Journal of Iranian Architecture & Urbanism(JIAU)

Abstract Extended Abstract Background and Objectives: Pedestrian paths are essential components of urban public spaces, serving much more than just transit routes. They offer platforms for social interactions, recreational activities, and help foster a sense of connection and attachment to the urban environment. The quality of design and landscape elements in these spaces can significantly impact the mental health of city dwellers. The historical and cultural Chaharbagh-e-Abbasi Street in Isfahan, one of the most iconic pedestrian pathways and urban symbols, holds particular significance in this context. This research aims to model the interaction between the landscape elements of pedestrian paths and citizens’ mental health. It investigates how sensory, spatial, functional, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions can contribute to stress reduction, enhance emotional resilience, and improve psychological well-being. Methods: This study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining both theoretical and empirical methodologies. The research sample consisted of 150 regular users of the pedestrian path, selected through random sampling. Data collection was carried out using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to assess psychological well-being, and a researcher-designed questionnaire to evaluate perceptions of landscape elements. The data analysis employed Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) using Smart PLS software to determine the relationships between the independent variables (landscape elements) and the dependent variable (mental health indicators). The landscape elements were categorized into five dimensions: sensory-experiential, spatial-dynamic, functional-supportive, social-cultural, and environmental-ecological, with each dimension encompassing specific criteria and observable variables. Findings: In this model, the path coefficients represent the intensity and direction of the influence between the latent variables (constructs). The path coefficient of 0.552 between the pedestrian path landscape and mental health indicates a direct, positive, and statistically significant impact, though moderate in strength. This suggests that the quality of pedestrian path landscape design positively influences the mental health of citizens. The highest path coefficient (0.853) is observed between the pedestrian path landscape and the functional-supportive dimension, highlighting its key role in the design and spatial organization of pedestrian environments. Other dimensions also show significant effects, including the socio-cultural dimension, with a path coefficient of 0.842, confirming its role in fostering social interactions and a sense of belonging. The spatial-dynamic dimension, with a path coefficient of 0.754, emphasizes the importance of spatial organization and accessibility in pedestrian path design. The sensory-experiential dimension, with a path coefficient of 0.724, reflects its essential role in shaping users’ psychological and emotional experiences. Finally, the environmental-ecological dimension, with a path coefficient of 0.704, underscores the importance of integrating environmental sustainability and natural elements into landscape design.
In the proposed model, the R² values indicate the proportion of variance explained by the independent variables for each construct. The R² value for mental health is 0.301, meaning that 30% of the variation in mental health can be explained by the landscape elements of pedestrian paths. The functional-supportive dimension has the highest R² value (0.875), reaffirming its crucial role in landscape design. Other dimensions also demonstrate substantial R² values, including the socio-cultural dimension (0.709), the spatial-dynamic dimension (0.668), the sensory-experiential dimension (0.524), and the environmental-ecological dimension (0.564), reinforcing their significance in shaping pedestrian path landscapes. Conclusion: Numerous studies have emphasized the impact of the built environment on individuals’ mental health, examining the relationship between landscape elements and urban settings through various indicators and analytical approaches. This research, through a literature review and expert consultation, classifies the key landscape elements affecting mental health in the Chaharbagh-e-Abbasi pedestrian path in Isfahan into five primary categories: sensory-experiential, spatial-dynamic, functional-supportive, socio-cultural, and environmental-ecological elements. The results indicate that functional-supportive, socio-cultural, and environmental-ecological factors significantly influence the quality of pedestrian path landscapes and act as key dimensions affecting users’ mental health. The strong relationship between the functional-supportive dimension and pedestrian path landscape quality highlights the necessity of improving functionality and support structures in pedestrian spaces to enhance user experience and psychological well-being.
Enhancing the spatial-dynamic, sensory-experiential, socio-cultural, and environmental-ecological dimensions, in order of priority, can be an effective step toward improving the pedestrian path landscape and the mental health of users. The findings of this research suggest that improving the landscape conditions of urban pedestrian paths should be regarded as a fundamental priority in urban planning and design policies. A comprehensive, user-centered approach to public space design can contribute not only to physical and mental well-being but also to strengthening social identity and interpersonal interactions. Such measures can play a crucial role in creating sustainable, livable, and health-oriented cities, providing urban policymakers and designers with practical tools to enhance the quality of public spaces.

Abstract Extended Abstract
Objective and Background: Fundamentally, the urban landscape is the level of human and “urban phenomenon” contact; consequently, it is a dynamic concept and a substantial part of citizens’ knowledge, and emotions. Environmental behavior is also formed under its influence. The importance of urban landscape as an intermediary between human and urban phenomenon is that, it has sometimes been mentioned that “urban design” is the management of the urban landscape (objective and subjective landscape).” Meanwhile, the interaction of man and the urban phenomenon has been formed through the urban landscape, and the urban landscape position is very important in the multifaceted human-environmental relationship.
View corridors are passages of public spaces to view environmental qualities. View corridors are formed along linear openings and are placed in front of signs or strategic landscapes or excellent urban vital points. View corridors may be used on different scales and for various functional or formal objectives in urban design. Since urban corridors allow an optimal and enjoyable view of the urban landmarks and visual and natural values, they can create a desired mental memory and a coherent mental image of urban public arenas that strengthens citizens’ sense of orientation in the city. Urban thinkers and experts have always considered the interaction between natural and human ecosystems; however, the range of ideas and theoretical foundations of views has been different in dealing with and intervening with them. Regarding the eras and the occurrence of events, the progression of technology and the expansion of cities, different perspectives, theories, and approaches to ecological issues, the coexistence of city and nature, and their interaction have been shaped. Inspection of life quality indicators showed that mental health is one of the main components of life quality. On the other hand, the results show a meaningful relationship between the dimensions of life quality and the concept of mental health. Summarizing the studies and opinions of experts in line with the role of visual and natural urban corridors reveals that view corridors along with natural and urban green infrastructure can provide a healthy environment and deliver physical and mental health for residents. A healthy environment can also bring about socio-economic benefits to the communities in which people live.
Methods: Nowadays, many studies have revealed that the destruction of the natural gateway corridors is one of Iran’s current urban development problems. The natural view corridors were destroyed during the unorganized development of Iran cities, including Hamedan city. The literature and the subjects of natural urban corridors are less studied in this city as a way to create mental health in citizens. There seems to be a lack of theoretical and spatial-oriented rules and solutions as a knowledge gap in this regard. It can be argued that in the context of a comprehensive, local, and thematic urban plan policy, the lack of policies for view corridors can be considered a problem. Without a comprehensive and accurate understanding of the city and urban spaces as it is to its citizens, it is difficult to explain why people interact with a particular place and how it benefits them. It is almost impossible to know how to modify and change the desired location to make it a matter of personal preference without a complete understanding of the city.
Findings: Consequently, in the current research, based on some sensitive theories obtained from the study and review of theories and investigations, an attempt was made to ask people and the main users of spaces about their preference of specific places in people’s lives in a qualitative research method. Therefore, people’s level of mental health and well-being attributed to or perceived from the place must be identified to understand people’s preferences. Thus, based on the analysis and combination of the results, a conceptual framework was formed to better understand people’s interaction with the environment and the role of urban natural corridors, and the meanings of production and reception in improving citizens’ mental health. Due to the lack of research in this field, it can be said that the findings of this study have strengthened the existing knowledge by establishing a connection between reading the text of urban corridors and receiving their meaning and also interacting with the environment. Regarding this research approach, this issue is also important in the context of our society and the role of social and physical background in the formation of such a mechanism. In this regard, two natural view corridors in Hamedan, which continued towards Alvand, were selected as case studies. In the current research, the role of these two corridors in Hamedan citizens’ mental health was examined. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire and regression analysis were used in SPSS19 software to achieve this goal. The results revealed that environmental criteria, mental landscape perception, objective landscape perception, socio-cultural ecology, and adaptation to daily vital requirements had a significant impact on citizens’ mental health in the form of two urban natural view corridors in Hamedan.
Conclusion: In terms of practicality, it can be said that the most important finding of this research for experts of urban management, planning, and urban design, especially managers of Hamedan city is that, in changing and developing natural corridors, they should have a complete understanding of the meanings of place and its effect on the health of individuals and for the interested groups in the natural urban corridors. Given the importance of meaning, urban managers should apply the environmental changes regarding the individuals’ multifaceted interaction with space.