Analysis of Bazaars and Shopping Centers as Urban Spaces Via Space Syntax Software (Case Studies: Iranian Bazaars and Tehran Shopping Centers)

The aim of this paper is to investigate the bazaars and shopping centers as public spaces. Given the weakness of public places and consequently the weakness of social interactions, today’s societies are in dire need of social spaces to increase social interactions. Therefore, the review of these two as then and now’s urban spaces could help solve some problems. Bazaars are among the oldest Iranian urban spaces, which are deemed to be the palpitating heart of the Iranian cities, playing different social, economic, and other roles. Shopping centers are adopted from the 20th Century’s models and are considered as an appropriate alternative for Bazaars for the modern human of the 21st Century. Descriptive-Analytical research method is of the case study model, and Space Syntax Software was used for collection of data by library method and analysis. The results show that shopping centers cannot be appropriate alternatives for Bazaars and can be considered as centers for meeting economic needs. Therefore, these centers could not be considered as appropriate collective spaces and as appropriate places for meeting social and recreational needs.