Evaluating the Effects of Access to Urban Facilities and Services on the Sense of Belonging to a Place in the Worn-out Textures of Ahvāz Metropolis

Urban worn-out textures require preservation, respect, and revitalization due to their historical and cultural values. Nowadays, the restoration of these textures places a significant focus on meeting residents' needs in establishing a connection with the physical environment and concepts such as a sense of place belonging, which is of great interest to many designers. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between physical condition (access to urban services) and the sense of place belonging in the worn-out textures of six neighborhoods (Āmeri, Yousefi, Ākhar-e Āsfālt, Zargān, Hasirābād, and Lashkarābād). This applied study employed a descriptive-analytical research method. The Kruskal-Wallis test, simple t-test, Pearson correlation in SPSS software, and FAHP were employed to achieve the research objective. The results of the investigations indicated that the Ākhar-e Āsfālt, Yousefi, and Āmeri neighborhoods have a favorable status in terms of access to urban facilities and services, while Hasirābād neighborhood, is in a highly unfavorable condition. Furthermore, examining the relationship between urban services and the sense of place belonging to the worn-out texture with a coefficient of 0.371, signifying a direct correlation between the two mentioned variables. This implies that by enhancing urban facilities and services, as well as reinforcing public spaces and physical structures, the worn-out textures can foster an increased sense of place belonging in these areas.
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction
A sense of belonging to a place is defined as the influential connection people make with place settlements, where they want to stay and feel comfort and security. This sensation results in an individual connecting with a place to such an extent that they consider themselves a part of it. They conceive a sense of place based on their own experiences of signs, meanings, functions, personality, and a role the place plays in their mind. Creating an effective, efficient, and dynamic urban space that aligns with the social, cultural, environmental, physical, and economic needs of the community has consistently been a concern for urban planners and designers. In recent years, the issue of "sense of belonging to a place" has been considered in the fields related to urban affairs and urban planning. This new perspective has presented researchers and urban practitioners with a novel approach, placing utmost emphasis on the degree of sense of place in urban neighborhoods, especially in worn-out textures. Given the aforementioned cases, the present study aimed to analyze the relationship between the level of access to urban facilities and services and the sense of belonging to the worn-out neighborhoods in the metropolis of Ahvaz.
Methodology
The present study was applied in terms of its purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of its nature and method. Documentary and field methods were used to collect data. The research population included the residents of worn-out areas of Ahvāz, from among them 383 individuals were selected via Cochran's formula as statistical sample. Data were analyzed using FAHP decision-making model, Pearson correlation, Friedman, and t-tests.
Results and discussion
The results of cluster analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis test depicted that Ākhar-e Āsfālt, Āmeri, and Yousefi neighborhoods are more favorbale regarding facilities and services. Ākhar-e Āsfālt and Āmeri neighborhoods are the most prosperous in terms of access to urban facilities and services, with coefficients of 31.24 and 29.54, respectively. As the results obtained by separating the urban neighborhoods via cluster analysis, the six neighborhoods with worn-out textures are classified into three clusters. Ākhar-e Āsfālt and Āmeri neighborhoods are in the first cluster, Yousefi neighborhood is in the second cluster, and Zargān, Lashkarābād, and Hasirābād neighborhoods are in the third cluster. The results of the FAHP model showed that access to urban facilities and medical centers with coefficients of 0.257 and 0.190 are the most effective indicators of a worn-out texture in enjoying urban facilities and services, while access to green space and cultural facilities had the least effect on this process. According to this analysis, Ākhar-e Āsfālt and Yousefi neighborhoods are the most enjoyed in terms of access to urban facilities and services, while Hasirābād neighborhood stood in the last rank. The results of the t-test showed that the three factors of emotional, environmental, and spatial attachments with coefficients 31.425, 9.09, and 4.546, respectively, were the most effective indicators of the sense of belonging to the worn textures in these neighborhoods. The results obtained from the Pearson correlation coefficient with a value of 0.371 indicated that with increasing access to urban facilities and services, the sense of belonging to worn-out urban structures increases. This issue can directly affect future planning to reduce the problems of those urban textures.
Conclusion
Given the fact that the residents have a special attachment to their place of residence, and the emotional dependence among them is high, it is possible to improve the worn-out textures by increasing the urban facilities and services as well as strengthening public spaces and physical textures. strengthened through urban redevelopment.
Funding
There is no funding support.
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved the content 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 persons for scientific consulting in this paper.