Assessing the Social Impacts of Urban Design on Citizens’ Behavior in Public Spaces of Iran; A Case Study of District 10 of Tehran

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Architecture, Mizan Institute of Higher Education, Tabriz, Iran

Abstract

In the context of high population density, unequal access to open spaces, and increasing pressure on spatial and environmental resources, public spaces play a pivotal role in enhancing urban livability, fostering social sustainability, and reproducing social capital. Understanding the mechanisms that shape citizens’ social behavior through the lenses of urban design and technology therefore constitutes a critical priority in contemporary urban planning. The present study aims to analyze the relative contributions of key physical design components (namely urban lighting, street furniture, and green spaces) and to examine the mediating or moderating roles of smart technologies in explaining three core dimensions of social behavior: social interaction, perceived safety, and overall satisfaction in District 10 of Tehran. A mixed-method approach with a predominantly quantitative orientation was employed. Quantitative data were collected through structured questionnaires (n = 300), while qualitative insights were obtained via semi-structured interviews with local stakeholders. The validity and reliability of instruments were confirmed through pilot testing and expert review. Findings indicate that physical design elements function as the spatial infrastructure of social behavior: green micro-spaces, adaptive lighting, and interactive street furniture respectively exert the greatest influence on citizens’ presence, social interactions, and satisfaction. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) micro-scale green design that enhances dwelling and informal social encounters; (2) targeted lighting and environmental surveillance systems that strengthen perceived safety and nighttime activity; and (3) smart street furniture with integrated digital services that improve functional comfort and user experience. Accordingly, the study underscores the necessity of adopting a hybrid physical–digital design approach at the neighborhood scale and proposes a set of prioritized strategies for optimizing micro-green spaces, advancing adaptive urban lighting, and integrating smart street infrastructure to promote socially sustainable and technologically responsive public spaces.

Highlights

  • Micro-scale green spaces are the strongest drivers of social interaction and urban livability.
  • Adaptive lighting and smart technologies enhance nighttime presence and perceived safety.
  • Interactive and modular urban furniture fosters transient encounters and functional satisfaction.
  • Smart technologies indirectly improve social interaction through enhanced environmental satisfaction.

Keywords

References

  • Anthopoulos, L. (2017). Understanding smart cities: A tool for smart government or an industrial trick?
  • Ardabili, B. R., Danesh Pazho, A., Alinezhad Noghre, G., Katariya, V. A., Hull, G., Reid, S., & Tabkhi, H. (2024). Exploring public’s perception of safety and video surveillance technology: A survey approach. Technology in Society, 78, 102641. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102641
  • Askarizad, R., Lamíquiz Daudén, P. J., & Garau, C. (2024). The application of space syntax to enhance sociability in public urban spaces: A systematic review. ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information, 13(7), 227. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijgi13070227
  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
  • Carmona, M., Heath, T., Oc, T., & Tiesdell, S. (2010). Public places, urban spaces: The dimensions of urban design (2nd ed.). Routledge.
  • Chalfin, A., Hansen, B., Lerner, J., & Parker, L. (2019). Reducing crime through environmental design: Evidence from a randomized experiment of street lighting in New York City (Working paper). University of Chicago Crime Lab / NBER.
  • Coley, R. L., Kuo, F. E., & Sullivan, W. C. (1997). Where does community grow? The social context created by nature in urban public housing. Environment & Behavior, 29(4), 468–494. https://doi.org/10.1177/001391659702900402
  • Cozens, P., & Love, T. (2015). A review and current status of Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED). Journal of Planning Literature, 30(4), 393–412. https://doi.org/10.1177/0885412215595440
  • Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE.
  • Fathi, B., Rahimi, G., & Nejhad Haji Ali Irani, F. (2024). Modeling the development of smart government in Iranian public sector institutions: A qualitative study. Journal of Resource Management & Decision Engineering, 3(4), 39–46.*
  • Gehl, J. (2010). Cities for People. Island Press.
  • Goffman, E. (1959). The presentation of self in everyday life. Anchor Books.
  • Hartig, T., Mitchell, R., de Vries, S., & Frumkin, H. (2014). Nature and health. Annual Review of Public Health, 35, 207–228. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-032013-182443
  • Hatami-Nejad, M., & colleagues. (2019). The impact of public space design on citizens’ social behaviors: A case study of Tehran. Iranian Journal of Urban Studies, 14(1), 78–95.*
  • Hayes, A. F. (2018). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. Guilford Press.
  • Hatem, N., Elshater, A., Afifi, S., & Alfiky, A. (2024). Impact of wireless networking technology on social interaction in Cairo’s public spaces. Ain Shams Engineering Journal. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asej.2024.103114
  • IRNA (Islamic Republic News Agency). (2023, November 4). 9,000 square metres added to green space per capita in District 10 of Tehran [in Persian]. Retrieved October 14, 2025, from https://www.irna.ir/news/85280314/
  • Jafari, A., & colleagues. (2021). The role of spatial vitality in enhancing social interactions: A case study of Tehran. Iranian Journal of Architecture and Urban Planning, 8(2), 90–110.*
  • Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. Cambridge University Press.
  • Khaleghimoghaddam, N. (2023). Understanding the interplay of light, color, and interior design in healthcare spaces. Journal of Design for Resilience in Architecture and Planning, 4(2), 72–84.*
  • Lynch, K. (1960). The image of the city. MIT Press.
  • Ma, S., Wang, B., Liu, W., Zhou, H., Wang, Y., & Li, S. (2024). Assessment of street space quality and subjective well-being mismatch and its impact, using multi-source big data. Cities, 147, 104797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2024.104797
  • Miranda, F., Hosseini, M., Lage, M., et al. (2020). Urban Mosaic: Visual exploration of streetscapes using large-scale image data. arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.13321. https://arxiv.org/abs/2008.13321
  • Montgomery, C. (2018). Happy city: Transforming our lives through urban design.
  • Nasution, A. D., & Zahrah, W. (2014). Community perception on public open space and quality of life in Medan, Indonesia. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 153, 585–594. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2014.10.091
  • Newman, O. (1972). Defensible space: Crime prevention through urban design.
  • Orlandi, S., Longo, D., & Turillazzi, B. (2025). Integrating Security-by-Design into sustainable urban planning for safer, more accessible, and livable public spaces. Sustainability, 17(16), 7186. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17167186
  • Pazzini, L., Cameli, L., Vignali, V., Simone, A., & Lantieri, C. (2024). Video-based analysis of a smart lighting warning system for pedestrian safety at crosswalks. Smart Cities, 7(5), 2925–2939. https://doi.org/10.3390/smartcities7050114
  • Qadikolaei, M. R., Zali, N., & Soltani, A. (2024). Spatiotemporal investigation of the digital divide: The case study of Iranian provinces. Environment, Development and Sustainability, 26(1), 869–884. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-022-02738-0
  • Relph, E. (1976). Place and placelessness.
  • Samavati, S., Desmet, P. M. A., & Ranjbar, E. (2024). Happy urban public spaces: A systematic review of the key factors affecting citizen happiness in public environments. Cities & Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2024.2358600
  • ir. (2024, April 3). Increase in green space per capita in District 10 [News]. Shahr.ir. (In Persian). Retrieved October 14, 2025, from https://shahr.ir/news/52160/
  • Tehran Municipality. (2023). District 10 green space development reports [Official municipal reports]. (Persian municipal data).
  • Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental Research, 166, 628–637. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2018.06.030
  • UN-Habitat. (2020). World Cities Report 2020: The value of sustainable urbanization. United Nations Human Settlements Programme.
  • Whyte, W. H. (1980). The social life of small urban spaces. Project for Public Spaces / Conservation Foundation.
  • Zhu, X., Liu, Y., Zeng, X., & Yan, Y. (2025). How ecological, production, and living spaces jointly shape urban spatial integration through resource sharing and interaction. Frontiers in Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1651646

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 12 March 2025
  • Revise Date: 03 April 2025
  • Accept Date: 27 April 2025
  • First Publish Date: 19 June 2025
  • Publish Date: 19 June 2025

Share

How to cite

Statistics