Abstract
The current literature on public space reveals the significant role of public space in enhancing social sustainability. Nevertheless, in empirical research and practice a more comprehensive methodological framework is required, which takes into account the complexities of local understandings of public space and social sustainability. The aim of this paper is to discuss how urban heritage research can contribute to solving questions regarding conflicts in interpreting social sustainability in relation to the local culture. The findings are mainly a result of a qualitative research based on literature review. For applying the results on the example of Tabriz Bazaar, a combination of literature review and spatial ethnographic research techniques are used. The paper presents a culture-based method for mapping historic public places, designed with the bases of incorporating the four factors of use, physical accessibility, ownership and local culture of territory-defining. This method is modified specifically for and applied on the case of Tabriz Bazaar. The paper suggests that the urban governance system needs to be flexible regarding the publicity–privacy spectrum of the place indicating the current power relations of different actors in it. It offers a tool to understand the current levels of responsibilities, rights and vulnerabilities of public and private actors in different zones of the studied place. Through providing a place-based and a culture-based model of the historic public place, the method can facilitate the negotiation and management process, and accordingly, contribute to the enhancement of social sustainability of the place.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsNotes
- 1.
A literature review of methodological approaches to assessing and implementing social sustainability in historic public spaces was published in the latest issue of the Heritage Studies series. Therefore, the discussion about physical public space and its relationship with social sustainability will not be repeated here.
- 2.
Polish anthropologist (1884–1942)
- 3.
Available from http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2011/entries/culture-cogsci/> [Accessed: 9.3. 2015]
- 4.
It was approved by the Fourth Forum of Local Authorities for Social Inclusion in Barcelona.
- 5.
Available at http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1346 [Accessed: 3.12.2015]
- 6.
These findings were obtained by regular quantitative and qualitative ethnographic studies in Tabriz Bazaar between March 2013 and September 2015 (Yadollahi, unpublished PhD dissertation).
- 7.
The study conducted to assess the connectedness of Tabriz Bazaar to the surrounding city on an urban scale reveals the limited diversity of social classes using Tabriz Bazaar as a public place (Yadollahi, unpublished PhD dissertation).
References
Bandarin, F., & Oers, R. (2012). The historic urban landscape. England: Wiley-Blackwell.
Canter, D. V. (1977). The psychology of place. London: The Architectural Press.
Gehl, J., & Svarre, B. (2013). How to study public life. Washington DC, Covelo, London: Island Press.
Habraken, N. J. (1998). In J. Teicher (Ed.), The structure of the ordinary. Cambridge: MIT Press.
Labadi, S., & Logan, W. (Eds.). (2016). Urban heritage, development and sustainability: International frameworks, national and local governance (pp. 1–20). London: Routledge.
Madanipour, A. (2003). Public and private spaces of the city. London: Routledge.
Prinz, J. (2013). Culture and cognitive science. Plato.stanford.edu . http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2013/entries/culture-cogsci/. Accessed: 15.11.2015.
Southeast Europe Transitional Cooperation Program. (2012). Concept Study on the Role of Cultural Heritage as the Fourth Pillar of Sustainable Development. http://www.southeast-europe.net/document.cmt?id=614 . Accessed 25 Oct 2015.
United Cities and Local Governments, Committee on Culture. (2004). Agenda 21 for Culture, An undertaking by cities and local governments for cultural development. www.barcelona2004.org/.../t_portoalegreeng.pdf . Accessed 21 Dec 2015.
Vallance, S., Perkins, H. C., & Dixon, J. E. (2011). What is social sustainability? A clarification of concepts. Geoforum, 42(3), 342–348.
WCED. (1987). Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. Our Common Future. UN Documents Gathering a body of global agreements. http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm . Accessed 4 July 2015.
Whyte, W. (1980). The social life of small urban spaces. Washington, D.C.: Conservation Foundation.
Yadollahi, S. (2015). A reflection on methodological approaches of assessing and implementing social sustainability in historical public spaces. In M. Albert (Ed.), Perceptions of sustainable development of sustainability in heritage studies (pp. 159–172). Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Yadollahi, S., Weidner, S. (2017). Facilitating the Process Towards Social Sustainability: A Culture-Based Method for Mapping Historic Public Places, Applied to the Example of Tabriz Bazaar, Iran. In: Albert, MT., Bandarin, F., Pereira Roders, A. (eds) Going Beyond. Heritage Studies. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57165-2_23
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-57165-2_23
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-57164-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-57165-2
eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)