جهاددانشگاهی فصلنامه علمی پژوهشهای فضا و مکان در شهر 3060-6985 مقالات آماده انتشار 2026 02 10 Evaluating the Impact of Sustainability Approaches on the Principles of Community Formation: A Case Study of Sangtarashha Neighborhood, Isfahan ارزیابی تأثیر رویکردهای پایداری در تبیین اصول شکل‌گیری باهمستان (مطالعۀ موردی: محلة سنگ‌تراش‌های اصفهان) 734142 10.22034/jspr.2026.2075241.1191 FA آرزو زائرین گروه مهندسی معماری و شهرسازی، دانشکدة فنی و مهندسی، دانشگاه شهید اشرفی اصفهانی، اصفهان، ایران رامتین مرتهب گروه مهندسی معماری و شهرسازی، دانشکدة فنی و مهندسی، دانشگاه شهید اشرفی اصفهانی، اصفهان، ایران 0000-0002-6909-4741 نرگس سلطانی گروه معماری و شهرسازی، دانشکده فنی و مهندسی،دانشگاه شهید اشرفی اصفهانی، اصفهان، ایران. 0000-0002-2883-3341 Journal Article 2025 10 22 Neighborhood-level unsustainability is a pervasive challenge in contemporary cities. Contemporary neighborhoods frequently lack the social, spatial, and institutional conditions necessary to function as resilient communities; where such conditions persist, they are often weakened by inappropriate spatial transformations. Indigenous knowledge in Iran contains conceptual resources for understanding and addressing these processes, but these resources have been partially neglected and require reinterpretation to align with modern urban contexts. This study develops a conceptual framework to clarify sustainability concepts and to define normative criteria and measurable indicators for assessing neighborhood sustainability in Isfahan. First, the study identifies core sustainability dimensions across social, economic, and environmental domains. Next, it operationalizes these dimensions by specifying indicators and metrics designed to move assessment toward a continuous, adaptive process. Employing a qualitative methodology grounded in analytical field ethnography and an interpretive approach, data were collected through participatory observation, non-intrusive photographic and video documentation, unstructured interviews, and field notes; data analysis followed systematic content-analysis procedures. Findings indicate that the extracted indicators exhibit substantial desirability within the Sangtarashha neighborhood center. Based on these results, the study proposes targeted interventions to enhance the neighborhood’s long-term sustainability. The proposed framework aims to be transferable to similar urban contexts and to inform policy and community-led initiatives. Neighborhood instability constitutes a central and escalating problem in urban environments, yet scholarly and practical frameworks that integrate local knowledge with contemporary sustainability assessment tools remain limited—especially in the Iranian context. This research aims to fill that gap by developing a robust framework that synthesizes theoretical and empirical perspectives on sustainability and produces actionable norms and indicators for neighborhood-level assessment and intervention. Keywords: Neighborhood sustainability; community formation; indigenous knowledge; Sangtarashha; Isfahan Extended Abstract: Background and Aim: Neighborhood instability constitutes a central and escalating problem in urban environments, yet scholarly and practical frameworks that integrate local knowledge with contemporary sustainability assessment tools remain limited—especially in the Iranian context. This research aims to fill that gap by developing a robust framework that synthesizes theoretical and empirical perspectives on sustainability and produces actionable norms and indicators for neighborhood-level assessment and intervention. Conceptual Framework: The research adopts a tripartite conceptualization of sustainability—social, economic, and environmental—each operationalized through specific subdimensions. Social sustainability encompasses social cohesion, civic participation, place attachment, and cultural continuity. Economic sustainability includes local economic vitality, livelihood diversity, informal and formal economic opportunities, and resident economic resilience. Environmental sustainability covers the quality and accessibility of public space, ecological management, service provision, and adaptive infrastructural practices. The framework emphasizes iterative assessment: indicators are selected both for diagnostic clarity and for their capacity to inform ongoing, adaptive planning and community action. Methodology: A qualitative, analytical ethnographic approach was employed with an interpretive orientation. Primary data collection methods included: • Participatory observation to capture everyday social interactions and spatial practices; • Non-intrusive photographic and video documentation to record physical conditions and land-use patterns; • Unstructured interviews with residents, local leaders, and stakeholders to elicit emic perspectives; and • Detailed field notes for contextualization. • Collected data were subjected to thematic content analysis, employing systematic coding procedures to identify patterns, strengths, vulnerabilities, and potential leverage points for intervention. Findings: Analysis revealed that the indicators derived from the framework corresponded strongly with residents’ perceptions and observable conditions in Sangtarashha. In particular, socio-cultural assets—such as localized networks of reciprocity, place-based identities, and informal institutions—emerged as prominent strengths that could be leveraged to support broader sustainability objectives. Economic indicators highlighted both opportunities (small-scale commerce, adaptive livelihoods) and constraints (limited access to formal employment and capital). Environmental indicators showed mixed outcomes: while some public spaces exhibited strong use-value and social importance, infrastructural and ecological deficits limited their full sustainability potential. Conclusions and Recommendations: The study concludes that combining indigenous knowledge with a structured, indicator-based framework provides a viable approach for diagnosing neighborhood sustainability and designing context-sensitive interventions. Recommendations include: • Strengthening local institutions and community networks to harness social capital for collective action; • Supporting microenterprises and local economic diversification through targeted financial and capacity-building programs; • Implementing incremental, low-cost environmental interventions to improve public-space quality, water management, and service delivery; and • Establishing participatory monitoring mechanisms that use the proposed indicators to guide iterative planning. Implications and Future Research: This framework contributes a practical tool for urban practitioners and planners seeking to integrate cultural-contextual knowledge into sustainability assessment. Future research should operationalize the indicators quantitatively, validate the framework across diverse neighborhoods, and pilot intervention packages with longitudinal evaluation to measure impacts over time. ناپایداری در محلات یکی از مشکلاتی است که امروزه در شهرها رواج پیدا کرده است. با نگاهی به وضعیت و شرایط کنونی محله‌های امروزی می‌توان گفت فضایی که واقعاً بتوان آن را باهمستان نامید، در آن یافت نمی‌شود و اگر هم باشد، در اثر رشد نامناسب این فضاها کارکرد اجتماعی خود را از دست داده یا کمرنگ شده است. در واقع، چهارچوب‌‌هایی برای شناخت این ناپایداری در دانش بومی‌شدة ایران به چشم می‌خورد، اما به دست فراموشی سپرده شده و بر اساس نیازهای محلات و شهرهای مدرن به اصلاح امروزی نیاز دارد. به همین دلیل هدف پایة این پژوهش تدوین چهارچوبی برای روشن کردن مفاهیم پایداری در خصوص هنجارهای کلی و شاخص‌های سنجش وضعیت در سطح محله برای شهر اصفهان مشخص و راه‌حل‌هایی شده است. با این هدف، ابتدا مفهوم کلیدی پایداری در حیطة اجتماعی، اقتصادی و زیست‌محیطی شناسایی شده‌اند، سپس برای رسیدن از مرحلة سنجش به ادامة فرآیند، به تبیین شاخصه‌ها و سنجه‌های مربوطه پرداخته شده است. روش‌شناسی این پژوهش به‌صورت کیفی از طریق مردم‌نگاری تحلیلی‌ـ‌میدانی متکی بر مبنای تفسیری از طریق مشاهده (مشارکتی)، عکس‌برداری، فیلم‌برداری (غیرمداخله‌گر)، مصاحبه (غیرساختارمند) و یادداشت‌برداری و همچنین مبتنی بر تحلیل محتواست. نتایج به‌دست‌آمده بیانگر این بوده است که میزان مطلوبیت همة شاخص‌های استخراج‌شده در این مرکز محله دارای اهمیت بوده‌اند. در نهایت، راهکارهایی نیز در جهت پایداری آتی محله سنگ‌‌تراش‌ها ارائه شده است.