The Role of Neighborhoods’ Centers in the Development of Urban Sustainability (Case Study: Mahmudabad Neighborhoods, Mazandaran, Iran)

Abstract

As it is commonly understood, Urban neighborhoods play a significant role in developing urban<br />sustainability as the smallest unit of city so that the formation and promotion of neighborhood identity, and focusing<br />on social relationships would be in harmony with urban sustainability. It is believed that a dramatic change in spatial<br />structure of urban neighborhood include a decline in levels of political, social and economic role of neighborhoods<br />as long as they have had some disadvantages such as environmental pollution, marginalization, poor housing, socialpsychological<br />and cultural damages, and particularly losing spiritual and material values as well in the recent decades. To<br />limit these disadvantages associated with communities, neighborhood centers should be designed. The purpose of this<br />study will analyze the concept of neighborhoods and neighborhoods' centers and their effects on urban sustainability by<br />descriptive- analytical approach and by gathering information through libraries and reviewing documents. This paper<br />engages in analyzing components, dimensions, factors of sustainability and neighborhoods centers that integrated<br />in the final model which characterized by practical-economic, environmental, empirical- aesthetic components; and,<br />the validity of the used questionnaires based on factors of this model with 387 subjects (the selected sample) and<br />the reliability of the questionnaires by using Cronbach Alpha through Bartlett Test and KMO factor at high level<br />of 0/85 was proved. The level of significance of each component was reexamined by concerning their effects on<br />urban sustainability. By applying multiple- regression test, the statistical outcomes reveal that designing based on<br />environmental components have the utmost impact on neighborhoods sustainability.