Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
PhD Candidate in Geography and Urban Planning, Shirvan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shirvan, Iran
2
Associate Professor in Geography and Urban Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
3
Assistant Professor in Geography and Urban Planning, Shirvan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Shirvan, Iran
Abstract
The development of cities, population growth and lifestyle changes have created many problems for urban management. In this regard, new models such as creative city theory have been proposed. The case study in this research, district one of Mashhad was selected. The main purpose was to investigate the status of the case study in terms of creative city indicators and the ranking of neighborhoods in this region. The method of research was descriptive-analytical. First, the indicators of the creative city were collected in the four dimensions of structural capital, social capital, human capital and cultural capital. Questionnaire method was used to collection of information. The information was organized in SPSS software. Frequency tables, average scores, and t-test, pairwise comparison and TOPSIS model were used to describe and analyses of data. The results showed that the significance level for the four main indicators less than 0.05. In the case study, the human capital index with an average score of 3.52 had a better condition than the other three indices. Structural, cultural and social capital indices were ranked second to fourth. TOPSIS model results, showed that among the 11 studied neighborhoods, there is a difference in terms of creative city indicators. The neighborhoods were ranked on five levels. On the first level (completely privileged) there were two neighborhoods, Beheshti and Rahnamaei. three neighborhoods (Irshad, Ahmedabad and Saadabad) were included in the category of deprived neighborhoods. The final result indicates that a creative city requires the development of a network of creative neighborhoods.
Keywords: Creative City, Urban Neighborhoods, Creative Neighborhood, Mashhad.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Issues such as the rapid expansion of urban areas, demographic surges, and evolving lifestyles have created several challenges for urban management. Currently, District 1 of the Mashhad metropolis faces a series of issues, including reliance on comprehensive and detailed master plans at the expense of endogenous capacities, unstable revenue sources, a peripheralization of the creative class and elite in urban decision-making, a deficit in pedagogical and artistic infrastructures, and a stagnation in research and development activities. As a result, this district was chosen as the study area of this research. This research tried to address two primary objectives: to see the status of District 1 regarding creative city benchmarks, and to determine the developmental hierarchy of its neighborhoods in terms of creative city indices.
The theoretical genealogy of the creative city dates back to Debord’s 1967 conceptualization of the society of the spectacle; however, the contemporary paradigm was crystallized by Richard Florida. The major drivers of a creative city are in the triad of economy, culture, and place, wherein reliable urban environments, bolstered by recreational and cultural liberties, are managed to attract and retain creative people. Florida states that the core components of urban creativity are talent, technology, and tolerance.
Method
This study used a descriptive-analytical method. At first, creative city indices were categorized into structural, social, human, and cultural capital dimensions. Data collection was facilitated through a questionnaire. The statistical population was households residing in District 1 of Mashhad. Using a simple random sampling technique ensured that each population member had an equal probability of selection. A sample size of 384 respondents was established. Participants evaluated their neighborhoods regarding the defined indices using a Likert scale. Following data collection, the data were entered into SPSS. Beyond descriptive statistics and inferential t-tests to characterize the study area, specialized quantitative geographic models were used. Moreover, a pairwise comparison method and the TOPSIS model were used to perform hierarchical ranking of neighborhoods. Spatial visualization and developmental leveling of the neighborhoods were performed using ArcGIS 10.8.
Results
The empirical results showed that the significance level for the four primary indices in District 1 was found to be less than 0.05. The Human Capital index, with a mean score of 3.52, ranked highest among the four indices. Structural, cultural, and social capital indices were ranked second through fourth, respectively. Consequently, the aggregate mean score for the creative city index in District 1 was 3.04. In the second phase of the study, urban neighborhoods were prioritized using the TOPSIS model. The final scores in this model ranged from 0.0 to 1.0. The findings showed that the Beheshti and Rahnemaei neighborhoods, with scores of 0.95 and 0.94, respectively, had the highest alignment with creative city indices. The Sajjad and Kolahdouz neighborhoods followed, with scores of 0.82 and 0.77, respectively. Conversely, the Ershad, Ahmadabad, and Sa’dabad neighborhoods recorded the lowest levels of privilege in the creative city indices.
Based on these outcomes, the eleven studied neighborhoods were categorized into five categories. In the fully privileged category were Beheshti and Rahnamaei. The privileged neighborhoods were Sajjad and Kolahdouz.
The semi-privileged or moderately privileged category included Felestin and Goharshad. The relatively deprived neighborhood category included Sanabad and Abkouh. And deprived neighborhoods were Ershad, Ahmadabad, and Sa’dabad.
Discussion and Conclusion
The concept of the creative city is a notable discourse in urban studies and planning, particularly in urban management. It emphasizes improving living environments and enhancing citizens' quality of life. Its fundamental philosophy is that inherent creative potential exists in every locale. So, conditions must be cultivated to empower individuals to think, plan, and exercise initiative to leverage emergent opportunities. Moreover, this approach enables people to manage seemingly unmanageable urban challenges. The realization of a creative city necessitates the development of a network of creative neighborhoods. Consequently, it is essential to identify the internal capacities and potentials of the neighborhoods in District 1 of Mashhad municipality and to formulate a neighborhood development document based on creative city indices.
Due to their inherent capacities, many cities in Iran could transition to the creative city category through strategic planning and optimized management. Here, the metropolis of Mashhad stands out, housing an expansive array of religious, touristic, recreational, and economic facilities that distinguish it from other Iranian metropolises. Adopting a creativity-based approach to the development of Mashhad will provide it with a robust framework to ensure a standard of relative welfare for its inhabitants.
Keywords
Subjects
