بهنوش صالحيان

In various studies and research conducted in the field of urban planning and design, public space refers to a space that is openly accessible to the general public without monetary cost, regardless of social class and status. However, since cities and urban spaces have historically been designed by and based on men's criteria, women's needs have been neglected. Facilitating women's presence in urban spaces requires creating a suitable context for their comfort and well-being. But due to limitations on women's participation stemming from sociocultural norms, their household responsibilities, differences in environmental perception, and the perception that urban spaces belong to men, women's presence and role in cities has been marginalized. Meanwhile, studies show that cities and urban spaces have greater impacts on women's lives compared to men, and women have close connections with their surrounding urban environments. Therefore, creating spaces aligned with women's needs and expectations in urban planning and design can be an important issue that requires further research. The city of Shahrekord, as the capital of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, lacks proper urban spaces for women's presence, and addressing this issue is necessary in its planning and design processes. But given existing limitations, and despite the importance of this topic in Shahrekord and other fields, this study has examined Enghelab Square as an urban space requiring improvements for women's presence, from the perspective of urban design. With changes in land use and creation of spatial diversity, this square can potentially become an inclusive space that also accommodates women's presence. The aim of this research is to study the factors and indicators influencing women's presence in cities, and provide and implement suitable solutions to increase women's access and presence in the case study. With an applied purpose, this descriptive-analytical study examines women's presence in urban spaces. To this end, the theoretical foundations review concepts of urban space and its desirability, factors influencing women's presence and their constraints, gender-based approaches, square and its design principles, and finally, extracts indicators and components affecting women's presence. Next, by examining global experiences, it explores how previous studies have addressed this topic and issue. Relevant data will then be collected through observation, interviews and questionnaires in the case study area, and analyzed using SPSS software. The site will subsequently be eva‎luated and analyzed regarding different dimensions involved in urban design, using assessment techniques. Finally, Enghelab Square in Shahrekord will be redesigned with an emphasis on enhancing women's presence, using the strategic planning process. The findings highlight the relative security of the square as important for women's presence at different times of day. Good access to public transportation is also a strength facilitating women's presence in the square. However, the lack of diverse female-oriented land uses, amenities for women and children, dilapidated building facades, etc. discourage presence of various groups, especially women. Overall, despite potentials and strengths, deficiencies in accommodating women's presence exist due to lack of proper planning and designs. Therefore, the final chapter presents a redesign of the square using techniques such as introducing diverse functions and iconic structures, creating inclusive activities, enhancing sensory experiences, prioritizing pedestrian over vehicular circulation through appropriate flooring and strengthening walkways, and enabling participation in planning and design processes.

فضاي عمومي , جنسيت وفضاي عمومي , حضور‍ پذيري , ميدان , ميدان انقلاب شهركرد

public space , Gender and public space , Attendance , Square , Shahrekord Enghelab Square

Behnoosh salehian

Dr. Mehran Alalhesabi