International Journal of

---

In recent decades, remarkable changes have occurred in the spatial structure of metropolitan regions, creatingdiscontinuous, scattered and polycentric development which have significant implications for commuting patterns. This study examines the dynamics of spatial structure using interaction flow patterns in Mashhad Metropolitan Region (MMR). Four dimensions - centrality and dominance, network cohesion, interaction strength and levels and hierarchy - were used to analyse population flows in 1999, 2007 and 2012, showing that the interaction between Mashhad and other cities in the MMR increased over the time. However, the growth was inflows to the principal city grew considerably while the outflows decreased from 1999 to 2012 suggesting that the spatial structure of the MMR is monocentric despite the focus of development policies on polycentric development. Thus, it is necessary to adopt an integrated and multi-sectoral approach to develop a polycentric metropolitan region in order to protect the environment and reinforce inter-city relationships, manage travel demand, reduce unnecessary trip, and restrict sprawl. These policies lead to more convergence and polycentric development.
 

---

Despite negative perspectives on their consequences, gated communities continue to spread in cities due to structural reasons such as globalization and economic neo-liberalism. Hence, there is a need to seek for a way of achieving a balance and make these communities livable. Due to agreement with economic market perspectives, livability principles might offer a solution for mediating the social consequences of gated communities. This survey aimed to examine the physical factors influencing social livability of gated communities and identify the degree of their prominence. To collect the data, four gated communities in Tehran were selected through cluster sampling. An analysis of 258 questionnaires and our observation of the physical features of the gated communities indicated five physical features affecting social livability of gated communities. The results showed that mixed uses had the biggest effect on the social livability of gated communities followed by mixed housing, accessibility, walkability and sociability respectively. Although it might be impossible to put a halt to the expansion of gated communities in the short run, attempts can be made to attract different classes of people to these communities through mixing different uses and prevent from the fragmentation of gated communities. Well-connected and walkable streets help many daily activities occur within walking distance promoting the security of the neighborhood. Designing sociable public places where everyone is welcomed without any type of exclusion or limitation increases social bonds within gated communities which in turn promotes resident’s sense of community.

---

Livability plays a vital role in the growth and development of cities and citizens' quality of life. Identifying and understanding the needs of citizens and making these settlements viable improves the quality of life in urban areas. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate residents' satisfaction with urban regeneration projects and its relationship with making these neighbourhoods viable. The goals formulated in the regeneration plan of the Kolapa neighbourhood of Hamadan have been extracted and used as criteria for evaluating the satisfaction of the project implementation. Livability criteria have also been divided according to the study of research background into four main classes: physical, environmental, socio-cultural, economic, and health criteria. This study has used descriptive-analytical methods and conducted a field survey through a questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha, with a coefficient of 0.863, confirmed the reliability of the questions. The statistical population is the whole population of the Kolapa neighbourhood, and the statistical sample size is 352, which is calculated by the Cochran formula, with a 5% error and 95% confidence level. We used stochastic sampling in this research. The compiled data were analyzed statistically using Correlation, Path analysis and Regression analysis in Spss and Amos24 environment. To what extent has the regeneration project brought the Kalpa neighborhood of Hamadan closer to the indicators of a livable city? According to the findings, among the satisfaction criteria for the project, sense of place, safety and security, participation and access to facilities and services have the highest level, respectively. According to the research findings, it is possible to benefit from people's participation in various stages of the implementation of the regeneration plan and turn neighborhoods into livable neighborhoods with better quality of life. The residents of the neighborhoods have gained a full understanding (such as strengths and weaknesses) of these types of places because they have lived in them for a long time. Therefore, the neighborhood can be regenerated based on the resident's knowledge and participation. Based on the results of path analysis it was found that regeneration projects mainly consider the physical dimension, and therefore other criteria (especially economic, health and socio-cultural criteria) are less considered.

---

The advent of modernity in Iran weakened many structures and practices, including social hangouts in cities; therefore, the public was cynical about this space. While hangouts, as a third-place and public space in a city, promote social capital, vibrant centers, and citizenship education, Tehran Daneshjoo Park, as a public space with an urban scale and physical and social features, can also be considered a hangout for various social groups. The present study seeks to identify hangouts and factors affecting their formation, continuity, or fading in this space. Accordingly, documentaries were investigated via a descriptive-survey method. Then, interviews with space users at different times and with observation instruments such as photography and behavioral mapping were employed. The results showed a hangout for artists and art lovers, vendors, and food vendors, students and young women, people with sexual identity disorders, addicts and drug dealers, and the elderly. Also, functional components such as geographical location, urban theater building, and its architectural type, platforms and stair space structure, water pool, urban furniture, enclosure in space, social components such as the presence of social observers, drug distribution, and street peddler are effective in creating and the continuation of these hangouts. Most of these hangouts are formed as part of open space with a trans-regional scale.
 

---

The significance of urban streets lies in their role as the fundamental structure and framework of a city. Streets acquire extraordinary power as they endure the passage of time, accumulating special meanings and memories. This inherent strength is so influential that proper organization and utilization of existing streets can render the construction of new ones unnecessary. Valiasr, spanning 18 kilometers, stands as the longest street in Tehran and the Middle East. Beginning at the railway square in the south of Tehran at an altitude of 1100 meters above sea level, it extends to Tajrish square in the north, reaching an altitude of 1600 meters above sea level. The street boasts wide sidewalks, a sizable pond, and a line of ancient plane trees, enhancing its aesthetic appeal. Originating during the Qajar era (1785-1925), various segments of Valiasr were constructed to link the capital with city gates. In the early Pahlavi period (1925-1979), it was further developed to connect summer palaces to the city. The street's design, implemented without strict adherence to existing buildings, aimed to establish a direct connection between the north and south of Tehran. During this era, significant government and public structures, royal residences, and palaces were constructed along both sides of Valiasr in adherence to established construction regulations from 1928. This period also witnessed the construction of cultural buildings, public parks, gardens, universities, and medical centers. Following the Islamic Revolution of Iran (1979), Valiasr Street evolved into one of Tehran's traditional shopping centers and promenades, reflecting the city's dynamic cultural shifts. Each historical period of Iran has profoundly impacted Valiasr Street, shaping it into a symbol of Tehran's historical and cultural evolution. To delve into the changing trends and meanings associated with Valiasr Street from 1925 to the present, a comprehensive approach was adopted. A total of 100 street users, encompassing residents, pedestrians, traders, and various stakeholders, were interviewed on-site within the study area. Subsequent to these interviews, a meticulous analysis of the gathered data was conducted, facilitating the synthesis and preparation of a comprehensive diagram. The findings reveal that a multitude of factors, including functional, economic, social, political, and cultural elements, have contributed to the evolving mental imagery associated with Valiasr Street across distinct epochs. In its early existence until 1925, the perceptual influence of the observer led to Valiasr Street being conceived as a narrow garden alley nestled among the Qajar city gardens. Transitioning into the period between 1925 and 1979, the passage of time transformed its role into a communication route connecting newly constructed palaces. Moreover, the increasing influence of temporal dynamics, coupled with cultural and social components, elevated Valiasr Street into the consciousness of the populace, turning it into a cherished urban space among the residents of Tehran. The period from 1979 until the present marks a notable phase in the urban life of Valiasr Street. Following a period of stagnation, the street has undergone a revitalization, and the impact of all four meaning-forming components, with a particular emphasis on the temporal aspect, has led to its designation as a cultural heritage site of the city of Tehran in 2011. This recognition culminated in its inclusion in the list of national heritage sites.