The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health
Along with environmental pollution, urban planning has been connected to public health. The research indicates that the quality of built environments plays an important role in reducing mental disorders and overall health. The structure and shape of the city are considered as one of the factors infl...
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doaj-f6e863cdf39644288fd80cd7c9b16dc32020-11-25T02:39:51ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1661-78271660-46012020-03-01172359235910.3390/ijerph17072359The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public HealthSadegh Fathi0Hassan Sajadzadeh1Faezeh Mohammadi Sheshkal2Farshid Aram3Gergo Pinter4Imre Felde5Amir Mosavi6Department of Urban Design, Bu-Ali Sina University, 94171-71946 Hamadan, IranDepartment of Urban Design, Bu-Ali Sina University, 94171-71946 Hamadan, IranDepartment of Urban Design, Bu-Ali Sina University, 94171-71946 Hamadan, IranEscuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid-UPM, 28040 Madrid, SpainJohn von Neumann Faculty of Informatics, Obuda University, 1034 Budapest, HungaryJohn von Neumann Faculty of Informatics, Obuda University, 1034 Budapest, HungaryThuringian Institute of Sustainability and Climate Protection, 07743 Jena, GermanyAlong with environmental pollution, urban planning has been connected to public health. The research indicates that the quality of built environments plays an important role in reducing mental disorders and overall health. The structure and shape of the city are considered as one of the factors influencing happiness and health in urban communities and the type of the daily activities of citizens. The aim of this study was to promote physical activity in the main structure of the city via urban design in a way that the main form and morphology of the city can encourage citizens to move around and have physical activity within the city. Functional, physical, cultural-social, and perceptual-visual features are regarded as the most important and effective criteria in increasing physical activities in urban spaces, based on literature review. The environmental quality of urban spaces and their role in the physical activities of citizens in urban spaces were assessed by using the questionnaire tool and analytical network process (ANP) of structural equation modeling. Further, the space syntax method was utilized to evaluate the role of the spatial integration of urban spaces on improving physical activities. Based on the results, consideration of functional diversity, spatial flexibility and integration, security, and the aesthetic and visual quality of urban spaces plays an important role in improving the physical health of citizens in urban spaces. Further, more physical activities, including motivation for walking and the sense of public health and happiness, were observed in the streets having higher linkage and space syntax indexes with their surrounding texture.https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2359urban morphologyphysical activitieshealthpublic healthpublic spaceurban health |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Sadegh Fathi Hassan Sajadzadeh Faezeh Mohammadi Sheshkal Farshid Aram Gergo Pinter Imre Felde Amir Mosavi |
spellingShingle |
Sadegh Fathi Hassan Sajadzadeh Faezeh Mohammadi Sheshkal Farshid Aram Gergo Pinter Imre Felde Amir Mosavi The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health urban morphology physical activities health public health public space urban health |
author_facet |
Sadegh Fathi Hassan Sajadzadeh Faezeh Mohammadi Sheshkal Farshid Aram Gergo Pinter Imre Felde Amir Mosavi |
author_sort |
Sadegh Fathi |
title |
The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health |
title_short |
The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health |
title_full |
The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health |
title_fullStr |
The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health |
title_full_unstemmed |
The Role of Urban Morphology Design on Enhancing Physical Activity and Public Health |
title_sort |
role of urban morphology design on enhancing physical activity and public health |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1661-7827 1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2020-03-01 |
description |
Along with environmental pollution, urban planning has been connected to public health. The research indicates that the quality of built environments plays an important role in reducing mental disorders and overall health. The structure and shape of the city are considered as one of the factors influencing happiness and health in urban communities and the type of the daily activities of citizens. The aim of this study was to promote physical activity in the main structure of the city via urban design in a way that the main form and morphology of the city can encourage citizens to move around and have physical activity within the city. Functional, physical, cultural-social, and perceptual-visual features are regarded as the most important and effective criteria in increasing physical activities in urban spaces, based on literature review. The environmental quality of urban spaces and their role in the physical activities of citizens in urban spaces were assessed by using the questionnaire tool and analytical network process (ANP) of structural equation modeling. Further, the space syntax method was utilized to evaluate the role of the spatial integration of urban spaces on improving physical activities. Based on the results, consideration of functional diversity, spatial flexibility and integration, security, and the aesthetic and visual quality of urban spaces plays an important role in improving the physical health of citizens in urban spaces. Further, more physical activities, including motivation for walking and the sense of public health and happiness, were observed in the streets having higher linkage and space syntax indexes with their surrounding texture. |
topic |
urban morphology physical activities health public health public space urban health |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/7/2359 |
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