Currently, many children live in extreme poverty and high-risk neighbourhoods, who are among the most vulnerable group in society. However, they are the link between the past and future generations. Accordingly, planning for neighbourhood sustainability as the first public place for interactive experiences of children, inside the framework of a child-friendly city (CFC) approach, could provide an opportunity for all children to meet their desires. The paper aims to create sustainable neighbourhoods through the participation of children. This study is applied research that was conducted through the qualitative and quantitative methods based on secondary data, library-documentary and fieldwork. Moreover, participatory approaches such as painting, pictorial questionnaire and interviews with 141 children, aged 10–14 years on their favourite spaces, activities, and vehicles have been used by means of cluster random sampling method. The results indicated that home, playing with others, and cycling are most favoured by the children regarding the sustainability indicators in the neighbourhood.

This research explores the impact of urban design performance qualities on pedestrian behavior in a cultural heritage site designated by UNESCO. The study employs a multi-method approach, including a questionnaire survey, empirical observation of pedestrian activities, and empirical axial line and visibility graph analysis using the space syntax technique. The first part of the study involved a questionnaire formatted as a polling sheet to gather expert assessments of spatial performance measures. The second part used a pilot survey to capture the perspectives of end users regarding the study’s objectives and their perceptions of the site. Pedestrian flow was observed using a technique called “gate counts”, with observations recorded as video clips during specific morning and afternoon periods across three pedestrian zones. The study also examined the behavioral patterns of pedestrians, including their movement patterns. Finally, the ArcGIS 10.3.1 software was employed to evaluate the reliability of the results. The main finding of this research is that pedestrian behavior and walkability in the historical areas are significantly influenced by landmark integration, wayfinding behavior, and the socio-economic functions of heritage sites. This study highlights the importance of using cognitive and syntactic analysis, community engagement, and historical preservation to enhance walkability, accessibility, and social interaction in heritage contexts. In addition, it identifies the need for improvements in urban design to address inconsistencies between syntactic maps and actual pedestrian flow, emphasizing the role of imageability and the impact of environmental and aesthetic factors on pedestrian movement. This research provides valuable insights for urban designers and planners, environmental psychologists, architects, and policymakers by highlighting the key elements that make urban spaces walkable, aiming to enhance the quality of public spaces.

Green spaces are foundational to urban social sustainability and solidarity since they are accessible to all citizens without discrimination or restriction. Such spaces enable social interactions, and as places of convergence offer a sense of belonging, participation and social sustainability. Green spaces also can directly contribute to SDG 11 “Sustainable cities and communities". This research investigates the effects of urban green spaces on the promotion of social sustainability in a case study of Tehran, Iran. By adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study employs a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis in combination with an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) implemented in Expert Choice software and focus group discussions. Results revealed that in order to improve social sustainability, the risk of growing insecurity in green areas among citizens and the spreading of disease due to proximity to dangerous sites were the highest overall priority values. In contrast, the lowest overall priority values belonged to the factors of sports equipment for physical activities and intellectual games and lack of attention to trees and seasonal flowers in some obsolete green spaces.

Background: Cultural policy are highly context dependent and shaped by local communities and cultural values. Although existing studies focus on cultural policy in Western contexts, there is a need for more research on regions, countries, cities and communities within the Global South, such as Africa and the Middle East. Objectives: The article explores the co-production of cultural policy in Iran at different scales highlighting processes of inclusivity and community involvement at the stages of planning and implementation. Method: This research draws on qualitative data from multiple qualitative sources, informed by the positionality and experience of the first author who has lived, studied and worked in Iran for over 30 years. The experience involved four projects: (1) exploring culture-led regeneration in Rasht city, Iran; (2) reviewing a 10-step bottom-up community-led regeneration scheme; (3) surveys with 128 users of cultural places and creative activities in Rasht city, Iran and (4) 20 semi-structured interviews with key informants in public institutions. Results: The top-down policies and practices of the Iranian government undermine participatory processes, democratic values and cultural citizenship. Yet, there is also evidence that the cultural identities and practices of local communities remain visible and vibrant. Conclusion: The article demonstrates how policies in the post-revolutionary period limit Iran’s adoption of cultural models while suppressing forms of community participation and democratic values. Contribution: The article nuances our understanding of the gap between the universal model of cultural policy and what happens in practice. The understudied case of Iran, the article also highlights how cultural policy, in non-Western contexts, is shaped by a range of factors including cultural values and political imperatives.

Over the past two decades, culture-led urban regeneration has become increasingly prominent in Global Southern cities as a strategy linked to economic development and urban revitalisation (Fahmi et...