The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Examining the Impact of Thermal Comfort on the Desirability of Spatial Territorial Formation (Case Study: Saf (Sepahsalar) Pedestrian Street, Tehran)

https://doi.org/10.22034/bagh.2025.481861.5677
Volume 22, Issue 143
May 2025
Pages 53-72
The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Elham Shahabi 1
Yaser Shahbazi 2
Azita Balali Oskui 3

1 Ph. D. Candidate, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Architectural Technology, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

3 Full Professor, Department of Architecture, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

Abstract
Problem statement: Humans are inherently social and require personal space to maintain comfort, both individually and in groups. Territoriality is essential for structuring one’s environment and expressing identity. Defining territorial boundaries is a key step in placemaking and spatial identity. Understanding how territoriality forms involves examining theoretical indicators. Among these, thermal discomfort can cause a sense of congestion and influence how people define their space. This research investigates how thermal comfort impacts spatial territoriality, using public space as the study context due to its limited options for personalization.
Research objective: The purpose of this research is to validate the hypothesis that thermal comfort, a territoriality prerequisite in human environments, is a determining factor of spatial territorial formation desirability. It also explores the underlying values of indicators of territorial formation in the case study environment.
Research method: The present research is based on an inductive methodology and adopts a mixed-methods research design. The metrics regarding territorial formation and the underlying theory were established through qualitative data collection and an extensive literature review. The research incorporates thermal comfort simulations based on the Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI) for identifying thermal comfort zones within given territories. In response to the research question of how people prefer thermally uncomfortable spaces as attractive territories, a comparative analysis was conducted using both direct tracking and saturation sampling approaches. The findings show that users interact with thermally uncomfortable areas. The research goes further beyond these findings by trying to uncover the underlying meaning of indicators of territorial construction through a one-sample T-test, and it also examines gender differences using an independent-sample T-test.
Conclusion: As opposed to the initial study hypothesis, the study findings reveal that the preferred areas of the case study participants are not thermally comfortable. The T-test also shows gender differences in relation to the perceived importance of signs of territorial formation.

Keywords

Territoriality
Thermal Comfort
Public Space
Desirability Assessment
T-Test
Alexander, C. (2008). A pattern language: towns, Buidlings construction (R. Karbalaei Noori, Trans.). Road, Housing and Urban Development Research Center. (Original published work 1936) [in Persian]
Aliawder, H., & El Wakeel, H. (2022). Architecture and privacy in Islam: An analytical review. Islamic Heritage Architecture IV. WIT Transactions on The Built Environment, 211, 191-211. htpps://doi.org/ 10.2495/IHA220101
Altman, I. (2003). The environment and social behavior: privacy, personal speace, territory croeding‬‬ (A, Namazian, Trans.). Shahid Beheshti University. (Original published work 1930)
Altman, I., & Chemers, M. M. (1980). Culture and environment. Brooks/Cole Publishing Company.
Ardrey, R. (1966). The territorial imperative: A personal inquiry into the animal origins of property and nations. Robert Ardrey’s Nature of Man Series
Arens, E., Hoyt, T., Zhou, X., Huang, L., Zhang, H., & Schiavon, S. (2015). Modeling the comfort effects of short-wave solar radiation indoors. Building and Environment, 88, 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2014.09.014 .
Asadpour, H. (2022). Privacy, patterns, and factors in urban open spaces (Case study: Jannat Park in Shiraz City). Megaron, 17(2), 195–208.
Bahraini, H., & Tajbakhsh, G. (1999). The concept of territory in urban spaces and the role of indigenous urban design in its realization. Honar-Ha-Ye-Ziba: Journal of Fine Arts, 6, 17–31.
Bannerman, S., & Orasch, A. (2020). Privacy and smart cities: A Canadian survey. Institute of Urban Studies. University of Winnipeg, 29(1), 17–38.
Bemanian, M. R., Dehgan, N., Zare, Z., & Yeganeh, M. (2022). Investigating the Relationship between Legibility and the Rate of Territorial Behavior in Urban Parks. Hoviatshahr, 4(15), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.30495/hoviatshahr.2021.17426
Bueno, B., Hidalgo, J., Pigeon, G., Norford, L., & Masson, V. (2013). Calculation of air temperatures above the urban canopy layer from measurements at a rural operational weather station. Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology, 52(2), 472–483. https://doi.org/10.1175/JAMC-D-12-083.1 .
Chermayeff, S., & Alexander, C. (1988). The private and collective realms: Towards a human architecture (M. Mazini, Trans.). University of Tehran Press. (Original work published 1967)
Climate Consultant (Software). (2020). Retrieved from https://www.aud.ucla.edu.
Coccolo, S., Kampf, J., Scartezzini, J. L., & Pearlmutter, D. (2016). Outdoor human comfort and thermal stress: A comprehensive review on models and standards. Urban Climate, 18, 33–57. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2016.01.001.
Daneshpour, A., & Charkhchyan, M. (2007). Public Spaces and Factors Affecting Collective Life. BAGH-E NAZAR, 7(7), 19-28. https://www.bagh-sj.com/article_64.html?lang=en
Davy, B. (2020). Social distancing and cultural bias: On the spatiality of COVID-19. Journal of the American Planning Association, 87(2), 159–166.
Edney, J. J. (1979). Property, possession, and permanence: A field study in human territoriality. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 3(3), 275-282.
Eini Far, A., & Aghalatifi, A. (2011). Concept of Territory in Residential Complexes: A Comparative Study of two High-rise and Low-rise Complexes in Tehran. Jornal of Fine Arts: Architecture and Urban Planning, 3(47), htpps://doi.org/17-28. 20.1001.1.22286020.1390.3.47.2.8
EnergyPlus (Software). (2020). Retrieved from https://energyplus.net.
Esmaeili, A., shahcheraghi, A., & Habib, F. (2019). Analysis of the impact of the flexible internal architecture on the students’ personal space at schools. Journal of Educational Innovations, 18(2), 147-161. htpps://doi.org/10.22034/jei.2019.92898
Hall, E. T. (2011). The Hidden Dimension (M. Tabibiyan, Trans.).Tehran University Press. (Original published work 1966) [in Persian]
Hourly Climate Data of Mehrabad Airport Weather Station (Computer Data). (2023). Retrieved from the National Meteorological Organization. https://www.irimo.ir.
Jendritzky, G., Havenith, G., Weihs, P., Batchvarova, E., & DeDear, R. (2007). The universal thermal climate index UTCI goal and state of COST action 730. Environmental ergonomics XII. Biomed, Ljubljana, 509-512.
Ladybug Tools (Software). (2020). Retrieved from. https://www.ladybug.tools.
Lai, D., Lian, Z., Liu, W., Guo, C., Liu, K., & Chen, Q. (2020). A comprehensive review of thermal comfort studies in urban open spaces. Science of the Total Environment, 742, 140092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140092
Lang, J. T. (2002). Creating architectural theory: the role of the behavioral sciences in environmental design (A. Ayni Far, Trans.). Tehran University Press. (Original published work 1938) [in Persian]
Lin, Q., Wang, Y., Glade, T., Zhang, J., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Assessing the spatiotemporal impact of climate change on event rainfall characteristics influencing landslide occurrences based on multiple GCM projections in China. Climatic Change, 162, 761-779.
Lyman, J., & Scott, M. B. (1967). Territoriality: A neglected sociological dimension. Social Problems, 15(2), 239-242. https://doi.org/10.2307/799516
Macedo, P., Ornstein, S., & Elali, G. (2022). Privacy and housing: Research perspectives based on a systematic literature review. Journal of Housing and The Built Environment, 37, 653-683. DOI:10.1007/s10901-022-09939-z
Mansourfar, K. (2005). Statistical methods. University of Tehran Press.
Mohammadniai Qaraei, F., Rafiian, M,. Naghizadeh, M. (2017). Privacy regulation and perception of crowding in urban environment: comparative analysis between women in Iranian’s sub-cultures. Motaleate Shahri, 6(23), 29- 38. https://urbstudies.uok.ac.ir/article_50551.html?lang=en
Mohammadpour, A,. & Rezaei, M. (2008). The Meaning Reconstruction of Modernization’ Consequences in Ouraman, A Region of Iranian Kurdistan, (based on the Grounded Theory Study). Iranian Journal of Sociology, 9(1,2), 3-33. htpps://doi.org/ 20.1001.1.17351901.1387.9.1.1.6
Mortezaei, S. (2001). Environmental psychology and its applications. Shahid Beheshti University, Printing.
Nakhjavani, N., Forouzandeh, A., & Motalebi, M. (2021). Developing a semantic model of privacy in architecture based on the logical reasoning method. International Journal of Architecture and Urban Development, 13(2), 69–82.
Norberg Shulz, C. (2010). ‭Genius loci: towards a phenomenology of architecture (M. R. Shirazi, Trans.). Rakhdad No. (Original work published 1926-2000) [in Persian]
OpenFOAM (Software). (2020). Retrieved from https://www.openfoam.com.
Ouali, K., Harrouni, K., Abidi, M., & Diab, Y. (2019). Analysis of open urban design as a tool for pedestrian thermal comfort enhancement in Moroccan climate. Journal of Building Engineering, 28, 100-110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jobe.2019.101042
Pakzad, J. (2007). Theoretical foundations and the process of urban design. Shahid Beheshti University Press.
Ranjbar, E,. & Rais Esmaili. (2010). Quality Assessment of Pedestrian Streets in Iran Case Study: Saf(Sepahsalar) Tehran. Jornal of Fine Arts: Architecture and Urban Planning, 2(42), 83-93. 20.1001.1.22286020.1389.2.42.8.7
Rapoport, A. (1977). Human aspects of urban form. Pergamon Press.
Sadahiro, Y. (Ed.). (2008). Spatial data infrastructure for urban regeneration. (Vol. 5). Springer Science & Business Media.
Schwartz, B. (1968). The social psychology of privacy. American Journal of Sociology, 541-542.
Shahbazi, Y., Balali Oskui, A., & Shahabi, E. (2017). Evaluation of desirable public territory (A case study for attendants in Tabi’at bridge). Motaleate Shahri, 6(24), 67-80. https://doi.org/10.22034/urbs.2017.55756
Shahbazi, Y., Bilali Oskuei, A., & Shahabi, E. (2017). Measuring the concept of desirable territory in urban public spaces: A case study of Tehran’s Tabiat Bridge. Urban Studies, 6(24), 67-80. https://doi.org/10.22034/urbs.2017.55756
Shahcheraghi, A., & Bandar Abadi, A. (2023). Encircled in the environment. Jihad University Press.
Shariati Far, S., & Shakouri, R. (2020). The Study of Mechanisms of Securing Privacy in Urban Open Spaces and Explaining the Relationship between Provided Privacy and Improving the Qualitative Levels of User’s Presence Case study: Naghshe Jahan Square. Journal of Archtecture and Urban Planing, 12(27), 27- 42. https://doi.org/ 10.30480/aup.2020.797
Sommer, R. (2008). Personal Space: The Behavioral Basis of Design. Bosko Books.
Tehran Municipality Spatial Data (Computer Data). (2023). Retrieved from the Tehran Municipality ICT Organization: http://tmicto.tehran.ir.
Webb, J. D., & Weber, M. J. (2003). Influence of sensory abilities on interpersonal distance of the elderly. Environment and Behavior, 35(5), 695–711. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916503251473
Winkel, G. H., & Sasanoff, R. (1966). An observational study of behavior in a museum setting. Unpublished manuscript, Department of Architecture University of California, Berkeley.
 

Home

Submit Manuscript

Contact Us