Application of Structural Equations in Sustainable Urban Neighborhood Planning with Emphasis on the Spatial Justice Approach; Case Study: Mesbah Neighborhood, Karaj

Roustaei, Akram; Babakhani, Maliheh

doi:10.22034/aaud.2025.483396.2921

Application of Structural Equations in Sustainable Urban Neighborhood Planning with Emphasis on the Spatial Justice Approach; Case Study: Mesbah Neighborhood, Karaj

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Akram Roustaei ¹

Maliheh Babakhani ²

¹ M.A. in Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran.

² Assistant Professor of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran (Corresponding Author).

10.22034/aaud.2025.483396.2921

Abstract

The rapid growth of urbanization in recent decades has led to social inequality, poverty, and the physical manifestation of this issue in accessing urban capital. Therefore, the most important mission of urban experts is to eliminate these disparities to achieve urban capital for different social groups. This study addresses the issue of spatial justice in the Mesbah neighborhood of Karaj, explaining its components and how they influence each other. The research method is quantitative and utilizes structural equation modeling through SmartPLS software. By reviewing the theoretical literature, the concept of spatial justice and its criteria and indicators were defined. Then, the extracted indicators were quantitatively assessed and analyzed in the case study. For this purpose, a questionnaire was prepared based on the identified indicators and was randomly distributed among 372 residents of the neighborhood. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results showed that the security factor, with a regression coefficient of 0.764 and a coefficient of determination of 0.583, has the most significant influence on the perception of spatial justice in this neighborhood. The access and public transportation network component ranks second in importance, with a regression coefficient of 0.668 and a coefficient of determination of 0.446. The access to public services and facilities component ranks third, with a regression coefficient of 0.659 and a coefficient of determination of 0.435. Other components include public health (regression coefficient: 0.656), urban management (0.643), sense of place belonging (0.623), identity and culture (0.592), and housing evaluation (0.581), respectively. Therefore, through proper planning of local access, public transportation, and access to local facilities and services, significant improvements can be made in enhancing spatial justice in the Mesbah neighborhood.

Keywords

Planning

Sustainable Development

Urban Neighborhoods

Spatial Justice

Mesbah Neighborhood of Karaj

Alihesabi, Mehran, Seyed Bagher Hosseini, and Fatemeh Nasbi. 2011. “Assessing Sustainable Development from Economic and Environmental Perspectives with a Focus on Housing (Case Study: Housing in the Old Texture of Bushehr City).” Journal of Regional Economics and Development 1(1). https://erd.um.ac.ir/article_24509.html. [in Persian]
Badi, Hossein, Morteza Dankoub, and Ali Khouzin. 2010. Social Justice as a Core Element of Sustainable Development. Paper presented at the 3rd National Conference on Geography and Scientific Approach to Sustainable Development, Piranshahr. [in Persian]
Barton, Hugh, Marcus Grant, and Richard Guise. 2003. “Shaping Neighbourhoods: A guide for health, sustainability and vitality”. London and New York: Spon Press.
Dadashpoor, Hashem, and Faramarz Rostami. 2011. “An Analysis of the Distribution of Urban Public Services from the Perspective of Spatial Justice.” Geography and Regional Development Quarterly (16): 171-198. https://jgrd.um.ac.ir/article_28023.html. [in Persian]
Dadashpoor, Hashem, Bahram Alizadeh, and Faramarz Rostami. 2015. The Discourse of Spatial Justice in the City. Tehran: Azarkhash. [in Persian]
Dadashpoor, Hashem, and Nina Alvandipour. 2016. “Spatial Justice at the Urban Scale in Iran.” Fine Arts 21(3): 67-80. https://jfaup.ut.ac.ir/article_61103.html. [in Persian]
Dufaux, Frederic, Philippe Gervais-Lambony, Sonia Lehman-Frisch, and Sophie Moreau. 2009. Birth Announcement. Spatial Justice 1(1): 1-2.
Esmaeilzadeh, Hassan, and Leila Masoumi. 2015. “Analysis of Spatial Justice in the Counties of Ardabil Province in Terms of Health-Care Indicators Using the RokiV Model.” Urban Management Studies 7(32): 49-104. https://www.sid.ir/paper/199380/fa. [in Persian]
Fainstein, Susan. 2014. The just city. International Journal of Urban Sciences 18: 1-18. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/12265934.2013.834643
Gharakhloo, Mehdi, and Hadi Hosseini. 2006. “Indicators of Urban Sustainable Development.” Geography and Regional Development Journal (8). https://sid.ir/paper/99071/fa. [in Persian]
Hajipour, Khalil. 2006. “Neighborhood-Based Planning: An Effective Approach to Establishing Sustainable Urban Management.” Fine Arts Journal (26): 37-46. https://journals.ut.ac.ir/article_12319.html. [in Persian]
Heckerta, Megan, and Christina D. Rosan. 2016. Developing a green infrastructure equity index to promote equity planning. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 19: 263-270.
Maleki, Ladan. 2011. Enhancing Environmental Quality in Urban Neighborhoods with a Sustainable Development Approach. Master’s thesis, University of Art, Department of Urban and Regional Planning. https://www.virascience.com/thesis/534610/. [in Persian]
Malý, Jiří. 2016. Questioning territorial cohesion: (Un)equal access to services of general interest. Regional Science 2(4): 1-21. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/pirs.12250
Marcuse, Peter, James Connolly, Johannes Novy, Ingrid Olivo, Susannah Potter, and Justin Steil. 2012. Searching for the Just City: Debates in Urban Theory and Practice. Translated by Hadi Saeedi Rezvani and Mahbubeh Kashmiri. Tehran: Tehran Municipality Cultural and Artistic Organization, Nashr-e Shahr Institute. [in Persian]
Movahed, Ali, Samin Tolaei, Mousa Kamanroudi Kajouri, and Nader Tabaei. 2014. “Analysis of Spatial Inequalities in the Distribution of Services at the Neighborhood Level in District 6 of Tehran.” Territorial Planning Journal 6(1): 59-82. https://jtcp.ut.ac.ir/article_51501.html. [in Persian]
Soja, Edward W. 2009. The city and spatial justice. In spatial justic, edited by S. Didier, & F. Dufaux. Retrieved from http://www.jssj.org
Ziyari, Karamatollah, Hafez Mahdinejad, and Farhad Parhiz. 2009. Fundamentals and Techniques of Urban Planning. 1st ed. Chabahar: International University of Chabahar Press. [in Persian]