Quality Analysis of Urban Sidewalks with Emphasis on Health Components: A Case Study of 17thShahrivarStree of Mashhad City

Introduction and Theoretical Bases: Since citizens spend considerable amount of their time interacting with urban environment, analysis of effectiveness of environment on different aspects of life is of utmost consideration. Health is one of the factors which is endangered or threatened by urban environment. Modern issues such as healthy city and pedestrianization represent these aspects. Structural-spatial conditions of urban sidewalks have significant effect on environmental health of the citizens.

Research Design: The aim of present research was to evaluate the relationship of structural environment’s conditions and health rates and to adopt a method for assessing the health of urban setting in response to the following questions: 1-what are the most important challenges of citizens’ health using sidewalks? 2-What criteria are involved in improvement of health of urban sidewalks? 3-How we could evaluate the rate of urban sidewalk’s health using these criteria? According to the mixed-methods design, qualitative content analysis and survey was conducted. Using a researcher-made checklist, the required data were gathered from 150 pedestrians of 17thShahrivar St. and 50 related officials and experts as research samples.

Discussion and Conclusion: The obtained results indicated that, in terms of health criteria, the overall status of 17thShahrivar St. was low and bad which brings about lower rate of users’ satisfaction of space and environment and hence further decline of environment quality. All four aspects of health namely, physical, social, spiritual, and psychological health, were realized as significant factors in determining the environment’s health. Physical and social health was in the worst condition, and spiritual and psychological health was relatively better in 17thShahrivar St.

Suggestions: Various structural and physical strategies were suggested for of citizen’s health promotion. In addition, some suggestions for further research in this field of study are presented.