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Analyzing Urban Environmental Quality Components and Their Impact on Enhancing Citizens’ Mental Health (Case Study: Eram Boulevard, Hamedan)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Urbanism ,Faculty of Art and Architecture, Bu-Ali Sina University, Hamedan,Iran

2 Faculty member of Shahid Mofatteh National Skill College of Hamadan

10.30473/psp.2026.75785.2786

Abstract

Rapid urbanization and the decline in urban environmental quality, including the lack of green spaces and functional diversity, have significantly affected citizens’ mental health, making the investigation of this relationship increasingly important. This study aims to analyze the impact of urban environmental quality components on mental health, using Eram Boulevard in Hamedan as a case study. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach with an applied purpose. Data were collected using a localized questionnaire developed based on the WHOQOL-BREF instrument. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed through Cronbach’s alpha (0.921), while construct validity was verified using exploratory factor analysis (KMO = 0.798; Bartlett’s test: p < 0.001). The statistical population consisted of citizens using Eram Boulevard, and the sample size was determined to be 384 based on Cochran’s formula. Sampling was conducted using a cluster–systematic method across the eastern, central, and western sections during both daytime and nighttime periods. The findings reveal that seven components of urban environmental quality—accessibility, functional diversity, environmental quality, safety, nighttime vitality, presence (place usability), and urban landscape and visual quality—have a positive and significant relationship with dimensions of mental health, including vitality, environmental satisfaction, social interaction, sense of calmness, psychological security, sense of belonging, and motivation (p < 0.01). Spearman correlation analysis demonstrated strong relationships among several variables, including accessibility with vitality (ρ = 0.770) and presence (ρ = 0.746), as well as nighttime vitality with psychological security (ρ = 0.694). Robust regression analysis showed that functional diversity, accessibility, and environmental quality explain up to 83.6% of the variance in mental health. In addition, the Friedman test identified accessibility and environmental quality as the highest-priority components. These findings highlight the important role of socio-spatial urban factors in reducing stress and strengthening the sense of belonging, while also providing practical implications for human-centered urban planning. A major contribution of this study is the development of a comprehensive framework for assessing urban environmental quality and proposing a localized model for promoting mental health in medium-sized Iranian cities.

Keywords

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Physical Social Planning
Volume 12, Issue 3 - Serial Number 39
پاییز
December 2026
Pages 21-42
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