"Comparative Evaluation of Urban Happiness Indicators in Planned vs. Unplanned Neighborhoods: A Case Study of Minoodar and Obeid Zakaan in Qazvin, Iran"

Document Type : Original Research

Authors
sahar khalaj 1
Maliheh Babakhani 1
Zeinab adeli 2
Fariba Maleki 3
1 Imam Khomeini International University
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
3 Iran University of Science and Technology
Abstract
Recent advancements in urban policy formulation and human-centric design methodologies have positioned "urban happiness" as a pivotal element of urban life quality. The current research endeavor sought to ascertain and undertake a comparative examination of the extent of realization of happy city constituents across two distinct urban environments within Qazvin city. This study is classified as applied in nature and employs a descriptive-analytical methodology grounded in a quantitative framework. Data were amassed utilizing a researcher-developed questionnaire consisting of 51 items derived from the theoretical corpus on the happy city, structured on a five-point Likert scale, from a sample of 766 residents residing in two neighborhoods: Minoodar (a modern, planned urban area) and Obeyd Zakani (an unplanned neighborhood). The analysis of data was executed using One-Sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U, and Friedman tests facilitated by SPSS software. The findings revealed that, in aggregate, the Obeyd Zakani neighborhood exhibits a more advantageous status compared to the Minoodar neighborhood, especially in parameters such as vitality and quality of life, social interactions, economic conditions, transportation and accessibility, health, and land-use diversity. For example, the vitality and quality of life index in the Obeyd Zakani neighborhood, with a mean rank of 560.06, was markedly superior to that of Minoodar (205.48). Conversely, the Minoodar neighborhood demonstrated relatively improved performance solely in certain indicators, such as safety and climatic comfort. The Mann-Whitney U test and the One-Sample t-test corroborated these distinctions independently. These variations underscore the significant impact of spatial and physical configurations on the realization of happy city indicators; specifically, modern urban fabrics, despite possessing adequate infrastructure, encounter difficulties in enhancing social quality of life, whereas older urban fabrics have achieved greater success in various social and human dimensions.

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The Journal of Spatial Planning and Geomatics
Volume 29, Issue 2
Spring 2025
Pages 108-136