The role of social and built capitals in formation of sense of communication with in sustainable neighborhood (Narmak neighborhood, Iran)

Abstract

Sense of communication is one of the most important social specifications of sustainable neighborhood that have fallen due to new development and the influence of Western architecture (Zarabadi and Khazae, 2009). This sense has a long history especially in Islamic countries like Iran which is the presenter of several Homogeneous neighborhoods that were shaped based on residence social communications which preserved the Characteristics of cultural, religious, and ethnic values of the area. Despite high level of consideration to social communications in designing Old Iranian cities, most of new planned urban areas are inappropriate in term of social values such as social interactions, interrelationship, communications and etc. and even worth, survival of old and historical neighborhood in Iran is recently under threat by loss of sense of communication among local residents. This study aims to identify and determine the elements which result in creation of communication sense in order to create and maintain a socially sustainable neighborhood. Hence, the main outcome of this study is obtained through comparison between social and built capitals of neighborhoods which are considered as the most effective elements in creation of sense of communication. Doing this research, a quantitative approach has adopted in which two measurements strategies are conducted including: (i) interview with local people, (ii) survey questionnaire. Narmak Neighborhood in Tehran City - Iran is chosen since sense of social communication between neighbors had been noticeably presented in old times in this area; however, unfortunately, this valuable sense is declined and faded out significantly through recent developments