Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

• Zahra Elmi ¹
• Parisa Hashempour ²
• Leila Medghalchi ³

¹ M.Sc in Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Development, Islamic Art University (Tabriz Branch), East Azarbaijan, Iran.

² Associate Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Development, Islamic Art University (Tabriz Branch), East Azarbaijan, Iran.

³ Assistant Professor, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Development, Islamic Art University (Tabriz Branch), East Azarbaijan, Iran.

Abstract

Extended Abstract
Although housing as a human resort and shelter has provided a proper physical and spatial context for improving human relations at family and neighborhood levels since long ago, today, the role of housing has declined due to the large number of residential complexes and the development of life style in apartments. Recently, the changes led by social developments and the changes of social institutions such as families, have transformed many vivid and latent functions of social phenomena, one of which occurs in the elderly period (Khashei, 2006: 2). According to the latest records of the Statistical Center of Iran in 2016, 7 million and 450 thousand elderly people live in the country, and in 2050, the elderly will comprise about 30% of our country's population (Mojnews, 2018). The feeling of loneliness is a widespread and pervasive phenomenon, affecting 25 to 50 percent of the total population over the age of 65 in terms of age and gender (Heravi Karimavi et al., 2008: 3). The elderly people over the age of 65 have a special need to socialize. Apart from the physical and psychological limitations, this group of people fail to communicate with the surrounding community to meet their needs due to the social inefficiencies. Therefore, they suffer from being separated from their families and the society, and any attempt made to abolish their feeling of loneliness is a barrier against the complicated problems of the elderly people. In fact, increasing their social contacts helps promoting their mental and social health (Mohammadzadeh, 2015: 2). Reducing sociability also creates many problems in people’s relationships, reduces their sense of belonging to the place and decreases security. It also creates other problems that are resulted from ignoring the declining quality of collective life in housing, especially for the elderly group. At the same time, meeting and talking to each other is pleasant for the elderly people. They can contact or encounter each other by having a conversation, a greeting, or just smiling at each other. Consequently, socializing can make a big change in people’s lives, especially for those introverted people who communicate more with the outside world. These social interactions are necessary for inducing public happiness, and are the central part of people's quality of life (Zabetian & Taghvaee, 2009: 4). Therefore, it is important to pay attention to the social needs of the elderly and to promote the sociability of the space for this group.
The present research aims at explaining the sociability of residential complexes in Tabriz and evaluating the indicators of sociability in four case studies. It seeks to answer the following two basic questions: What are the most important indicators of sociability for the elderly in residential complexes in Tabriz? And what is the level of sociability for the elderly in the four cases studied? Having explained the housing sociability indicators for the elderly, obtained by combining the sociability indicators of regular housing and the elderly housing, the authors evaluated the indicators of sociability in people over the age of 65 in Sattarkhan, Aseman, Allame Amini and Sepidar residential complexes. After comparing the sociability of the elderly in these complexes, the most important dependent indicators affecting the independent indicator of sociability in each complex were explained.
Today, the sociability of residential complexes is very important for the elderly who need to have social relationships and spend most of their time at home. The present research is conducted with the aim of explaining the physical sociability of residential complexes for the elderly group in Tabriz, and the indicators are evaluated by causal-comparative method. In this research, 4 residential complex from 4 districts of Tabriz were selected to be studied. Field research was also conducted on the elderly over the age of 65 in the four selected complexes to measure the indicators obtained from the previous step. In this regard, a simple random sampling by Cochran's formula in the statistical population of 313 people limited the size of the group to 172 people. Thereafter, a closed questionnaire and non-participatory observation were used. The questionnaires were analyzed by variance, regression methods and by calculating the average scores in the observations. According to the variance analysis, Sattarkhan, Aseman, Sepidar and Allame Amini complexes had higher scores of sociability for the elderly, respectively. According to the regression analysis of the questionnaires, various hangouts in Sattarkhan complex; the landscape in Aseman complex; disposition opportunities in Allame Amini complex; and various activities in Sepidar complex were of higher priority.
Based on the results obtained from the observations, sitting space, welfare facilities, natural elements, appropriate furniture and access in the area in Sattarkhan complex; nature, and decorative elements in Aseman complex; safety and pedestrian pavement, and proper access in Sepidar complex; and welfare facilities in Allame Amini complex were of higher priority. Eventually, solutions were offered to improve the sociability of residential complexes for the elderly based on the overall summary in the four selected complexes.

Keywords

• Sociability
• Social Needs
• Elderly
• the Physic of Residential Complexes
• Tabriz