Evaluating the quality of urban space based on the place-making approach: emphasizing on the access quality in the Imam Ali square

In most Iranian cities, people regard an urban space as a way to pass through, and these spaces encourage them to flee instead of inviting them to pause and socialize. However, urban spaces are basically where social interaction takes shape, and attempts to improve their quality is one of the most important goals of urban design knowledge in the contemporary era. In the past, sidewalks and squares had a particular position in the central parts of cities. With the expansion of cities and the emergence of cars travelling around them, sidewalks and squares have suffered plenty of damage through the imposed vehicle access networks. Imam Ali Square in the city of Isfahan, Iran is a space that has lost its value and significance throughout history due to the changes in its spatial structure. These changes have resulted in the destruction or reconstruction of spaces that were once considered as parts of the area of the square. Proper access is one of the most important characteristics of a good public space, and it is a main purpose of the placemaking approach to enhance access to urban spaces to improve their quality. According to the principles of placemaking, it is a priority for an urban designer and planner to provide all social classes with access to urban centers and spaces in a variety of ways in order to increase their power of choice with respect to their needs and conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of access as a well-known capability of the placemaking approach. It measured the quality of access at Imam Ali Square through assessment and analysis of six indicators: physical access (connectivity), continuity, accessibility (depth), inclusiveness, easy access to public transportation, and spatial resolution. These indicators were analyzed through field research and descriptive-analytical tools such as SPSS, GIS, and space syntax. According to the findings, easy access to public transportation (scoring 9.6), continuity (scoring 7.02), inclusiveness (scoring 5.4), physical access (scoring 2.42), and resolution (scoring 1.93) exhibited the highest to lowest scores. The final score for the quality of access was 5.41 out of 10, based on the calculation of mean indicator values, which indicated a moderate quality of access to the square as it is close to the median and range of scoring (8-10 for very good, 6-8 for good, 4-6 for moderate, 2-4 for poor, and 1-2 for very poor). Finally, it was inferred that the main problem with the square in terms of quality of access was the lack of concern for resolution, connectivity, and accessibility. It could thus be concluded that the resolution and depth of spaces created following the demolition of old urban structures has dropped due to the decrease in the significance of the surrounding old spaces although they have turned out to be more powerful interconnectors than their surrounding areas. Despite the recent attention paid to Imam Ali Square, the quality of access in the area is still not optimal, and greater concern for the examined indicators is expected in order to turn the square into an urban place.