Optimization of Urban-Scale Sustainable Energy Strategies to Improve Citizens’ Health

Mohammad Anvar Adibhesami, Hirou Karimi, Ayyoob Sharifi, Borhan Sepehri, Hassan Bazazzadeh and Umberto Berardi
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Mohammad Anvar Adibhesami: School of Architecture and Environmental Design, Iran University of Science and Technology, Narmak, Tehran 13114-16846, Iran
Hirou Karimi: Department of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Via Mersin 10 Turkey, Famagusta 99628, North Cyprus
Ayyoob Sharifi: Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Hiroshima University, Higashi-Hiroshima 739-8529, Japan
Borhan Sepehri: Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14115-111, Iran
Hassan Bazazzadeh: Faculty of Architecture, Poznan University of Technology, 61-131 Poznan, Poland
Umberto Berardi: Department of Architectural Science, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada

Energies, 2022, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-17

Abstract: Sustainable energy strategies have been a critical subject for sustainable development, especially in cities. Citizens, as an integral part of the urban environment, play a significant role in urban spaces, as does their health. An accurate understanding of citizens’ mental, social, and physical health in urban settings is required to design and plan better cities. This study aims to assess the level of alignment with health factors in Mahabad, a major medium-sized city in Iran. Previous studies indicate that the built environment can influence health dimensions. Health factors depend to a great extent on how well the environment is formed and how it is put together. This research is a descriptive, analytical, cross-sectional study that analyzes the environment’s psychological elements and physical and mental health factors of Mahabad’s citizens. According to the Cochran model, 384 questionnaires were distributed among households. For data analysis, SPSS 12 and Arc GIS software were used. The main results of this research show that five factors, “Environmental quality”, “Identity and social relationships”, and “Readability”, have the most impact on the physical and mental health of citizens (respondents). These issues are much more pronounced in the downtown neighborhoods. This study showed that urban experts can understand different levels of public health by knowing the historical, social, cultural, and economic factors and characteristics. The result will help decision makers, city authorities, designers, and urban planners to be more informed about citizens’ health and the ways to improve it.

Keywords: sustainable energy strategies; healthy urban design; public health; sustainable development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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