Mohammad Paydar and Asal Kamani Fard
Promoting social interaction contributes to social sustainability in the urban setting. And, legibility is one of the key qualities of successful urban places. This research aims…
Abstract
Purpose
Promoting social interaction contributes to social sustainability in the urban setting. And, legibility is one of the key qualities of successful urban places. This research aims to examine the impacts of legibility and the quality of seating areas on the level of engagement with place as well as social interaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The levels of social interaction in different public spaces of the selected neighbourhood were observed. On this basis, the neighbourhood park and neighbourhood entry plaza were selected. A sample of 234 people was determined and a quantitative approach was used to examine the objectives.
Findings
Inhabitants were more interested in passive engagement with place. Certain cultural and spatial attributes contribute to enhancing social interaction. Legibility was poorly recognizable especially due to the weak level of visibility. The quality and quantity of seating area provision as well as visual connectivity are to be improved so that the legibility as well as the social interaction enhances. Finally, the implications in regards the prospect-refuge theory were described.
Originality/value
Promoting social interaction has been less regarded by urban planners and policy makers in the context of Asian cities. In a historical context with a mix of native-born citizens and immigrants, where different types of crime exist and it suffers from illegible structure in its different parts, understanding the urban design interventions of engagement with place as well as social interaction is an important subject. Policy makers may apply these findings to improve the positive social interactions in such residential neighbourhoods.
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Asal Kamani‐Fard, Mohd Hamdan Ahmad and Dilshan Remaz Ossen
The purpose of this paper is to study the efforts of the 2003 Bam earthquake survivors and their strategy for coping with home loss. Regarding the key role of the sense of place…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the efforts of the 2003 Bam earthquake survivors and their strategy for coping with home loss. Regarding the key role of the sense of place within the recovery process following the disaster, this paper considers the characteristics of lost settings located in a desert area while searching for the factors that made an impact on householders' perception of newly built houses.
Design/methodology/approach
On the basis of the field survey, a group of 186 households were selected by the probability sampling method. Accordingly, the random selection of residents was organized within the three defined zones of the city that had experienced different degrees of building damages. Data were collected using a face‐to‐face communication approach with the target group of owners of self‐built houses.
Findings
The findings indicate that households tend to arrange the new settings on the basis of their perceptions of home place as well as the experience of loss during the quake. It also confirms that owners' participation in housing reconstruction process within setting arrangement has a significant positive impact on their attitude toward newly built homes.
Originality/value
Due to the widespread incidence of natural disasters and in the light of the key role of home place in the existence of human beings and their recovery process, the opportunity for local participation in new housing is highlighted as a means to overcome the challenges faced.