and historical spaces tends more toward the periphery (maximum desirability). 95% confidence coefficient and acceptable level of significance (less than p-value: 0.05) show the difference and the significant difference of various functional spaces in the central texture of the city. It is between collective (collectivist and cultural) and 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 a significant difference between spaces with similar functions. There is a significant internal difference between the spaces with the function of pause and stop. 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 it is possible that places located in spaces with similar functions have the same sense of belonging with a minimal significant difference, while the adjacent places do not have similarity and connection, or have a minimal connection. In general, the diversity of the functions of the space affects the sense of local belonging, and it becomes stronger and weaker according to the functional type of the space.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.