International Journal of

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Lighting plays a key role in night escapes of urban spaces, in a way that it can be effective in giving identity to them. By considering this importance and inexistence of a process for composing urban Lighting strategy made this study to be conducted by the objective of providing process for compilation of context-oriented lighting strategy in urban spaces. Reaching a suitable solution for Lighting in urban spaces, a process is needed which can encompass all different aspects in the context of lighting. In this way, a process is proposed via that this shortage can be compensated. This process, at first considers basic urban studies including historical, cultural, religious, social, ceremonial and land-use and then the design scenario is propounded and in order to investigate the urban spaces context via space syntax method, the integration parameter is used. Later on, guiding is propounded which can be analyzed by Intelligibility parameter from space syntax method. And also designing alternatives can be analyzed by space syntax method. By studying the organizer structure and its prioritizing, we could achieve the lighting originated from the context. The last part of process is based on observance of the topics related to light pollutions which has a very critical role in lighting. In this study the analytic-descriptive research method with modeling and simulation are applied to achieve a context-oriented lighting process in urban spaces. The results of this study are showing that the provided process can be applied practically for lighting by considering the urban context. So this study has practical aspects and it can create a suitable strategy for lighting urban design and planning.

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Using the results of the assessment of desirability from the viewpoint of employees and the computer analysis of space syntax, the desirability factors of work desk arrangement in office space have been analyzed in the present study. Firstly a pictorial questionnaire was distributed among 113 employees in two offices of Tabriz city to obtain the desirable sitting places in the room (considering the position of the door of room, the angle of the sitting and the position of the desk of colleague). Next, using the space syntax software, the factors which affect the preferences of employees were analyzed. In this regard, indices such as Isovist, integration and distance from the door were studied. The results show the impact of these indices on the preferences of employees. The significance and impact of the indices have not been similar and in some cases, "distance from the door" has had the highest impact and the "isovist" has had more impact than "integration". In relation to the selection of the sitting place, this research has also demonstrated the impact of organizational and cultural factors on the preferences of employees. Such as the difference between the spatial value of various parts of the room in terms of distance from the door and the position of the door in different cultures, the difference between the results obtained from female respondents and the male respondents in relation to the index of "isovist from outside", as well as the difference between the choices of individuals with different occupational ranks.

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The main aim of the current paper is to shed light on space syntax theory and criticize its origins and fundamental thoughts.
In order to criticize the space syntax theory, this paper provides computational models of three residential layouts in the city of Tehran, Iran. The main question is how far space syntax theory is able to predict the movement and behavioral patterns of residents in a residential layout in Tehran. In other words, this research explores whether space syntax computational models can cover the behavioral patterns or there are gaps. The hypothesis is that although the configuration of settlements is the primary foundation to natural movements, it demands behavioral settings theory to interpret the behavioral-movement patterns. Comparing the Depth Map models with observations reveals that the configuration of residential layouts has a causal relation with the formation of spatial-physical structure. The integration analysis, based on the space syntax methodological–conceptual framework, is able to predict the general movement patterns of the residents. But when it comes to the behavioral patterns, the synomorphy between physics and behavior can perform a more accurate prediction. The behavioral settings theory by Roger Barker has developed the synomorphy in order to find the adaptations between physical environments and behaviors. The research findings nonetheless support the theoretical understanding that the urban environment’s spatial configuration provides a fundamental condition for the movement patterns but barely can offer a good interpretation for the micro-level behaviors by the residents.

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Urban squares reflect urban planning cultures, and also to some extent even a reflection of overall nations’ cultures. Squares are microcosms of urban life, offering excitement and repose, markets and public ceremonies, a place to meet friends and watch the world go by. They have been shaped by popular whims, by topography and architectural fashion. Some grew piecemeal; others were planned at a stroke, as a symbol of power or the foundation stone of a new development. Here in this study effort is made to compare two selected cases from two different cultures, West vs. East - Savanna, Georgia, USA vs. Hamadan, Iran. In this comparison, the indicators of the biophilic city (pedestrian, nature-friendly, accessible and sociable city) have been considered. Descriptive analytical method was used to collect and classify the indicators and space syntax theory was used to analyze and compare the placing pattern of squares in urban contexts. The method of data collection was library and field survey and data analysis tool were UCL Depthmap software. The study of biophilic city in the two studied cities revealed differences and similarities that are effective in increasing theoretical understanding, recognizing anomalies and understanding how indicators work in these two different urban structures and contexts.

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This study endeavors to explore the predicament associated with spaces lacking distinctive character and identity, ultimately resulting in the estrangement of shrines from their peripheral surroundings. Focusing on Mashhad, renowned as the holiest city in Iran and a site of numerous interventions, this research employs it as a case study. The central inquiry revolves around establishing a coherent nexus between the notion of polarity and the intellectual foundations shaping the development of environs surrounding holy shrines. The core objective is to discern the alignment of contemporary advancements around these shrines with their initial conceptual underpinnings. Employing a qualitative approach, this research adopts a descriptive method rooted in the case study framework. The outcomes derived from statistical analysis and the application of space syntax techniques reveal that extensive interventions encircling the shrine of Imam Reza have significantly disrupted the city's connectivity with the shrine. This disruption has led to the displacement of residents, severed emotional ties with the surrounding fabric, and a perceptible attenuation of the sense of place, culminating in the erosion of the genius loci or spirit of place. Furthermore, an examination of the fabric of this separation underscores an anti-Shiite intellectual basis, demonstrating incongruence with the ideal of human communion with "the perfect man." In light of these findings, it is proposed that development initiatives in Islamic cities should prioritize considerations aligned with the intellectual foundations governing city construction. This emphasis is crucial for sustaining the inherent character and spirit of the place amidst developmental endeavors.