Document Type : Original
Authors
1
Ph.D. in Architecture, School of Architecture and Urban Design Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Lavizan, Iran
2
Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, School of Architecture and Urban Design Engineering, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Lavizan, Iran
3
Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, School of Humanities, Shahid Rajaee Teacher Training University, Tehran, Lavizan, Iran
Abstract
ABSTRACT
In recent years, the decline of vitality in the collective spaces of residential complexes—especially in major Iranian cities like Tehran—has become a growing concern for urban designers and policymakers. Key factors contributing to this issue include weak physical design, the lack of supportive environments for social interaction, and the neglect of behavioral and semantic dimensions, all of which reduce the quality of urban livability. This study aims to analyze and structurally model the relationships between physical, behavioral-movement, and perceptual-semantic components and the level of vitality in the collective spaces of mid-rise residential complexes in District 22 of Tehran. Using a mixed-methods approach in a sequential exploratory design, the research first employed content analysis and interviews in the qualitative phase, followed by a structured questionnaire in the quantitative phase. In this model, physical variables (form, function, concept, technology, integration) are treated as independent variables; behavioral-movement variables (desirability, comfort, presence, territoriality) as mediators; and perceptual-semantic variables (dynamism, attachment, satisfaction, responsiveness, tranquility) as dependent variables. Data collection was based on a structured questionnaire, with responses gathered from 255 residents of selected mid-rise complexes through random sampling. Sampling adequacy was confirmed using the KMO test, and the reliability and validity of the questionnaire were verified using Cronbach’s alpha and model fit indices. Data were analyzed using path modeling and structural equation modeling in SPSS and AMOS. The analysis revealed three major relationships with strong effect sizes: (1) physical values, mediated by behavioral-movement variables, contribute to revitalizing residents’ vitality; (2) behavioral values, also shaped by movement-related factors, play a significant role in enhancing vitality; and (3) perceptual-semantic values, as dependent indicators of vitality, are directly influenced by physical components. Among physical variables, "form" had the greatest impact as an independent factor; among behavioral-movement variables, the domain of physical values showed the strongest mediating role; and among the vitality indicators, "dynamism" was the most influential dependent variable.
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