Perception of densification and its impact on place attachment : a place-based approach to social sustainability at the neighbourhood level in Tehran

• Main Author: Dianati, Vafa Maleki
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: UCL (University College London) 2021

The relationship between urban density and social sustainability has been the focus point of a notable branch of studies in the last decade (Bramley et al., 2009; Arundel and Ronald, 2015; Kyttä et al., 2016; Eizenberg and Jabareen, 2017). The main line of argument in these studies is that social conditions of urban life are influenced - not determined - by the built form of cities. This thesis investigates the complex nexus between density and social sustainability by accentuating the significance of subjective understanding and experience of densification. The study is conducted in the context of the metropolitan city of Tehran, Iran. The theoretical framework of this research is based on three fundamental pillars: place (Malpas, 1999), perceived density (Rapoport, 1975; Alexander, 1993) and place attachment (Hidalgo and Hernandez, 2001). A single case-study design is employed by focusing on three residential neighbourhoods in Tehran as the units of analysis. The research design is structured based on a sequential mixed-method approach encompassing three stages: (1) site observation; (2) resident survey; and (3) semi-structured interviews. The findings of this thesis suggest that urban densification impacts residents' place attachment in Tehran by disrupting functionality of place, degrading its physical qualities, vanishing its collective and personal memory, and transforming its socio-demographic structure. In response to these changes, people modify their relationship with place which subsequently, has notable implications for place attachment. More importantly, this thesis argues that the inquiries addressing the interplay of urban form and social sustainability should divert their focus towards the market-driven ideology behind urban densification as an ongoing process. This shift of attention requires posing questions of how, specifically addressing the ways in which densification is being unfolded in the cities.