International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

International Journal of Urban Management and Energy Sustainability

Prioritizing Effective Criteria in University Design to Promote the Presence of Women: A Study in Urban Design

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Sahar Jalalian 1
Pooyan Shahabian 2
Azadeh Lak 3
Atoosa Modiri 2
1 Department of Urban Planning, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Department of Urban Planning, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Urban and Regional Planning and Design, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/ijumes.2024.2025934.1207
Abstract
Several of Iran's historic universities were established during a period when women either had limited access to or were not allowed to pursue higher education. Consequently, these institutions were originally designed with men in mind. According to recent data from the Ministry of Science, there has been a significant 56-fold increase in the number of women attending universities in the last five decades. Despite this, the physical layout of these universities has not been updated to accommodate the needs of women, who now make up half of the student population. The primary goal of this research is to identify effective criteria for university design and prioritize them to promote the comfort of these spaces for women. This research centers on the field of urban design. In this research, a combined method has been used. First, utilizing the qualitative method of "thematic analysis," the environmental inclinations of women in university spaces were explored. Then, using the quantitative method of "performance-importance analysis," the criteria extracted from the qualitative stage were prioritized. According to the results, certain criteria such as easy accessibility, integration with the surroundings, women’s right, on-campus access, environmental safety, health and hygiene, and comfort considerations of the university hold greater significance compared to other identified criteria in shaping women's positive experiences within university spaces. Designers and planners should prioritize incorporating these criteria to adapt spaces for women during renovations and constructions of existing universities or design new ones.
Keywords
Gender-oriented educational space
Iran
Performance-importance analysis
University design
Women
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  • Receive Date 01 January 2024
  • Revise Date 08 April 2024
  • Accept Date 20 May 2024