University of Kashan Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies 2252-0635 13 26 2025 03 15 Investigating the Concept of "Affordance" in the Protection of Urban Historic Squares in Iran Investigating the Concept of "Affordance" in the Protection of Urban Historic Squares in Iran 85 104 114593 10.22052/jias.2024.254479.1290 FA Mansour Khajepour Galousalari Ph.D. Candidate, Historic Buildings and Urban Restoration, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran Pirouz Hanachi Professor, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran 0000-0002-3150-6501 Journal Article 2024 05 29 Affordance is one of the critical and widely utilized concepts in the field of environmental psychology that aids in understanding the relationship between behavioral patterns and user needs with the environment. A significant portion of the conservation process in historical squares involves the participation of stakeholders and their mutual relationship with the environment. This concept lacks a clear definition of architectural conservation. Determining the role and position of Affordances in the conservation process, particularly in historical squares as a type of urban public space, can have an impact on fully understanding the relationship between stakeholders and the squares and any subsequent conservation decisions. This applied study aims to explain and investigate the role of affordance in the conservation process of historical squares. Initially, valid opinions and views centered on the concept of affordance were investigated with an analytical-descriptive approach. Subsequently, the role of this concept in the conservation process of historical squares was determined using a logical reasoning process. To this end, the concepts of participatory trends in the protection and management of changes with the central role of stakeholders, as well as the concepts of value, need, and perception in affordance, were investigated, with the relationship between them being analyzed and documented. The findings indicate that elucidating the affordance of historical squares by stakeholders, interpreting them, and preparing appropriate action plans based on said affordances and the conditions of stakeholder perceptions can be beneficial to the recommended bottom-to-top approach, facilitating the role of stakeholders in protecting historical squares. Affordance is one of the critical and widely utilized concepts in the field of environmental psychology that aids in understanding the relationship between behavioral patterns and user needs with the environment. A significant portion of the conservation process in historical squares involves the participation of stakeholders and their mutual relationship with the environment. This concept lacks a clear definition of architectural conservation. Determining the role and position of Affordances in the conservation process, particularly in historical squares as a type of urban public space, can have an impact on fully understanding the relationship between stakeholders and the squares and any subsequent conservation decisions. This applied study aims to explain and investigate the role of affordance in the conservation process of historical squares. Initially, valid opinions and views centered on the concept of affordance were investigated with an analytical-descriptive approach. Subsequently, the role of this concept in the conservation process of historical squares was determined using a logical reasoning process. To this end, the concepts of participatory trends in the protection and management of changes with the central role of stakeholders, as well as the concepts of value, need, and perception in affordance, were investigated, with the relationship between them being analyzed and documented. The findings indicate that elucidating the affordance of historical squares by stakeholders, interpreting them, and preparing appropriate action plans based on said affordances and the conditions of stakeholder perceptions can be beneficial to the recommended bottom-to-top approach, facilitating the role of stakeholders in protecting historical squares. https://jias.kashanu.ac.ir/article_114593_13be83c6db26fe837d282869f2a2a47a.pdf