Explaining the indicators affecting spatial justice in organizing urban services based on the Scoping review method

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Architectural Engineering and Urbanism, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.

2 Department of Architecture and Urbanism, Faculty of Architectural engineering and Urbanism, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, Iran.

Abstract
Introduction
Spatial justice has a great impact on the realization of social and economic justice. The appropriate distribution of different spaces and uses in the city, by providing services of equal quality and quantity in different areas, leads to the formation of spatial justice. Urban services and resources are considered to be the most important urban elements for meeting the needs and increasing the quality of life of citizens. With population growth and the expansion of urbanization, developing countries faced an unbalanced distribution of the population. This instability caused citizens to be deprived of urban services and the class gap to increase. Spatial justice, as a main approach in analyzing the distribution of urban services, shows the intersection point of space and social justice and emphasizes the fair distribution of valuable resources and opportunities. The change in population structure and distribution, the development of modern cities, and the increase in the elderly population have made it impossible to meet needs through traditional methods. Optimal use of urban spaces, appropriate distribution of services, and the creation of spatial justice are among the key factors in urban planning; for this reason, creating appropriate conditions for equitable access to urban services will result in better location of urban uses. Sustainable urban planning seeks to provide conditions that enable fair distribution of environmental, social, and economic resources in urban communities. In this regard, spatial justice, as a key tool for achieving justice at the urban level, has become the ultimate goal of many spatial planning policies. Access to urban facilities and services is one of the key issues that affects various aspects of the urban economy. In other words, inappropriate distribution of service uses can lead to waste of time for citizens and create major environmental, economic and social problems. Cities face challenges such as irregular distribution of services and lack of service centers, which lead to unfair distribution of facilities and reduced quality of life. Therefore, planning and distribution of services should be based on spatial and social justice. Accordingly, urban management can reduce spatial inequalities and prevent these problems by conscious action. This article analyzes the impact of spatial justice on the quality of life of citizens and improves access to quality resources and services in different urban areas. It also identifies effective methods for achieving spatial justice with an emphasis on the distribution of urban services and resources.
Methodology
 In this study, in order to comprehensively examine and analyze the quality of spatial justice, the scoping review method has been used, which is used to identify and elaborate on various aspects of this issue by collecting, evaluating, and analyzing sources and previous studies. The scoping review method is a research approach that helps the researcher to first identify research questions and then summarize and combine them through searching, selecting, evaluating, and analyzing existing evidence to achieve precise answers to the questions raised.
Discussion and result
The framework of Arksey and O'Malley (2005) has been used in this study. The reason for choosing this framework is that it has simple instructions. The study of spatial justice, with an emphasis on the distribution pattern of urban services and resources, shows that the inappropriate distribution of urban services is one of the key challenges in achieving social justice and improving the quality of urban life. The findings of the study indicate that the concentration of services in specific urban areas, especially central cores, has created inequality in access to urban resources and services. These inequalities have not only exacerbated social and economic gaps, but have also had negative environmental and physical consequences. The present study showed that planning based on spatial justice and redistributing services based on the real needs of each region can help reduce these inequalities. Among the main suggestions are the decentralization of services, prioritizing underserved areas, and strengthening urban infrastructure. Also, citizen participation in decision-making processes and the use of modern analytical tools are considered key strategies for promoting spatial justice.
Coclusion
Finally, spatial justice, as a key tool in sustainable urban planning, plays an important role in improving the quality of life of citizens, reducing class gaps, and increasing public satisfaction. Accordingly, the development of comprehensive and operational policies for the equitable distribution of urban services and resources is an undeniable necessity.

Keywords

Subjects


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