Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Assistant Prof., Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Persian Gulf Uni., Bushehr, Iran.
2 M.A. Student, Department of Urban Design, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina Uni., Hamedan, Iran.
Abstract
Introduction: The physical and perceptual attributes of urban environments can influence individuals’ experiences in public spaces and, consequently, their mental health. Despite the growing body of research on urban mental health, empirical evidence regarding the simultaneous effects of these attributes at the scale of urban streets, particularly in cities in southern Iran, remains limited.
Methods: Accordingly, the present study was conducted using a quantitative approach to examine the effects of physical and perceptual attributes on the mental health of users of Ashouri Street in Bushehr. Data were collected from 100 users of Ashouri Street through a structured questionnaire comprising items related to the physical and perceptual attributes of the urban environment and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The collected data were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis in SPSS software.
Results and Discussion: The results of the exploratory factor analysis identified seven factors, namely environmental quality, accessibility, land-use diversity and social interactions, sensory experience, sense of belonging and control, environmental stress, and infrastructure and safety, which together explained 66.85% of the variance in the physical and perceptual attributes. The results of the multiple regression analysis indicated that land-use diversity and social interactions had a positive and statistically significant effect on users’ mental health, whereas sense of belonging and control showed a significant negative effect. Although the remaining factors were not statistically significant in the final model, they may still influence mental health through their interaction with other environmental characteristics.
Conclusion: The findings of this study provide empirical evidence on the role of the physical and perceptual attributes of urban environments in users’ mental health and can be used to inform the design and planning of health-oriented urban spaces.
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