AN ANALYSIS ON PHYSICAL-ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY OF INFORMAL SETTLEMENTS AND ITS ROLE IN THE VITALITY OF CITIZENS, CASE STUDY: INFORMAL SETTLEMENT OF QOM CITY, SHEIKHABAD NEIGHBORHOOD

Marginalized neighborhoods (slums) are those with a very high growth within the recent years in developing countries. Along with all weaknesses of these neighborhoods from social, economic, physical and social, they are faced with plenty of problems regarding environmental quality issues and urban vitality, as well. The environmental quality is an area addressed specifically in scientific and professional societies. In this regard, present study took the environmental quality and urban vitality into consideration in an old marginalized neighborhood of Qom city. This work was carried out by descriptive-analytical approach using field and library research method for objective study of urban vitality under influence of environmental quality indicators among citizens of the studied region. Distribution of 310 questionnaires using Cochran's sampling technique was one of the main steps of field studies. In doing so, the questionnaires were distributed as random sampling in statistical universe. The results of this study obtained by SPSS Software tools, indicate critical status of this issue in the neighborhood. In terms of physical indicators impact on the vitality, the measurement results show that in all factors, sig is lower than 1% and proves a confidence level of 99%. The signs of all factors are positive and direct. In other words, the higher each factor (in case of having other factors fixed), the higher vitality of Sheikhabad neighborhood citizens' vitality and vice versa. Among the factors, the factor 3-i. e. safety and welfare-has the highest impact on the citizens' vitality.