The physical factors influencing social sustainability through the preservation of historical and cultural values in the Mehdi-al-Gadam neighborhood of Urmia

The historic urban fabric, which is the product of the interaction between numerous human and citizen factors with the physical structure of the city, has significant values, including social, cultural, historical, and economic values, as well as those inherent in its physical form. Today, the boom in urbanization and population growth, and consequently the increase in various types of demand, have caused to increase the number of existing problems and the diversity of decision-making centers and making the problem appear as an unsolvable impasse in most Iranian cities. Uneven and disproportionate distribution of services across the city, particularly in historical centers, uncoordinated growth of residential areas, lack of hierarchical systems aligned with modern urban life, neglect of social and cultural issues in urban fabrics, and the emergence of inefficient and unsustainable urban fabrics are some of the key issues. Each of these factors has had a significant impact on the shaping of today's cities in Iran, within their respective scope and scale. One of the issues that has not been extensively addressed in historical urban contexts is the concept of social sustainability. Due to the inappropriate activities and behaviors of human communities, there are consequences that grip society, and if these continue, all social and cultural structures of communities can disintegrate, leading to chaos and disorder. Therefore, changing behaviors and human actions appears essential for achieving social sustainability.

This research seeks to examine the physical factors that influence the social sustainability of the historical fabric through the preservation of cultural-historical values, using various sources in the Mehdi Al-Qadam neighborhood of Urmia. Mehdi-al-Gadam neighborhood is one of the historic neighborhoods of it and different ethnic groups and religions, including Muslims (Sunni and Shia) and Christians (Assyrians and Armenians) live in the neighborhood.So the research aims to answer this research questions: What did the physical factors that impact the social sustainability of historic urban fabrics, and how the physical structure of the Mehdi Al-Qadam neighborhood has preserved its historic and cultural values.

This research is an applied study that has been conducted using a mixed research method.

This research employs an applied approach and utilizes a mixed-methods research design. Specifically, physical indicators related to social sustainability were identified and extracted through a review of existing literature. Subsequently, a conceptual framework for the study was developed. The Mehdi Al-Qadam neighborhood, situated within the historical urban fabric of Urmia, was selected as the case study for examining these physical indicators using a descriptive-survey methodology. Within this context, the analysis of indicators such as land use diversity, equitable access to services, and the quality of the built form relied on data gathered from resident interviews and the examination of land use maps, building quality assessments, and building height (number of stories) using ArcGIS software. Furthermore, space syntax analysis, conducted using DepthmapX v10 software, was employed to analyze the degree of spatial connectivity and integration within the neighborhood.

The research findings showed that the selection criteria are only valid for a portion of the streets within the Mehdi al-Qadim neighborhood. The remaining area lacks suitable land use systems, accessibility, connectivity, and integration. The factors mentioned have led to a decline in the level of presence and social interaction of individuals within the neighborhood. Therefore, solutions like to design community center for fostering social interactions, to dedicate pedestrian paths and urban Spaces for hosting artistic ceremonies and exhibitions, can be proposed to improve social sustainability.