Abstract

Backrgound and Purpose: As the place where the majority of the population of any country lives, cities play a vital role in people's well-being and quality of life. Urban public spaces are the platform for social interactions, cultural activities and free time of citizens, and urban planners try to create suitable spaces for citizens by complying with national and international standards. However, access and use of these spaces is for all people but it has not been equally possible. Security as an important component in using public spaces such as urban parks is vital for part of the society, especially women. Experience and studies show that women feel less safe in public spaces compared to men due to various factors, including gender, age, marital status, and social class. This can lead to limited mobility, reduced social participation and marginalization of women from society. The purpose of this research is to investigate the effect of individual and environmental factors on the willingness of women to use public spaces in the city (case study: Mellat Shahr Behshahr Park).

Methodology: This research is based on descriptive-analytical approaches and applied in terms of purpose. The statistical population included all the women living in the vicinity of Mellat Shahr Behshahr Park. The sample size was 380 people and was selected by simple random. Data were collected through a researcher-made questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS and Amos software. In order to analyze the data, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used, on the other hand, in order to confirm or reject the research hypotheses, structural equations and other appropriate tests were used.

Findings and Discussion: The distribution of the frequency and percentage of subjects based on the security in the park, the findings obtained from the information in the tables and according to the ranking of the items related to the security component, the security variable in the park has the highest impact factor (0.636) on the willingness of women to use the park. Also, the results showed that "the presence of the police in the park increases the level of security and it causes the desire to use the park, and therefore security has a direct effect on the desire to be in the park. Other influencing factors include freedom and comfort, facilities available in the park, and the time residents stay in the park.

Conclusion: In explaining the findings of the present research, it can be said that security literally means "not having worries and apprehensions". Among various urban issues, security has a special place in peace and increasing the quality of life. Therefore, security can be considered a fundamental right and a prerequisite for the continuation and improvement of people's well-being and health. The improvement of this component has a direct impact on the health and happiness of humans and, as a result, society. According to the results of this research, the security of women in parks has been the main concer among the visitors. So, for better use of these places, it is necessary to locate and design these parks in the safest and most desirable part of urban spaces. In order to facilitate the physical activities of women, the development of the physical body of the parks should include places and sports facilities such as indoor sports halls, cycling routes and running and walking routes. It is suggested that the physical expansion of the parks should be considered more, because this type of space facilitates the possibility of doing walking and running activities, suitable commuting routes (sidewalks) can be effective in the presence of women in the park.