Abstract
Background and purpose: Public spaces serve as places where all members of the community can gather and benefit from various facilities and activities, playing a crucial role in enhancing the quality of urban life. However, the safety of these spaces, especially for women, has always been a primary concern. In architecture and urban design, paying attention to the distinctions between women and men and their different needs is very important. Women's share of leisure time is significantly less than that of men, and recreational and sports facilities for them are more limited. Unfortunately, statistics show that women are more likely than men to be victims of crime and harassment in public spaces. Research on the factors affecting women's safety and their willingness to use public spaces, especially urban parks, has identified a range of individual and environmental factors. The present study tried to investigate the impact of environmental factors women's safety and their willingness to use public spaces of urban parks.in the city of Behshar.
Methodology: This research is applied in terms of its objective and descriptive and survey-based in terms of its study type. The statistical population includes all women residing in the vicinity of Mellat Park in Behshahr. Mellat Park is close to important urban centers. The sample size was estimated to be 380 individuals using Cochran's formula with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error of 5%. Simple random sampling was employed, and data were collected through a questionnaire. A researcher-made questionnaire consisting of 49 questions was used in this study. To examine the construct validity of the questionnaire and confirm the factors considered, in the first step, experts' opinions were used and some modifications were made, and in the second step, factor analysis using the rotation of orthogonal axes (Vari-Max) was used to obtain pure factors. For this purpose, the KMO index and Bartlett's sphericity test were used. To perform analysis appropriate to the scales used, Pearson correlation coefficients, chi-square test, path analysis, and other appropriate tests were used, and the results were analyzed using SPSS 22 and Amos software.
Findings and discussion: The findings of the present study indicate that the most significant factor influencing women's willingness to use Mellat Park is the security present in the park. Security is a fundamental human need, and how it is addressed has a direct impact on the satisfaction of other needs. Therefore, security can be considered a fundamental right and a prerequisite for the continuity and enhancement of people's well-being and health. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, security is regarded as one of the essential and foundational needs for human development, similar to physiological needs that are necessary for sustaining life. Thus, improving this component directly affects the health and happiness of individuals and, consequently, society.
Conclusion: The findings of the study show that security is the most important concern for women in using the public space of Mellat Park. This can be due to various reasons, including personal experiences of insecurity in the park, observing inappropriate behavior, lack of adequate lighting, lack of security presence, and inappropriate design of the park. The second factor affecting women's willingness to use Mellat Park is freedom and comfort. This means feeling safe and comfortable when in the park, the absence of disturbance and harassment, the ability to perform various activities without judgment or restriction, and the presence of appropriate amenities such as restrooms, prayer rooms, etc. The presence of diverse and attractive facilities in the park can be a factor in increasing women's willingness to use it. These facilities can include green space suitable for walking and exercising, playgrounds for children, comfortable urban furniture, a suitable space for studying and working, sports facilities, etc.
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