Introduction

Third places are considered one of the most important institutions in the public realm; they are public and attractive spaces that give meaning to the informal lives of citizens, and repair their social relationships outside of their formal work and family life. These places are considered a complex socio-environmental phenomenon and an important part of the public realms of cities, which redefine social structures at different levels, from the city level to the neighborhood unit level, and elevate the concept of social interaction from superficial and fleeting encounters to stronger social bonds. These places welcome various types of relationships, encounters, and activities, and bring people together without regard for social degrees, classes, ethnic, racial, and other differences. In this way, these places have a significant impact on social life and urban development. In this regard, the development of third places in the public spaces of Region 6 of the metropolitan city of Tehran is considered a necessary measure to increase social interactions and the sense of belonging to place. Region 6 of Tehran has a population of over 250,000 people and more than 85,000 households. To increase vibrancy and create more recreation and entertainment, we need to quantitatively and qualitatively increase the number of these types of places. Furthermore, the creation of third places in the public spaces of Region 6 of the metropolitan city of Tehran can help increase activities such as street festivals, sitting on benches, and conversing with other citizens.

Methodology

The research method in this study is of the descriptive-analytical type, which was developed with the aim of analyzing the relationship between the capabilities of the third place (independent variable) and social livability (dependent variable) in Region 6 of the metropolitan city of Tehran. The statistical population of this research consists of 30 experts, specialists, and urban managers who were selected using a purposive sampling method. SPSS and AMOS software were used to perform the quantitative analyses of the research, which include two parts: a) The measurement model or confirmatory factor analysis (the relationship between the observed variables and the latent variable) b) The structural model or path analysis (the relationship between the latent variables)

Results

The analysis of the research findings indicates that, given the values and acceptable thresholds (ranges) for the studied indices, the acceptable fit of the model can be confirmed for the absolute indices. In this regard, the values of the mentioned indices and the acceptable thresholds for each of the indices have been estimated, which demonstrates the appropriate model fit.

Discussion

The analysis of the research background and literature led to the identification of the key and influential components and indices for measuring the capabilities of the third place. In the first step, prioritization of these components was conducted. Based on the importance and priority, a total of six components and criteria were analyzed and utilized in the research process. Similarly, to measure the variable of social livability, this process was repeated, and eleven components were analyzed for the purpose of measuring this variable. 'Social livability' as the dependent variable of the research is influenced by multiple factors and variables. In this regard, the capabilities of the third place, such as; public and attractive places for identity formation and meaning-making in the informal lives of citizens, urban public realms, redefining the social structures of places, joyful and vibrant urban places, manifestation of cultural and social values, and the ability to realize human sustainable development of third places, are variables that affect social livability. The results indicate that the data analysis reveals this reality that if the critical coefficient is greater than 1.96, the relationship between the two variables is significant with 95% confidence. In other words, the relationship between the capabilities of the third place and social livability is significant.

Conclusion

The research findings show that social livability, with its components, is influenced by the set of independent variables of the capabilities of the third place, with components such as; public and attractive places for identity formation and meaning-making in the informal lives of citizens, urban public realms, redefining the social structures of places, joyful and vibrant urban places, manifestation of cultural and social values, and the ability to realize human sustainable development. Each of these factors has an impact on social livability. Among the components effective in measuring the 'capabilities of the third place', the component of 'public and attractive places for identity formation and meaning-making in the informal lives of citizens' with a factor loading of 0.68, and 'joyful and vibrant urban places' with a factor loading of 0.59, have the highest factor loadings, indicating that these components have higher priority and importance compared to the other components in measuring the capabilities of the third place. Moreover, among the effective components for measuring 'social livability', the component of 'actual participation of people in urban activities' with a factor loading of 0.632 and 'social cohesion and social responsibility' with a factor loading of 0.631 have the highest factor loadings, indicating that these components have higher priority and importance compared to the other components in measuring social livability.