Conduciveness of women social setting in traditional Iranian bazaar from functional dimension

Iranian traditional Bazaars are not just physical settings for everyday commercial activities. They are places of communal life especially for women and provide the main daily sources of their outdoor recreations. The research hypothesize that there is a serious lack of sensitivity to the cultural values, especially for women within modern Iranian market places. In this regard, the aim of this research was in filling this gap and describing the relationship between women communal life and urban public spaces. To reach the aim, this study was conducted among middle-aged Iranian women within the Iranian traditional Bazaar of Isfahan (as the most public urban space in the Iranian cities). To increase the accuracy of findings, the data collection methods through triangulation were unobtrusive behavioral observation of women communal life within two selected settings, semi-structured single face to face women interviews (n=24), semi-structured focus group interviews (n=5), and taking photographs. In order to analyze the collected data, a qualitative content analysis and descriptive analysis were used. The finding of the research showed that the social settings of traditional Isfahan Bazaar are proper for women communal life functionally

Role of social indicators on vitality parameter to enhance the quality of women׳s communal life within an urban public space (case: Isfahan׳s traditional bazaar, Iran)

Vitality is a quality that makes a public space operational and attractive throughout the day in relation to ongoing activities. This parameter can be evaluated through measures such as collective people presence, mixed-use functions, diversity of activities, and other related supportive physical elements. The aim of this research is to evaluate women׳s communal life in terms of vitality measures within public spaces. The commercial setting of Isfahan׳s traditional bazaar was selected as the study area. To enhance the credibility of the results, several data collection methods, for example, semi-structured individual interviews (n = 24), semi-structured focused group interviews (five groups including 28 middle-aged women), direct observation, snap photography, and unobtrusive behavioral observation of women in communal life within the selected study area, were employed. To analyze the collected data, qualitative content and descriptive analyses were used. Our results indicate that by increasing the vitality of a public space through its related measures, women׳s presence will grow, and through this growth, the quality of their communal life would be enhanced. Keywords: Vitality, Communal life, Women, Urban spaces, Traditional Iranian bazaar, Qualitative researc

Cultural dimensions of housing entrance spaces: Lessons for modern HDVD housing

Using spatial concept of the traditional housing can play a vital role to enhance the spatial quality of housing within modern era. Based on research hypothesis, the spatial organization of the related spaces of entrance within Iranian high-density vertical development housing does not conform to the values of Iranian family life pattern. The main aim of this study is to identify the cultural values of traditional Iranian housing and trying for betterment of spatial organization of housing units within Iranian middle-class modern High-Density Vertical Development (HDVD) housing by referring to learnt values from the past. In this regard, through constructivism paradigm, qualitative approach, criterion sampling and instrumental multiple case study strategy, the spatial organization of the entrance spaces of traditional Iranian housing was investigated. To increase the accuracy of findings, the data collection methods through triangulation are a combination of direct observation, open-ended expert interview and taking photo for traditional and direct observation, semi-structured single face to face and focus group interviewing and taking photo for collecting data from modern Iranian middle-class HDVD housing. The findings of the research show that the entrance spatial layers of traditional Iranian housing shaped based on family life pattern and residents’ socio-cultural values which is ignored within modern Iranian middle-class HDVD housing. The results of the study can be recommended to enhance the quality of life in the modern Iranian HDVD housing

Privacy as a cultural value in traditional Iranian housing; lessons for modern Iranian high density vertical development (HDVD) housing

The role of value of privacy in shaping Iranian culture is vital. In contrary to modern middle-class Iranian high density vertical development housing, this cultural principle plays a great role in shaping spatial organization of Iranian traditional housing. The aim of this study is to establish a framework to improve spatial organization of modern Iranian high density vertical development (HDVD) housing through lessons learnt from traditional Iranian housing. In this regard, to reach the aim through qualitative approach and case study strategy, this value of the Iranian traditional housing was investigated. The data collection methods to collect data from middle-class traditional and modern high-density vertical development (HDVD) housing, were multiple tactics as direct observation, open-ended expert interview, semi-structured and focus group interviewing, taking photo, and plan layout. As conclude, it was reached that privacy as a principle governing all aspects of life has had deep impacts on spatial organization of traditional Iranian housing. Thus through using the spatial concept of privacy learnt from traditional Iranian housing can formulate recommendations to betterment spatial organization of middle-class modern Iranian HDVD housing