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.