Analyzing the Effect of Urban Space Design on Happiness in the Global City of Yazd: A Quantitative Approach Based on Alain de Botton's Architectural Philosophy
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
Objective: The historical city of Yazd, as a global city with a unique architectural and cultural context, has significant potential in promoting the happiness of citizens and tourists. This research aimed to analyze the relationship between urban space design and happiness based on the architectural philosophy of Alain de Botton.
Methods: The research method was quantitative and descriptive-analytical, and data were collected in 2025 through a standard questionnaire. The samples were determined using the Cochran formula and the questionnaires were completed by 120 citizens and 100 tourists in the historical context. The reliability of the instrument was confirmed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.87, and the content validity was also evaluated by architecture and urban planning professors. The data were processed using SPSS software and descriptive and comparative statistical analyses.
Results: The results showed that the components of "history and cultural identity" play the greatest role in promoting the happiness of both groups, and the citizens' scores in this component were slightly higher than those of tourists. Other components such as “social interactions”, “aesthetics of space”, “green spaces” and “function and accessibility” had a lesser impact, although social interactions were more important for citizens than for tourists.
Conclusion: These findings indicate that preserving and exploiting Yazd’s historical and cultural values, especially in historical contexts and public spaces, is of fundamental importance for promoting citizens’ happiness and positive tourist experiences, and can be used as a guide for urban policy-making and the design of public spaces in similar historical cities.
Downloads
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Copyright owner / Copyright holder:
Authors retain unrestricted copyrights and publishing rights. The author has complete control over the work (e.g., retains the right to reuse, distribute, republish, etc.).
Copyright Notice:
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0), which allows others to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format;
Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material.
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms. Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
2. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgment of its initial publication in this journal.
3. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See: The Effect of Open Access).