Social sustainability and urban third places: the case of the city of Isfahan in Iran

Third places are a successful example of public places, which, due to their special characteristics, play an important role in enhancing the social sustainability of cities. Sustainable social development is a significant issue for the metropolis of Isfahan as this city today is facing serious challenges such as inequality and conflict in maintaining and increasing the life quality of its citizens. This research aims to explore the role of third places in promoting social sustainability in the urban districts of the city of Isfahan and to discover their significant dimensions and components. The current applied research employed a library based descriptive-analytic approach together with a field study method. Urban experts and managers comprised the statistical population of whom 25 individuals were selected to form the sample. DEMATEL method was used to discover the trend of classification patterns of sustainability components and the role of third places. The results of the cause and effect analysis through DEMATEL show that dynamism and vitality, and flexibility are the main and the most influential factors in increasing the social sustainability in Isfahan. The results also highlight the impact of combined components and indicators of the third place with different dimensions of social sustainability, especially in the urban districts in Isfahan.