Preferences for Presence in Urban Public Spaces and Their Relationship with the Built Environment: The Case Study on Apadana Residential Complex of Tehran

Introduction: Urban public spaces, as fundamental platforms for urban life, play a determining role in social formations, strengthening social capital, promoting health and collective cohesion. Previous research shows that physical and built environment characteristics, including accessibility, diversity of use, design quality, safety, legibility, environmental comfort and spatial structure, directly affect patterns of presence, behavior and quality of experience in these spaces. Studies also simultaneously examine socio-demographic, perceptual and cultural factors alongside the components presented and show that designable and people-centered design can lead to increased quality, social environments and social sustainability. However, gaps such as the literature neglecting demographic differences in the analysis of user perceptions and the lack of attention to sensitive groups, especially women, are found in the research. Since women are one of the influential and at the same time vulnerable groups in public spaces, this research aims to investigate the impact of built environment features on the presence and quality of women's experience in urban public spaces in order to provide more equitable urban design and policymaking that meets their needs.
Materials and Methods: The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature and has been conducted with a sequential explanatory mix. In the first stage, quantitative data were collected through surveys and questionnaires to assess the relationship between physical-functional indicators including accessibility and permeability, land use and activity, environmental and visual components, facilities and services, and security with the level of use (in terms of hours of presence). Considering the data’s existence ranks, Kendall and Spearman correlation tests are used to analyze the intensity and direction. In the second stage, in order to explain the quantitative results, semi-structured interviews were conducted with residents of Apadana town purposefully and until theoretical saturation was achieved. Qualitative data were obtained using open code and analytical pivot to conceptual categories and relationships on the quality of presence, women’s experience. Finally, quantitative and qualitative findings are presented in the form of an analytical picture to provide a comprehensive picture of the factors affecting the use of public spaces.
Results and Discussion: The results of this study show that among the five indicators, the highest dissatisfaction is related to the quality of public transportation and the highest satisfaction is related to the quality of sidewalks, seating, and lighting. Diversity and dynamism of uses, access to public transportation, time flexibility, physical quality of space, effective lighting, and spatial legibility have the most positive impact on increasing attendance hours, while regulatory challenges and some restrictions have shown a negative relationship. Qualitative analysis also emphasizes the importance of sustainable access, diversity of activities, environmental comfort, and strengthening perceived security in promoting citizen attendance by extracting ten core categories.
Conclusion: The results of the study show that the level of presence in public spaces in Apadana Township depends more on the quality of the built environment and the perception of users than on individual characteristics. Sustainable access to public transportation, diversity and dynamism of uses, quality of sidewalks, lighting and spatial legibility have the greatest impact on increasing presence time, while aesthetics without effective functionality do not play a decisive role. Security is also strengthened when it is accompanied by a sense of freedom and social interaction. Focusing on women's experiences and combining quantitative and qualitative methods provides a practical framework for promoting active presence in public spaces.