Determining Factors to Improve Urban Environment with the Biophilic Urbanism Approach: A Case Study of Torghabeh City

Abstract

Located in Khorasan Razavi province, Torghabeh city is a year-round tourist attraction in the north–east of Iran because of its natural and environmental beauty and semi-rural ecosystems. The aim of this article is to describe the challenges Torghabeh faces regarding rapid urbanisation with an environmental and biophilic approach. This article uses the qualitative–quantitative research method, and the results are analyzed in SPSS software and with the linear regression method to identify the most important factors. Based on the results, the most influential components in improving the urban environment of the city are as follows: the extent and severity of soil contamination; amount and severity of acoustic pollution; conservation, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity of the city; low-impact development; innovative and new urban green spaces and considerations and provision of water resources.

Keywords

Biophilic urbanism urban environment urban planning Torghabeh city

Introduction

By 2050, the population of the world is expected to rise to a staggering 9.7 billion, and due to urbanisation, more and more people are flocking into cities (United Nations [UN], 2015). An estimated 66% of the population of the world will be living in urban areas and cities by 2050, compared to only 54% in the year 2014, based on the findings of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (Wilkinson et al., 2017). Rapid urbanisation and the continuous expansion of cities have affected the natural environment so adversely that more than 50% of the people in the world can no longer benefit from nature as before (Shwartz et al., 2014). Around 2% of the world is inhabited, with 50% of its population living in cities, which means the need for more construction and better infrastructure will lead to more catastrophic problems for people living in urban areas in the next 50 years (Yalcinalp et al., 2017). Urban expansion has put most of the world’s population’s health as well as general well-being at risk. Moreover, natural resources are subject to depletion more than ever (Säumel et al., 2012). Dense urban areas and high-rise buildings that house a larger number of people in one area create problems for the environment, and as a result, the residents have no choice but to adapt to the impact of UHI,¹ EHE² and the changes in climate. Therefore, EHE-related statistics in recent years in terms of each city’s mortality increase rate are as follows: Chicago 31%, Paris 130%, Moscow 60% and Melbourne 62% (Norton et al., 2015).

In order to improve the health condition of people living in urbanized areas, an improvement in the greenery existing in cities is needed. This will lead to a number of advantages in the long run, such as better climate, purified water, less carbon dioxide and more improved ecosystem (Pinho et al., 2016). Through the biophilic urbanism method, we will be able to develop UGIs³ as much as possible and reduce the effect of urbanized areas. This creates more room for incorporating landscape and nature into our buildings, both inside and out (Beatley, 2012; Kellert et al., 2011). Biophilia literally means ‘love for our living systems’. It is a term popularized by Edward O. Wilson in his book Biophilia (1984) describes it as ‘an innate affinity that human beings have with nature’ (Newman, 2014). The concept of biophilia was popularized by Harvard myrmecologist and sociobiologist E. O. Wilson (Beatley & Newman, 2013). Tim Beatley has applied the idea to cities and tried to find what he calls a ‘daily dose of nature’ (Beatley, 2012). The biophilic city, therefore, brings landscaping both into and onto buildings, walls, roads and every element of the built environment (Beatley, 2012; Kellert et al., 2011). Biophilic design suggests that a good design of a building, site, city and regional scale must include nature and natural elements.

The biophilic approach brings us a variety of benefits, from increasing biodiversity and greenery to decreasing energy consumption and water overflow in cities (Newman, 2014). The existence of environmentally built neighbourhoods could well result in better physical and mental health. Evidence seems to suggest that such communities benefit from the advantages of a more natural environment in a way no other community could (Beatley & Newman, 2013). Different urban scales benefit differently from landscaping. Therefore, the use of green areas in these places with regard to biological procedures needs an approach that can be applied at different levels (Ottelé, 2015).

More than 64% of Iran is situated in an arid and hyperarid climate zone. A large number of cities suffer from poor vegetation, direct sunlight and heat. As a result, the need for nature-integrated design in buildings is felt more than ever, and designers are obliged to abide by that. These designs would also help with nature conservation and sustainability (Vaezizadeh et al., 2016). Torghabeh city is situated on the west side of Mashhad and is undergoing major changes in terms of urbanisation, with the natural environment being destroyed, causing a number of ecological problems. The impact of urbanisation can be even more detrimental to the very rural nature of this town if proper research is not carried out, without which the ecosystem would suffer irreversible destruction. The present study using the biophilic urbanism approach identifies the most determining factors for improvement of the Torghabeh urban environment. The main question this study attempts to answer: What influences the quality of the Torghabeh environment the most using the biophilic approach? According to the hypothesis of this research, seemingly, the elements of biophilic urbanism such as infrastructure considerations, government decisions and biophilic status could prove to be usefully applicable to the improvement of the Torghabeh environment. However, lack of this method is evident at this particular moment in this small town.

Literature Review

Rapid urbanisation has caused serious problems in cities so far and, in turn, will gradually jeopardize the lives of citizens and disturb the natural ecosystem of these cities. One related phenomenon is the urban heat island (UHI), which is characterized by significantly higher air temperatures in densely built environments as compared to rural temperatures. This is caused by rapid urbanisation, where more impervious surfaces such as asphalt, concrete and glass are found than grass or green areas (Sheweka & Magdy, 2011). To solve these problems, researchers and urban planners have long been working on different theories and paradigms. It is proven that the use of green infrastructure and vegetation in urban areas can be a healing factor. All natural and semi-natural green areas found within a city are part of the so-called urban green infrastructure (Pinho et al., 2016) and are used for many reasons, including aesthetic value, food production or hydric regulation. Humans have long integrated plants into their buildings, particularly on rooftops (Madre et al., 2014). A holistic strategy to mitigate the adverse effect of rapid urbanisation can be adopted through environmental urban designing, which appears in different contexts such as eco-cities, green urbanism and lately, biophilic urbanism.

Cities include buildings, blocks, streets, neighbourhoods, districts and regions. A summarized version of the biophilic elements involved in urban designing and planning can be seen in Table 1 below:

Table 1.

Indicators of a Biophilic City.

Indicators of a Biophilic City
Biophilic conditions and infrastructure	Population percentage-wise; 100 m radius of greenery.
	Presence of intricate ecological urbanism.
	Presence of city lands in untouched nature.
	Presence of forests in particular cities.
	Presence of green urbanism.
	Presence of walking areas.
	Presence of gardens in the community (absolute and per capita).
Biophilic activities	Population percentage-wise; open-air activities, outdoor nightlife in nature.
	Population percentage-wise; nature conservation, voluntary work.
	The time spent outside (depending on the climate).
	The amount of gardening activity (inside and outside buildings).
	Schools’ outdoor plays and break-time activities.
Biophilic attitudes and knowledge	Population percentage-wise; recognition of species like flora and fauna.
Biophilic attitudes and knowledge	Residents’ interest in nature and wilderness.
Biophilic institutions and governance	Implementation of biodiversity scheme in the area.
	Presence of biophilic communities like museums and gardens in the area.
	Existence of proper education in the field of environment.
	Budget injection in areas like nature preservation, recreational facilities.
	Existence of green construction, environmental support organizations and grant support.
	Existence of biophilic organizations running environmental schemes.

Source: Adopted from Beatley (2012).

Biophilic urbanism, however, lacks sufficient studies in Iran and on a larger scale, in the world. Although it is yet to be considered by urban planners and designers, its efficiency has been proven in different studies in some countries around the world. Tan (2019), in from biophilic architecture to biophilic cities, examines the bay area of Singapore as a successful example of a biophilic design. He emphasizes the interconnection between ecological habitats through green and water-based infrastructure and communities. In another study, Ottelé (2015), in an article titled ‘A Green Building Envelope: A Crucial Contribution to Biophilic Cities’, examined the effects of a biophilic approach in slowing down the process of climate change in cities. He concluded that the use of green spaces in buildings improves air quality, increases biodiversity and reduces pollution as well as the effects of urban heat islands. Peter Newman (2014), in an article titled ‘Biophilic Urbanism: A Case Study on Singapore’, tries to identify the features of the new biophilic design paradigm in Singapore and seeks answers to the question of whether or not urban density precludes access to nature in the city. He concludes that Singapore is a good example of a biophilic city where green spaces and buildings are well developed and have an urban ecosystem similar to the original structures common in Singapore but with even better biodiversity achievements. Reeve et al. (2013), in an article argues that the rules of biophilic urbanism and related design could improve the living experience of residents. He argues that through these principles, climate change can be sustained. Newman, Beatley and Kellert have long worked on the issue. Their findings, published in different books and articles, support the idea. Newman et al. (2017), in a book titled Resilient Cities: Overcoming Fossil Fuel Dependence, aim to identify the characteristics of resilient cities around the world and conclude that cities need a resilient future that can lead to the reconstruction of the planet as a greater human challenge. Beatley’s (2017) Handbook of Biophilic City Planning and Design also examines case studies of biophilic cities and concludes that approaches aimed at sustainable and resilient cities should be abandoned and the urban biophilic approach should be considered as a comprehensive and complete approach by urban designers and planners. Kellert and Calabrese (2015), in Biophilic Design Elements, examine case studies on a building scale and study successful biophilic examples in cities by surveying, observing and developing the criteria and principles of building and biophilic designs. They also consider three levels of biophilic design, including all their layers and sub-layers: (a) direct contact with nature, (b) indirect contact with nature and (c) the experience space and place can provide.

In Iran, the issue is relatively new and therefore rarely examined. Environmental studies in the field of urban planning have yet to be fully studied, and most of the work done so far has relied on green urbanism. Ghaffari, in an article entitled ‘Biophilic Goals and Benefits in Environmental Design’ (2017), aimed at achieving the goals of biophilic urban design and emphasising its importance and concluded that enhancing people’s welfare and quality of life would be possible if they lived in direct contact with nature. Osanloo (2016), in an article entitled ‘A View on the Theory of a Biophilic City and the Need to Implement it in Iran’, introduces and presents achievements of the theory of a biophilic city. It is concluded that the current situation of Iranian cities is not suitable for the characteristics of this theory. Lotfi et al. (2015), in a study entitled ‘The Process of Physical Development of the City and Its Effects on the Quality of Urban Environment:—Case Study Babolsar City’, demonstrate the effects of urban development on the quality of the environment in Babolsar. The results show that there is a significant relationship between physical development and the quality of three types of welfare: social, commercial and recreational, with services in districts three, two and four of this city having better conditions compared to other districts. Razzaqian (2017), in an article entitled ‘An Analysis of the Principles of Green Architecture Through the LEED Index in High-rise Buildings in Mashhad’, examines and finds that in almost none of these high-rise buildings have green architecture and its design principles been considered. The only cases with that consideration from the LEED index have been buildings built to provide comfort, welfare and make each square metre of the building more expensive and not for ecological reasons. This shows the lack of study in this area and a failure to convince local authorities and stockholders to have green architecture in mind when a building is made.

Due to rapid growth of cities and urban sprawl all around the world, governments and local authorities have developed green strategies to decrease the adverse effects of urbanisation on the environment. Biophilic design is a new and growing trend worldwide, with notable examples being Bosco Verticale in Milan, Italy and Masdar city in UAE. However, based on what has been mentioned above, Iran is yet to implement green strategies, and this field is considered to be relatively new and therefore not of great importance among urban managers and planners. Torghabeh, which is a young autonomous city, is no exception in this regard, and unfortunately, its rare and pure rural ecosystem is experiencing a rapid transition towards a densely populated area with no resemblance to its glorious past history.

Study Area

Torghabeh city is located in the north–east of Iran at the heart of Khorasan–Razavi province, as it can be seen in Figure 1, at 19.36 N latitude and 23.59 E longitude. It is 1,284 m above sea level and consists of two main parts: Torghabeh and Shandiz (Arianjad, 2009; Arfa’i et al., 2014). In the country divisions, Torqabeh used to be a village adjacent to Mashhad city, but based on the latest changes in the borders of political divisions in 2006, this city, along with Shandiz, were separated from the city of Mashhad and together are known as the city of Torqabeh–Shandiz. Therefore, most of the recorded data is the same as in Mashhad city.

Figure 1.

Source: Torghabeh City Development Plan (2016).

More than 50% of the city is covered by several types of vegetation. However, due to urban sprawl, it is in danger of unchecked human intervention (Farnahad, 2016). The natural features of the region include three rivers: Jaghargh, Dehbar and Maynaat that flow into Golestan Dam and into Dehbar and Arghavan Plain. These, Moghan Cave and Chalidereh Dam are among the other natural attractions of this city. In terms of urban green infrastructure, according to observations, there is no sign of green walls, green roofs, eco-parks or botanical gardens, community gardens, urban agriculture in the city, and no urban planning and facilities have been provided to encourage citizens and builders in that regard. Parks are mostly located alongside main roads. No construction permits were issued to combat the horizontal expansion of the city on the northern front of Imam Khomeini’s Road, and these areas have been preserved as ecologicalfriendly urban reserve lands (Figure 2).

Figure 2.

Source: The authors.

Jaghargh River has also faced serious problems in terms of quality loss due to the wastewater disposal of nearby restaurants and the fact that some aquatic plants and animals are either endangered species or have already perished. According to a number of surveys, nearly half of the households’ and commercial wastewater in the city is discharged into wells. However, in southern lands where the slope is steep, wastewater discharges directly into the river. Air and acoustic pollution in the city are not such a severe problem. However, due to Mashhad’s poor air quality, the city experiences pollution of this sort several days a month.

Methodology

The research presented in this article intends to define the most important factors to improve the urban environment of Torghabeh and minimize the adverse effects of urbanisation through the biophilic urbanism approach. The research method is qualitative and quantitative and the data collection method includes observation; questionnaires (two sets based on the Likert scale measuring a respondent’s opinion on a given subject with a 5-point agreement scale [very high, high, moderate, low and very low]); unstructured interviews with local authorities, city officials and managers to gather detailed information on the topic; desktop research and literature review (through reports and studies done by research institutes, scientific papers, directories, handbooks and yearbooks to collect information and better evaluate the environment of Torghabeh city and biophilic approach) as well as official data gathered by organizations such as the municipality of Torghabeh and Mashhad, those responsible for urban parks and green spaces of Torghabeh and Mashhad, departments of transportation and traffic of Toqrabeh and the city department of environmental and natural resource protection of Khorasan–Razavi province. Data was collected to gain a deeper knowledge of the study area section, design the questionnaire, gain understanding and form conclusions. Based on this, questionnaires were prepared, and SPSS software and the regression method were used to analyze all the data.

Based on the national public census in 2016, the population of this city was 20,998 people. Later, the population of Hesar city of 1,700 people was added to the number. Therefore, the total population based on information given by local authorities is 22,698 residents and 17 million annual tourists. As the population of this research includes citizens and also visitors, the total number is 17,022,698 people, and the sample size of 384 is calculated based on the following Cochran formula:

\begin{matrix} n_{0} = \frac{Z^{2} p q}{e^{2}} C o c h r a n f o r m u l a \\ d = 0.05, c o n f i d e n c e r a t e i s 95 % a n d z = 1.96, w h e r e p = q = 0.5 \end{matrix}

Therefore, two series of questionnaires (totalling almost 400) were distributed based on the simple random sampling method: 30 for managers, 118 for visitors and the rest for residents, who have better knowledge about the city than visitors. However, due to lack of participation, only 370 questionnaires (340 by resident citizens and visitors and 30 by managers) were filled out.

As the data in this study had a normal distribution (tested by Skewness and Kurtosis in SPSS software), linear regression analysis by SPSS software was performed to identify the most important factors. This process was performed once pertaining to data collected from managers and once for that obtained from other residents. Based on the study, all the variables were determined. Dependent and independent variables in both groups are defined as follows (Table 2):

Table 2.

Variables of the Study.

Type of Variable	Managers’ Questionnaire	Citizens’ Questionnaire
Dependent variables	Urban expansion and environment.	Biophilic and urban environment.
Independent variables	Quality considerations and fresh water supplies. Environmental considerations in waste disposal. The extent and severity of water pollution. The extent and severity of soil contamination. The extent and severity of acoustic pollution. Preserving, restoring and enhancing the biodiversity of the city. Green building design principles. Innovative and new urban green space. Elevation standards and proper orientation of buildings to receive natural light. Strengthening green management plans and policies for urban lands. Low-impact development approach in city planning.	Existence of green walls or green roofs. Easy access to parks or green spaces. Surge in the time spent in open spaces. Opportunities for urban agriculture and plant cultivation. Public green spaces for cultivation and direct contact with plants. Working in groups and organizations in the field of nature and the urban environment. Use of natural and indigenous materials in exterior or interior façades. Opportunities for environmental education and connection with nature. Surge in leisure opportunities in nature. Quality of new housing in the city. Surge in the inhabitants’ ability to recognize and differentiate plant and animal species. Surge in the inhabitants’ curiosity about the natural world around. Attractiveness of vegetation in urban spaces.

Source: Adapted from Beatley (2012); Kellert and Calabrese (2015); Tabibian and Faryadi (2000).

Results

Dependent and predictable factors in this study were determined and tested in SPSS software with linear regression. Nearly 370 participants filled out the questionnaires and were divided into two groups (residents, experts and managers). The data collected by the questionnaires and specified by gender and education is presented here.

Among the residents, more women participated in the study than men with 66.1 and 33.9%, respectively. However, among the experts and managers, the numbers demonstrate the opposite: only 30% of women participated in the study. These numbers vary greatly when educational status is taken into account. As for the residents, 53.1% were high school graduates and below, 33.9% with a bachelor’s degree, 11.9% with a master’s degree and only 1.1% with a PhD degree participated in the study. These numbers for experts and managers totalled 43.3% and 56.7% for those with a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, respectively. As a result, most participants among the residents were high school graduates or below, and those among the experts and managers in the field of urban management and planning were master’s degree holders. No PhD holder participated in the study.

Having analyzed the data collected from the questionnaires in linear regression, all data by Skewness and Kurtosis in SPSS was tested and identified as having a normal distribution because at the error level of 0.05, if the values are between + 1.96 and −1.96, then it can be said that the distribution of the data of the variable is normal (Field, 2013). In addition to that and to confirm normality, the Kolmogorov–Smirnova Test was performed, and, in this test, all data was considered normal. However, many authors believe that regardless of the distribution of the statistical population, a sample of at least 30 is needed to claim that the distribution of statistics is normal (Azar & Momeni, 2001; Field, 2013). The tables below (Tables 3–9) were collected by the researchers to determine the biophilic status of Torghabeh city.

Based on the table above, significance (Sig) is lower than 0.05, which means there is a linear regression among predictors and these factors can predict dependent variables. Therefore, all predictable factors can predict the dependent variable, which here is defined as the biophilic and urban environment.

Table 3.

Regression Among Respondents (citizen questionnaires).

ANOVAa
Model	Sum of Squares	Df	Mean Square	F	Sig
Regression	606.064	13	46.620	199.558	0.000
Residual	76.159	326	0.234
Total	682.224	339

Source: The authors.

Table 4.

Regression Among Respondents (citizen questionnaires).

Model Summary
Model	R	R Square	Adjusted R Square	Std. Error of the Estimate
1	0.943	0.888	0.884	0.48334

Source: The authors.

Table 5.

β Coefficient Among Respondents (citizen questionnaires).

Coefficients
Model	Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig
Model	β	Std. Error	Beta	t	Sig
(Constant)	−0.730	0.240		−3.047	0.002
Existence of green walls or green roofs.	0.008	0.054	0.005	0.146	0.884
Easy access to parks or green spaces.	0.070	0.055	0.054	1.284	0.200
Surge in the time spent in open spaces.	−0.085	0.062	−0.054	−1.375	0.170
Opportunities for urban agriculture and plant cultivation.	0.706	0.054	0.687	12.999	0.000
Public green spaces for cultivation and direct contact with plants.	0.098	0.059	0.093	1.659	0.098
Working in groups and organizations active in the fields of nature and the urban environment.	0.087	0.037	0.091	2.345	0.020
Use of natural and indigenous materials in exterior or interior façades.	0.061	0.037	0.063	1.660	0.098
Opportunities for environmental education and connection with nature.	0.177	0.041	0.169	4.310	0.000
Surge in leisure opportunities in nature.	−0.013	0.059	−0.013	−0.227	0.820
Quality of new housing in the city.	0.058	0.043	0.038	1.359	0.175
Surge in the inhabitants’ ability to recognize and differentiate plant and animal species.	−0.129	0.046	−0.128	−2.779	0.006
Surge in the inhabitants’ curiosity about the natural world around them.	0.207	0.042	0.210	4.935	0.000
Attractiveness of vegetation in urban spaces.	−0.056	0.054	−0.054	−1.026	0.305

Source: The authors.

Note: Dependent variable: Biophilic and urban environment.

Table 6.

Questionnaire Regression Result (manager questionnaires).

ANOVA
Model	Sum of Squares	Df	Mean Square	F	Sig
Regression	38.800	11	3.527	439971741072828.400	0.000
Residual	0.000	18	0.000
Total	38.800	29

Source: The authors.

Table 7.

Questionnaire Regression Result (manager questionnaires).

Model Summary
R	R Square	Adjusted R Square	Std. Error of the Estimate
1.000	1.000	1.000	0.000

Source: The authors.

Note: Predictors: (constant): quality considerations and fresh water supplies.

Dependent variable: urban expansion and environment.

Table 8.

Unstandardized Coefficients and Standardized Coefficients (manager questionnaires).

Coefficients
Model	Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig
Model	β	Std. Error	Beta	t	Sig
(Constant)	5.796	0.000		24499227.527	0.000
Quality considerations and fresh water supplies.	−1.927	0.000	−1.264	−31265489.768	0.000
Environmental considerations in waste disposal.	−0.535	0.000	−0.507	−15096306.384	0.000
The extent and severity of water pollution.	−0.070	0.000	−0.067	−999218.087	0.000
The extent and severity of soil contamination.	−2.927	0.000	−2.068	−37018902.292	0.000
The extent and severity of acoustic pollution.	2.296	0.000	2.019	38998621.776	0.000
Preserving, restoring and enhancing the biodiversity of the city.	1.668	0.000	1.868	28257773.622	0.000
Green building design principles.	−0.566	0.000	−0.629	−10477446.050	0.000
Innovative and new urban green space.	2.032	0.000	1.540	29895742.433	0.000
Elevation standards and proper orientation of buildings to receive natural light.	0.700	0.000	0.567	19274688.352	0.000
Strengthening green management plans and policies for urban lands.	−0.186	0.000	−0.176	−2901849.805	0.000
Low-impact development approach in city planning.	−1.650	0.000	−1.575	−26662164.701	0.000

Source: The authors.

Note: Dependent variable: urban expansion and environment.

Table 9.

t-test Results of Residents’ and Managers’ Questionnaires.

t-test results of residents’ questionnaire	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean	95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
	340	60.8735	14.13270	0.76645	Lower	Upper
	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)	Mean Difference	Lower	Upper
	1.140	339	0.255	0.87353	−0.6341	2.3811
t-test results of managers’ questionnaire	N	Mean	Std. Deviation	Std. Error Mean	95% Confidence Interval of the Difference
	30	85.0667	12.97991	2.36980	Lower	Lower
	t	df	Sig. (2-tailed)	Mean Difference	Lower	Lower
	34.630	29	0.000	82.06667	77.2199	77.2199

Source: The authors.

Table 4 shows that the adjusted R Square is equal to 0.888, which means 88.8% of the variance of the dependent variable is predicted by the independent variables.

The table above shows unstandardized and standardized coefficients (beta). Based on the table, an amount of Sig lower than 0.05 means there is a linear regression among predictors, and these factors can predict dependent variables. Therefore, some predictors such as surge in the inhabitants’ curiosity about the natural world around them, opportunities for environmental education and connection with nature and opportunities for urban agriculture and plant cultivation can predict dependent variables and are defined as biophilic and urban environments.

Based on this table, Sig is lower than 0.05, which means there is a linear regression among predictors and these factors can predict dependent variables. Therefore, all predictors can predict dependent variables defined as biophilic and urban environments.

The table above shows the adjusted R Square is equal to 1, which means 100% of the variance of the dependent variable is predictable by the independent variables.

This table shows unstandardized and standardized coefficients (Beta). Based on it, the amount of Sig lower than 0.05 means there is a linear regression among predictors, and these factors can predict dependent variables. All predictors can predict dependent variables, defined as urban expansion and environment. Therefore, the extent and severity of soil contamination; amount and severity of acoustic pollution, conservation, restoration and enhancement of biodiversity in the city; the low-impact development approach in landscaping; innovative and new urban green spaces and quality considerations and the provision of freshwater resources are the most influential components in improving the urban environment of the city.

Apart from this, the Pearson correlation test was performed to analyze the correlation in this study for both questionnaires. Based on this, in the citizens’ questionnaire, the highest significance is between the two variables of surge in leisure opportunities in nature and attractiveness of vegetation in urban spaces as well as public green spaces for cultivation and direct contact with plants and between the two factors of opportunity for agriculture and plant cultivation and the opportunity for direct or indirect contact with plants and animals, there is a relationship with a significant ratio of above 80%.

In the managers’ questionnaires, the highest significance with a coefficient of over 90% is between the variables of the amount and severity of noise pollution and the amount and intensity of air pollution and between the variables of programmes and policies to combat deforestation and desertification and increase in shading and vegetation and increase in per capita green spaces. The low-impact development approach is the most significant in landscaping, with a coefficient of above 80%.

In this section, based on the results of the questionnaires by statistical analysis software (SPSS), the factors affecting the improvement of environmental conditions in Torghabeh city are analyzed. The mean comparison t-test has been carried out. Accordingly, the t-test of the residents’ questionnaire is as below:

According to the table above, since the level of significance is less than 0.05 (sig = 0.000), the test is significant. This means that there is a significant difference between the mean level and the predicted mean level. The standard deviation of the residents’ questionnaire of 0.87353 and managers’ questionnaire of 82.06667 indicate the variability or dispersion of responses. Since the mean difference in both questionnaires is positive, therefore, it can be concluded that respondents tend to agree with the lack of biophilic conditions and infrastructure in Torghabeh. In other words, it can be concluded that the respondents at the highest level believe that the main principles of biophilic urbanisation could be effective in improving the environmental conditions of the city.

Discussion

Accordingly, it can be concluded that the main principles of biophilic urbanisation are effective in improving the environmental conditions of Torghabeh city. A small percentage of the factors mentioned above exist currently in the city. The results of the questionnaires and analysis indicate that the following factors are relevant and important: the attractiveness of vegetation, green walls and green roofs, housing quality, participation in environmental groups, urban agriculture and plant cultivation, natural and indigenous materials, educational opportunities, time spent outdoors, surge in residents’ curiosity, easy access to green spaces, surge in the inhabitants’ ability to recognize and differentiate plant and animal species, leisure opportunities, low-impact development, extent and severity of water pollution, green building design principles, innovative urban green spaces, elevation standards and proper orientation of buildings, water resources quality, waste disposal, noise pollution, soil pollution, greening policies and urban ecological network, conservation, restoration, and finally, biodiversity.

According to the findings of Beatley (2012), using biophilic urban parameters in urban planning can increase the environmental potential to the advantage of cities. Newman et al. (2017) also concluded that the biophilic approach can overcome fossil fuel dependence and create a resilient city. Urban resilience is one of the achievements of biophilic urbanism and has an impact on reducing the adverse impacts of urbanisation. Kellert and Calabrese (2015) offer three levels in their book The Practice of Biophilic Design, which include direct and indirect connection to nature and experience of space and place. According to the findings of this project, these three levels are among the most effective factors in improving the environmental conditions in Torghabeh city. Ghaffari (2017) considers the increase in the well-being and quality of life of human beings by being present in nature and believes that this should be taken into account in urban design, which is also compatible with the results of the present study. Zanganeh et al. (2015) consider the lack of economically justified plans for people and officials and the lack of established regulations in this regard as obstacles to the development of green roofs and green infrastructure. In the present study, based on several surveys and interviews, experts generally believe that due to the magnitude of the problems existing in the city, the current urban management has no plans to increase green features like green walls and green roofs, which is all the more reason why the results of the present study should be taken note of. Ghaffari (2017) also emphasized the necessity of biophilic urban design, concluding that the welfare and quality of life of residents would be enhanced through the increased presence of nature and that it is important to consider this in urban design. Razzaqian (2017) examined the high-rise buildings in Mashhad and concluded that in almost none of them were green architecture and its design principles considered, and the same has been widely observed in Torghabeh in a way, where almost no building has used green technology or design. Osanloo (2016) concluded that the current situation of Iranian cities does not conform to biophilic design, and in the case of Torghabeh, the situation used to be better but the city is now suffering environmental problems. Lotfi et al. (2015), in a case study in Babolsar, where they studied the effects of urban development on the quality of the environment, found that there was a significant relationship between physical development and the quality of welfare—social, commercial and recreational services. In the present study, people tend to believe that in the past, welfare and quality of life were way better than it is at present.

Conclusion

Considering the existing conditions of Torghabeh and the factors effective in improving its environment, it is clear that the city lacks a proper and holistic approach when it comes to planning, with the current processes merely focused on economic profit with natural dimensions mainly ignored. There is no GIS map of the city, and wetlands that are submerged cannot be tracked. The last comprehensive study of the city was done nearly 15 years ago, and no documented data is available on the loss of natural habitats, total area of land use compared to the past, effects of urbanisation on vegetation and water resources quality. The following recommendations are therefore made with the hope that urban planning will be applied in the not-too-distant future so that we can diminish the adverse effects of rapid urbanisation.

The development of theme parks and ecological parks could increase biodiversity and educational and recreational opportunities in nature. They could also increase the residents’ knowledge of natural species. It is recommended that these parks should be built in the vicinity of the Villashahr area to Imam Khomeini Boulevard due to the lack of green spaces in these areas with a pre-feasibility study. Furthermore, constructing community gardens and encouraging citizens to participate in conserving green spaces could help enhance the spirit of public participation and the health of citizens in urban areas. Using new urban landscaping techniques would suggest native plants should be used in order to create low-maintenance landscapes and urban ecological networks in the city’s boulevards and green spaces. Moreover, the implementation of strict management regulations on water quality control would prevent the pollution of water in the existing rivers in the area, especially in the Jaghargh River. Another way could be to regulate the standards for the elevation and orientation of all buildings and paths based on the radiation pattern to minimize frost duration in winter and also to minimize the use of salty sand to defrost. If inland development and smart city patterns are combined, we could prevent city expansion and reduce future city spatial dispersion. Constructing nature-schools in collaboration with local NGOs and municipality would definitely help educate citizens both in terms of environment and culture. Last but not least, by constructing eco-lodges and activating eco-tourism, the city would be able to attract tourists and improve its economic status in the long run.

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

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