Assessment and evaluation of the project of cultural-social regeneration of public spaces with the approach of improving environmental quality and neighbourhood identity The case study: historical walkways of Kashan city

A B S T R A C T
The absence of an evaluation mechanism in the planning system has caused, after the implementation of the plans and projects for the reconstruction of the ancient cultural-historical contexts, no effort to be made to evaluate such programs, and the consequences of these plans should be addressed and addressed. The current research aims to measure and evaluate the cultural-social regeneration project of public spaces with the approach of improving the environmental quality and identity of neighborhoods in the historical walkways of Kashan city. The research method is descriptive-analytical and survey, and structural equations and sample t-test were exerted to analyze the data. The results of the t-test exam showed that the status of neighborhood authenticity, sense of belonging, and aesthetics indicators in the studied area are unfavorable and below the average level of quality. The evaluation of each indicator of social interactions, livability, and security of the neighborhoods showed that the indicators are in a semi-optimal state. Also, the results of the second-order factor model showed that giving importance to the regeneration index in the studied neighborhoods increased the security index to 0.98, the sense of belonging index to 0.94, the livability index to 0.74, the neighborhood authenticity index to 0.49, the social interactions index to 0.44, and the aesthetic index to 0.34. Therefore, today, one-dimensional importance to urban regeneration projects in neighborhoods cannot alone lead to success in urban spaces. A coherent, continuous, and desirable structure should always be considered from all physical-visual, functional, perceptual, semantic, and environmental dimensions. The needs of citizens are prioritized.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Urban public spaces, as the most important part of cities, are an essential element for social life, which cause movement in urban spaces, exchange of information and awareness of sociability, and enrich the quality of urban environments. The urban space is far more than its physical dimension and includes all dimensions of our existence. In fact, public spaces are a catalyst for simultaneous presence, development, and prosperity, which is highly dependent on social life among people. In addition, the public space is a stage for refining the conflicts and parallels of people's political, social, and economic demands.  Urban pedestrian environments are multi-functional and dynamic public arenas that play an essential role in providing visual comfort and entertainment for citizens. The sidewalk is one of the most important urban spaces and public arenas. The construction of sidewalks and urban pedestrian space is nowadays considered a basic indicator of sustainable development and improving the quality of life in cities and can be a link for pedestrian mobility or a place for social interaction. The neighborhoods of Kashan are often formed around the axis of a mosque or holy shrines. These historical passages, which are covered in the center of the neighborhoods, are called passages. Some of the most important centers or passages in Kashan city are Baba Vali Pass, Pankhel Pass, Darb Bagh Pass, Se Souk Pass, Isfahan Gate Pass, Paqban Pass, Mohtsham Pass, Sultan Amir Ahmad Pass, and Abanbar Khan Pass. It seeks to compare the recreated public spaces with the nature of the effect on the quality of the environment and neighborhood identity, and finally, to analyze the degree of realization of success and failure and the challenges facing it. Therefore, the current research seeks to answer the questions as follows:
 -To what extent has the project of re-creating historical pedestrian crossings in Kashan city improved the environmental quality and neighborhood identity?
-Among the factors affecting the project of re-creating the historical pedestrian crossings of Kashan, which variable is more important?
 
Methodology
The current research is known as descriptive-analytical research in terms of its exploratory-cognitive purpose and as quantitative research in terms of data. In order to achieve the objectives of the research, a documentary and a field study (questionnaire) were exploited. SPSS software was used for data processing, and descriptive statistical methods of t-test inferential statistics were used according to the measurement level of the variables. Also, structural equation modeling in AMOS software was exerted to identify variables and measure the reconstruction of historical pedestrian crossings.
 
Results and discussion
The analysis of the findings shows that considering the negative value of T statistics in the indicators (neighborhood authenticity, sense of belonging, and aesthetics) and comparing the average of the indicators with the standard value of the number (3). The results show that the average of the indicators is 2.69, 2.99, and 2.2, respectively, which are below the average value and unfavorable. Three indicators (social interactions, livability and security) are in a semi-optimal situation with an average of 3.26, 3.27, and 3.07 have, so it can be said that the socio-cultural recreation of historical walks with the approach of improving the environmental quality and neighborhood identity according to the significance level (0.000) and comparing it with the permissible error of 0.5 and with the confidence level of 0.95 in a semi-optimal situation and the indicators are below the average level of quality; therefore, it can be concluded that the project of re-creating historical pedestrian crossings in the city of Kashan in order to improve and improve the environmental quality and neighborhood identity is in a semi-optimal condition by the relevant trustees, and they only pay attention to the physical dimension and achieve their goals according to the opinion. Citizens have yet to realize this fully; also, the findings of the second-order factor model show that the security factor has the highest factor load with a weight of 0.98 and has been more effective than other factors on the socio-cultural recreation of historical walks. After the security factor, there is a sense of belonging, ranked second with a factor load of 0.94. The livability factors, the neighborhood's authenticity, and social interactions are ranked third, fourth and fifth with factor weights of 0.47, 0.49, and 0.44, respectively. Thus, among the multiple factors of re-creating historical pedestrian crossings in Kashan city, the security factor has had the most impact on the environmental quality and neighborhood identity. The higher factor load of the security index indicates the confirmation of the research hypothesis.
 
Conclusion
This research tried to measure and evaluate the desirability of the reconstruction project of the historical pedestrian crossings of Kashan city with the approach of improving environmental quality and neighborhood identity. For this purpose, six dimensions such as social interactions, neighborhood authenticity, livability, security, sense of belonging, and aesthetics, and 75 items were used. The opinions of 150 citizens were collected using a questionnaire related to these dimensions and entered into SPSS software. Then it was analyzed using one-sample t-test and confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS software. The general results of the research indicate the semi-optimal status of the regeneration project on improving the environmental quality and identity of the neighborhood.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.