Fatemiyeh Non-Profit Institute of Higher Education, Shiraz Architectural Technologies Studies 2820-9818 3 4 2024 01 21 A comparative study of environmental factors developing sociability in commercial centers A comparative study of environmental factors developing sociability in commercial centers 101 112 725745 10.22034/ats.2024.725745 FA Seyyed Amirreza Ghazi Mirsaid Qazvin Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran. 0000-0002-6922-0509 Journal Article 2025 07 02 The city of Tehran, as the capital of Iran, has been undergoing a significant transformation in terms of modern changes and extensive development in public center design. Commercial complexes are considered as common domains for social interactions, communications, and social cognition, reflecting effective urban aspects. However, the neglect of social analysis in the design process may lead to the loss of communication between individuals and public spaces, which can result in undesirable social consequences and psychological and emotional distress within society such as isolation and Social alienation. In this regard, the design and architecture of commercial centers have a prominent role, and further research on the social acceptability of these centers is necessary. The main objective of this comparative research is to examine and compare the influential components of social acceptability based on architectural features in the commercial performance of two different structures, namely traditional market centers and malls. The case studies of this research include the Grand Bazaar of Tehran and Kourosh Mall. This study employs a mixed-method approach, utilizing library research, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and observations, to investigate the subject both quantitatively and qualitatively. Analysis of the results demonstrates that multi-purpose commercial complexes, through environmental structural factors, possess higher levels of overall acceptability compared to traditional markets, by developing dimensions of greater security. This research contributes to the field of architecture and urban design by highlighting the importance of social analysis in the design process and identifying the influential components of social acceptability in commercial centers. The city of Tehran, as the capital of Iran, has been undergoing a significant transformation in terms of modern changes and extensive development in public center design. Commercial complexes are considered as common domains for social interactions, communications, and social cognition, reflecting effective urban aspects. However, the neglect of social analysis in the design process may lead to the loss of communication between individuals and public spaces, which can result in undesirable social consequences and psychological and emotional distress within society such as isolation and Social alienation. In this regard, the design and architecture of commercial centers have a prominent role, and further research on the social acceptability of these centers is necessary. The main objective of this comparative research is to examine and compare the influential components of social acceptability based on architectural features in the commercial performance of two different structures, namely traditional market centers and malls. The case studies of this research include the Grand Bazaar of Tehran and Kourosh Mall. This study employs a mixed-method approach, utilizing library research, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and observations, to investigate the subject both quantitatively and qualitatively. Analysis of the results demonstrates that multi-purpose commercial complexes, through environmental structural factors, possess higher levels of overall acceptability compared to traditional markets, by developing dimensions of greater security. This research contributes to the field of architecture and urban design by highlighting the importance of social analysis in the design process and identifying the influential components of social acceptability in commercial centers. https://arch.fatemiyehshiraz.ac.ir/article_725745_88911e457e3f6fa594425ff26c0835c6.pdf