“Haft Menbar Pathway” Path of Identity Segregated from the Historic Parts of the City

Birjand is a city in South of Khorasan Province in Iran. The city is located in the heart of arid zones, with a population of 170000 persons. The map of the city is the result of juxtaposition of two urban morphologies, the organic and the planned patterns. As a result, like many other cases, the organic part has been interrupted by the planned one and that pathway organization and the historic texture are suffering from disorders functionally and socially. In the planned part of the city, the arteries and their frontages are active parts of the city. In the organic part, the historic parts of the city are segre­gated and dispersed and the main skeleton, including the “Haft Menbar” pathway, which although in some parts is still visually active and has a crucial role in some special ceremonies like “Ashoora”, but functionally play a small role in everyday life of the city. In this paper, it has been attempted to measure the degree of users’ perception of their environment, using different techniques and by their mental maps. Four parameters have been considered to be measured in mental maps: “General Struc­ture”, “General Orientation”, “Accurately-placed Landmarks” and “Cell percentage”. The general structure of maps is designated according to Appleyard’s categorization which indicates the complex­ity of the maps with regard to the elements represented in the maps in general. The measurement of cell percentage is a technique used to measure the surface of the map represented by the users in mental maps. This method was suggested for the first time by Walsh & Krieger, which compares the surface of the map drawn by the users to the base surface of the study zone. The general orientation is another parameter for evaluation of mental maps regarding way-finding parameters. The accurately-placed landmarks is another parameter which demonstrates the location of landmarks in relation to each other in micro-scale and in a more detailed way. By computer analysis and using Space Syntax methods, the permeability, and in some extent, visibility of urban textures have been demonstrated, and the possibility of creating connectivity between historic parts and the “zones of identity” have been measured. According to Space Syntax theory, manipulating the geometry of the urban layout can affect the flow of pedestrian movement in some arteries. Another parameter in making the city more alive and accessible is reinforcing the whole-part relationship. Enhancing the whole-part relationship in the geometry of the layout would increase the permeability of the whole structure which would ameliorate the pedestrian movement in the main arteries. The location of the focal points and their inter-visibility would have some important impacts on the attraction of the users’ to the main arteries and main open spaces. Through analyzing the actual situation of the city, the guidelines for creating more active environment would emerge by proposing new functions concerning habitants’ needs. By enhancing the focal points of the historic urban axis and creating connectivity and, at the same time, promoting a stronger whole-part relationship in the urban structure, the city would enjoy more active and joyful life.