International Journal of

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Throughout the early and mid 1990s, there was widespread faith in the compact city model's ability to provide urban sustainability. However, where compact city policies had been implemented, follow-up studies began to show the predicted benefits did not happen as they should be. The article tries to peruse two opposite approaches of "Urban Sprawl" and "Compact City", with an analytical - critical procedure and their consistency with sustainability. It also compares sustainability strategies of the new urban design paradigms (such as New Urbanism, Transit Oriented Development (TOD) and Smart Growth) with compact city considerations. At the end, the article discusses about the question that does the compact city paradigm creates an obligatory context for sustainability? In fact, This article supports the belief that instead of concentrating on one particular solution, there is a need to recognize and accept the fact that a divers urban futures are likely to exist within a city and that urban compaction should only be seen as one way of achieving sustainable urban form. As indicated in the article ,each country should adapted the compact city considerations that best suits the local conditions and makes the best contribution to urban sustainability in a way that is both acceptable and feasible in their local environments. Because of the many challenges that the compact city concept faces, the focus should be on creating a diverse urban forms and sustainabilities that are most likely to 'fit' the area they are to be implemented in. Indeed, there should be a greater focus upon the processes, functions and design of the city and how they contribute to sustainability, rather than just the density dimension of compact city which occupied most of the literature throughout the 1990s. By concentrating on a more micro level scale, urban design can help overcome acceptability and feasibility critiques of the compact city that correctly highlight the radical cultural, political, social and institutional changes that will be required to move away from the sprawl.

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According to several researches sustainable development is based on three different dimensions of sustainability social and economical dimensions and ecological or environmental sustainability. These dimensions are recognized as basic elements of sustainable development. This research tries to evaluate social sustainability at some neighborhoods in Karaj. Considering the fact that urban neighborhoods, as the smallest units of cities have a high importance in cities and their sustainability are a positive step toward sustainable development as well as social cohesion of city. In this research five neighborhoods have been selected with 320 questionnaires for sampling. Assessment of the related variables was made through determining a collection of indicators. The collected data via specialist questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS software. The reason for which Kendall’s test was selected to study the meaningfulness relationship of the research variables and the concept of social sustainability is the largeness and qualitative feature of the N volume. The result of the research is the proving meaningfulness of the relationship between the defined variables and the notion of social sustainability except social participation. Level of social Sustainability in the neighborhoods are not the same and there is high gap between them (about 2.6).In addition education indicator has the highest level of sustainability between the neighborhoods (0.024). Access to the recreational facilities indicated the highest level of difference between sustainable and unsustainable neighborhoods (74%). This means that even in sustainable neighborhoods despite the dependency and happiness of the residents, the rate of participation has been at a low level and the residents do not have a positive view resulted from confidence to the performance of civil managers. In other words, there is a kind of homogenization in this component between urban neighborhoods.

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The increasing rate of urbanization and rate of population growth over the 20th century has led to various problems such as traffic congestion, air pollution, and lack of open and green spaces that have affected the cities and their citizen's life. This condition has led to increasing demands for more land use, homes, and work places, more public transport and mass transit systems and modern infrastructure, so new approaches must be found to better utilize space available. Considered use of underground space creates new methods for solving these challenges. The urban underground spaces have great untapped potentials. If these potentials are managed correctly, it would chip in considerably to the urban sustainable development. Nevertheless seeking of spaces and shelter within the earth is no new idea, man and animal alike have exploited the protective and insulative properties of the soil long before recorded history. During the history of communities have existed in areas all over the world including Iran, Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, China, North Africa, and the American Southwest, to name a few. Some of the best examples of man’s symbiotic relationship with nature are Nushabad in Kashan, Sāmen in Malayer and Kariz in Kish Island. These underground cities and Constructions offer many opportunities and lessons for underground development in contemporary cities. This study aims to discuss the ancient settlements of Nushabad, Sāmen and Kariz for their unique and creative underground space use and also explore the potential of developing underground spaces in order to achieving sustainable development . The basic hints of discussion are the physical geography and dominating forms of underground space use.

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Historical fabrics are known as a national heritage and treasure which are full of spiritual and human concepts. However, we are witnessing that many of these historic districts are being forgotten, abandoned and destructed as the emotional relationship between human and its residing place is fading out. Sense of place is a concept which focuses on the emotional and internal relation between people and their environment. Sense of place consists of three dimensions, namely: place identity, place dependence and place attachment. This research is trying to identify the most significant components regarding the sense of place. It is assumed that by improving these components, a higher level of sense of place is achieved in historic fabrics. These components could also help urban designers and architects that contribute to the historic fabric of the city. Qualitative content analysis methodology was used to elicit the sense of place components from 175 studies. Screening of the systematic reviews and extraction of information on included studies was performed using a validated framework. Finally, the Delphi method is used to find the most related components of the sense of place in historic districts. The results for the physical factors show that the most important attributes are “valuable landmarks and fabric”, “form and physical characteristics”, “communal spaces and public gathering places”, and “visual harmony and unity of the facades”. The results for the set of activity factors show that experts were generally reliable in their responses. The mean value for “events in place” is 4.94, which indicates that experts perceived this attribute as the most influential determinant. Other important attributes are “social activities and interactions”, “proper roads and pathways”, “legibility and identification”, “land use and functional diversity”, and “accessibility and permeability”. In the meaning category, “vitality and happiness” is the most important attribute to evaluate the sense of place in the historical fabrics. “History and originality of the place” is then ranked second, and “aesthetic, beauty and arrangement” third. In the individual-social category, “memories and experiences of place” scored the highest followed by “cultural, religious and ritual ceremonies”, “mental imagery of the place”, and “awareness of historical values of places” (mean value of 4.24).

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Ergonomics as a multidisciplinary science is known as a human centered science that is concerned with human beings and their quality of life. In this regard, the integration between ergonomics and the concept of sustainability might culminate in higher levels of quality of life. In terms of research methodology, this article is a review, and the main research question is to figure out the relationship between ergonomics and sustainability towards develop a new synergetic paradigm between these two mentioned fields. In this review article, we assessed some of the recent and related articles in which both ergonomics and sustainability were considered. This review aims to develop an integrated state-of-the-art approach including the benefits of both fields. PubMed and EBSCO were the databases consulted and the keywords of “ergonomics”, “sustainability”, and “product design” were selected to gather the relevant papers. Papers in English, which were published during last decade and that includes the keywords, were our inclusion criteria. Exclusion criteria were: microeconomics and cost-benefit studies, aspects of law in environmental issues, and technical issues in environmental protection (such as waste-water treatment, air pollution, etc.). We initially identified 255 papers. This was narrowed down to 33 articles that addressed issues. In a critical review of the abstracts and full papers, 9 papers remained for the final assessment. Of these papers, 64% were from a management approach. Three articles had product design approach. Most of the assessed issues were about ergoecology, business management, s system-based approach, global supply chains, design for sustainability, and a cost-effective approach. Based on the mentioned articles, it seems that introducing a new term that includes all the positive aspects of ergonomics and the sustainability scope, is unavoidable. Therefore, we propose a new approach that includes the majority aspects of ergonomics, sustainability, and design. This new paradigm helps the related experts to manage a better future life for all.

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Intraurban land-use change and factors affecting it are critical subjects in land-use planning. If unplanned, such changes can reduce the quality of life and spatial justice and ultimately lead to urban unsustainability. This paper aims to identify factors influencing unsustainable land-use change and analyze the intensity of such changes based on those factors. The artificial neural network analysis was employed to model the significant factors. The results indicated that the dynamics of the economy and the capital markets, a boom in the land and housing market, government interventions in the urban texture, gardens, and infill land have a dominant role in determining the rate of change in urban land use. According to the results, relevant indexes of the land and housing market and political and economic factors play a crucial role in Tehran's unsustainable land-use change.

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The consideration of environmental sustainability has permeated both conscious and subconscious realms throughout history. In the context of Boushehr city's historical architecture from the Qajar period, a myriad of sustainable residential structures attuned to the regional climate, ensuring occupants' thermal comfort, are evident. This sustainability, devoid of adherence to a specific theoretical framework, adeptly caters to the pragmatic needs of the building users. The primary objective of this study is to conceptualize the historical architectural composition of Boushehr, focusing on materials, and to conduct a thermal assessment of two structures, one historic and the other contemporary, within the city. To achieve this goal, a comparative analysis of traditional and modern building materials in Boushehr was executed through the utilization of Ecotect and Energy Plus simulation software, complemented by extensive survey and on-site investigations. The findings of this analysis reveal that traditional building materials, beyond their inherent harmony with the regional climate, exhibit superior physical properties compared to their modern counterparts. While advancements in technology have enhanced the chemical and mechanical attributes of contemporary building materials over time, amalgamating the advantageous physical attributes of traditional materials renders the latter more environmentally sustainable. Despite the fact that rooms constructed with older materials exhibit a higher average monthly temperature than those utilizing modern materials, the diminished heating and cooling loads of the former contribute to positioning older residential structures as closer approximations to a more sustainable archetype.

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Given that newly constructed commercial complexes and the trend toward luxury are negatively impacting socio-economic structures, it is essential to establish principles for sustainable development, with social considerations being a fundamental aspect. Applying the social elements of sustainable development is especially critical in historical and ancient contexts. As previously mentioned, both new and old commercial buildings often appear as stylish but empty structures devoid of businesses. The concept of public space and community perception is at odds with modern shopping centers, which differ significantly from traditional markets. This disparity arises because many modern shopping centers cater to specific social groups, defined by particular tastes and ages. This article aims to analyze the social aspects of bazaars and identify key sub-indicators of social sustainability to propose suitable solutions for future market designs. Bazaars are vital places with complex and extensive social significance, particularly in Iran. The study’s findings suggest that incorporating sustainable development indicators into urban design can significantly enhance productivity and foster a sense of community in emerging markets. The current study highlighted the impact of various attributes—physical, environmental, cultural, and social—on enhancing the sociability and spatial quality of the area. The study revealed that structural-semantic values, as a cultural feature, have the greatest influence on bazaar socialization, with an effective coefficient of 0.410. Other significant factors include physical attributes (0.381), socio-political-cultural components (0.285), visual exposure (0.264), physical quality (0.235), and social capital (0.255). Finally, the study proposed appropriate solutions, such as establishing access pathways, employing diverse shapes and proportions in design, creating visible depth, ensuring permeability at the margins, varying roof shapes, and revitalizing the marketplace system.

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Medical plants gardens are places that primarily focused on the conservation, cultivation, research, and education of plant species that are used medicinally. These gardens have a long history. The creation of a tranquil and pleasant conditions for the visitors, as well as development of the local economy and raising citizen awareness, could be further objectives of the medicinal plants garden. Therefore, the architectural style of successful herbal botanical gardens needs to reflect a broad understanding of botany and encourage creative thinking in garden design and interpretation. It seeks a design that can maintain the virtuous cycle of the medicinal plants and at the same time maintain the spatial equilibrium of the dynamic development of urban landscapes, so as to make them have good ecological and urban functions. The aim of this study is to explore the design methods of plant landscaping in urban medical plants gardens under the concept of sustainability. We first reviewed the design of medicinal plants garden and its application to urban green space design. This research focuses on how to select principles that are adapted to the sustainability and how to promote biodiversity, and improve the quality of life of urban residents through eco-design approaches. Through the analysis of a number of domestic and international cases of medicinal plants gardens, we found that effective sustainable design is not only choosing the right areas but also includes the rational management of water resources, energy conservation, environmental impacts reduction, and creating a calm space and increasing the awareness of citizens. This study also points out socio-cultural challenges and strengths of these gardens. Finally, this paper carries out a specific analysis of the sustainable evaluation system for design of medicinal plants landscaping in urban green spaces and experimentally verifies that, compared with other styles, sustainable architecture style is better overall. This study aims to provide a practical reference and guidance for urban planners, garden designers, and environmentalists. 

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