Analysing the Affecting Factors on the “Citizen’s Social Quality of Life” in Contemporary Urban Spaces (Case Study: Farhang Square in the city of Yazd)

Satisfaction with different aspects of life has been defined as "quality of life", which has long been considered by urban designers and planners, and even concerns with other disciplines related to it, including psychology and sociology. Improving the quality of life in urban spaces is highly dependent on the desirability of its constituent components. Contrary to research done in neighborhoods, new cities, etc., there is less research on the concept of social life in urban areas. Farhang Square (Nal-asbi) in Yazd Historical City has always been the setting for various events, so its reasons for being present and examining quality of social life in it that can help improve the performance of existing urban spaces. The aim of this study was to identify and analyze the factors affecting quality of social life in Yazd Farhang Square, focusing on two “objective” and “subjective” dimensions of quality of life. The research method of this study was qualitative strategy and its data were collected through survey and descriptive-analytical method was used in the process of achieving results. The sampling method was simple random and the sample size was calculated by Cochran formula. Then, by analyzing the data through exploratory factor analysis, the factors affecting the quality of social life of citizens in the sample were identified and analyzed. The findings indicate that factors such as: (a) security and cleanliness, (b) greenness, (c) social events and interactions, (d) physical and mental health, and (e) happiness and life expectancy have the greatest impact on quality of life.