Spatial Assessment of Housing Quality in Sabzevar City, by Using Factor Analysis Method (FAM)

Housing as a key tool which acts as the foundation of urban planning and urban design, is a critical concern in planning. Dwelling is far beyond just housing units and it also includes surrounding area for flourishing the social behaviors. Increasing immigration from rural areas to the urban areas and forming slums and squatters, especially in developing countries, indicates the need for housing as well as planning. Therefore, responding to spatial assessment of housing quality is a necessity for urban planning and housing in a city. There is no acceptable conceptual framework for special assessment of housing quality in the literature and existing research. There is no unique methodology for defining the housing quality’s indicators and dimensions, too. For each study, Indicators are chosen based on the aim of research, the researcher subjective point of view, the study area, and the available data. However, this paper evaluates housing quality of Sabzevar city, one of the towns of Khorasan Province in Iran, according to available data by using Factor Analysis Method and compares the result with current urban fabric to see to what extent this method matches reality. In doing so, the quantitative and qualitative indices of housing are studied and 16 indices and criteria were selected. Five of them are quantitative and 11 ones are qualitative. First of all, index is extract from Quantitative and qualitative criterions by using SPSS software, and then they are assessed through factor analyzing. Outputs are raster maps for showing the spatial results. Status of each factor (that includes some variables) is defined and a GIS map is provided for each, after assessing the quality of housing by each factor in different part of the city, and overlaying them in GIS, housing quality of each parts of city is evaluated. At the same time urban fabric of this city is studied and the results indicated high correspondence between housing quality and urban fabric in Sabzevar. Regression indicates Correlation coefficients of 77% between the housing quality and variety of urban fabric in this city. Finally a Calibration of urban fabric type relevant to housing quality is provided. Housing quality in south ()old district)(, east and south-east squatter settlement)(and north-east rural-urban areas)(of Sabzevar are lower than other parts of the city. Therefore, for future planning and housing of Sabzevar, those areas should be focal points for more attention and might need special considerations. Development in those areas should be based on accessibility to local resources and shortages. Providing and implementing renewal plans and, revitalization and regeneration ones for squatters and rural-urban areas in order to enhance the quality of housing and life style in Sabzevar might be one possible solution which could be considered by urban planners and authorities. Providing urban facilities such as accessibility to educational, recreational, and sport centers, and also open and green spaces could be considered beside the other plans.