Developing a Religious Pedestrian Walkway Planning Model Using a Grounded Theory Approach. Studying the Axis from the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh to the Holy Jamkaran Mosque, Qom
Subject Areas : Islamic urbanism
Abolfazl Rizaee
1
,
hossein kalantari khalil abad
2
,
Maryam Razghi
3
1 -
2 - Prof. of Institute of Humanities and Social Studies, ACECR
3 - Department of Urban Planning, Islamic Azad University, Ayatollah… Amoli Branch, Amol, Iran
Keywords: Religious Pedestrian Corridor, Qom, Jamkaran, Context-Sensitive Planning, Grounded Theory,
Abstract :
The corridor connecting the Holy Shrine of Hazrat Masoumeh (SA) to the Holy Jamkaran Mosque in Qom is one of the most heavily trafficked pilgrimage routes in Iran. Despite its prominent religious and social significance, it lacks a comprehensive and integrated framework for context-sensitive planning that addresses the corridor’s climatic and managerial characteristics and organizes pilgrims’ pedestrian movement. With an approximate width of 90 meters and an arterial function, the corridor accommodates large numbers of pilgrims on foot during major religious occasions, particularly the mid-Sha'ban celebrations. However, the construction of the boulevard has been accompanied by criticism concerning disruptions to the hierarchy of access, impacts on the spatial organization and heritage of the historic Qajar urban fabric, and extensive physical interventions. This study aims to develop an appropriate planning model for a religious pedestrian corridor along this route, employing a grounded theory approach. Data were collected through 30 semi-structured interviews with urban managers, religious authorities, traffic experts, business owners, residents, and pilgrims; systematic field observations under both normal and peak-demand conditions; and an examination of urban planning documents and schemes. Purposive sampling continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA through open, axial, and selective coding. The credibility of the findings was further enhanced through member checking, peer debriefing, and research auditing. The findings indicate that improving the quality of pilgrimage routes is not merely a physical intervention, but rather an interdisciplinary and multi-institutional process requiring synergy among managerial, religious, and social institutions. The conceptual model identifies climatic and physical, socio-cultural, service-related, managerial, and technological components as the principal dimensions of planning religious pedestrian corridors in pilgrimage cities.
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