Urban Regeneration of Mashhad School Surroundings through the School Street Approach

A B S T R A C T
School surroundings are among the most sensitive urban spaces, as their quality directly affects the safety, comfort, and everyday experiences of students and neighborhood residents. However, in many Iranian cities, these areas are largely dominated by vehicular traffic and have received limited attention as safe and livable urban spaces. This study aims to examine the potential for regenerating school surroundings in Mashhad through the School Street approach. The research adopts a mixed-method design, combining theoretical studies, case study analysis, and field surveys based on questionnaires. The findings indicate a relatively high level of public support for the key components of the approach. More than 71% of respondents supported traffic restriction measures, around 87% agreed with improvements in urban furniture, and over 67% favored traffic-calming strategies. Additionally, 75% considered the provision of play and educational spaces necessary, while more than 86% emphasized the importance of organizing parking and school transportation systems. In contrast, support for certain components was lower, including dedicated cycling infrastructure (approximately 57%) and especially direct citizen participation in implementation (around 25%). Furthermore, only about 20% of respondents believed that current school surroundings are suitable for transformation into School Street environments. These results reveal a gap between citizens’ conceptual support for improvements and their assessment of practical feasibility. Overall, while there is strong social acceptance of the physical and functional aspects of the School Street approach, its successful implementation requires gradual interventions, strengthened public trust, and strengthened local participation mechanisms.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Cities, as centers of human gathering, are constantly evolving and changing. These developments are not only influenced by economic and social factors, but also need to take into account the specific needs of different groups of society, especially children and adolescents. Pedestrians are one of the most vulnerable groups active in transportation. Children aged 5 to 15 are particularly vulnerable. It is clear that almost all of the above-mentioned age groups in all countries are students and their primary travel activity is commuting between home and school. Given students’ daily commute to and from school, their exposure to traffic-related risks increases significantly. School environments play a crucial role in shaping the daily experiences, safety, and well-being of students and local communities. Despite their importance, school surroundings in many Iranian cities have become increasingly dominated by vehicular traffic, resulting in reduced safety, limited social interaction, and diminished spatial quality. In response, the School Street approach has emerged internationally as a strategy to prioritize pedestrians, improve safety, and transform school surroundings into vibrant public spaces. This study aims to explore the potential for regenerating school environments in Mashhad using this approach, while also assessing citizens’ perceptions and readiness for such transformations.
 
Methodology
This research uses a mixed-method approach. First, the theoretical foundations and international case studies related to the School Street approach were reviewed to identify the key components of the school street approach. Then, to achieve the research objectives, a structured questionnaire based on a five-point Likert scale was designed. The survey was used to investigate the status of traffic safety, environmental quality, attendance, and social interactions in the spaces surrounding the schools, as well as to measure the preferences and willingness of different stakeholder groups (students, parents, teachers, neighborhood residents, and relevant experts). A total of 116 questionnaires were completed and analyzed during the study process. This research was conducted on two elementary schools (Halimeh & Shahid Maghferati) for girls in Mashhad with different urban contexts (older and newer urban fabrics) and the dominant socioeconomic status of the neighborhood (very affluent and less affluent). Access to information, consultation with informed individuals, and examining spatial and locational potentials were also involved in selecting these samples.
 
Results and discussion
The findings reveal a generally positive attitude among citizens toward implementing School Street principles. A significant majority of respondents supported traffic restriction (over 71%), improvements in urban furniture (approximately 87%), and traffic calming measures (over 67%). Furthermore, 75% of participants emphasized the importance of allocating space for play and educational activities, while more than 86% highlighted the need for better organization of parking and school transport systems. However, the results also indicate variations in support levels across different components. For example, the acceptance of dedicated cycling infrastructure was moderate (around 57%), suggesting potential cultural or infrastructural barriers. More notably, only about 25% of respondents expressed willingness to engage directly in participatory processes, reflecting limited public trust and insufficient participatory frameworks. Another key finding is that only approximately 20% of respondents considered current school environments suitable for transformation into School Streets. This highlights a significant gap between conceptual support for improvements and perceived practical feasibility within the existing urban context.
These findings suggest that while the physical and functional aspects of the approach are widely accepted, social and institutional dimensions, particularly public participation and governance, remain critical challenges.
Conclusion
This study concludes that the School Street approach has significant potential to enhance the quality, safety, and livability of school environments in Mashhad. The high level of public support for key interventions indicates a favorable foundation for implementation. However, the gap between perceived desirability and feasibility highlights the need for a gradual and context-sensitive approach. Successful implementation requires not only physical interventions, but also strengthening public trust, developing participatory mechanisms, and effective coordination among urban management stakeholders. By addressing these dimensions simultaneously, school environments can be transformed into safe, inclusive, and vibrant urban places that contribute to the broader goals of sustainable urban development. One limitation of this study is that it examined only two schools in Mashhad, which limits the possibility of broader comparison across diverse urban contexts. At the same time, the findings confirm that the design of school streets should be based on a set of safety, social, and aesthetic components to enhance safety and encourage public use of these spaces, while transforming the spaces surrounding schools into a part of the active urban and neighborhood fabric. Also, the field data and questionnaire results showed that students, parents, teachers, and neighborhood residents, as the main users, have diverse needs and preferences.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Shahverdi. A, Wrote the initial draft of the manuscript. Performed data collection and conducted the primary analysis.
Sedaghati, A, supervised the study (project administration). Validated the methodology and ensured its proper implementation. Contributed to the interpretation of results. Drafted the discussion and conclusion sections based on the initial analysis. Critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content.
Both authors approved the final version of the manuscript and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 This article is derived from the first author's master's thesis in Urban Design at the University of Bojnord, entitled "Creating New Urban Places in the Surrounding Environments of Schools in Mashhad with the 'School Street' Approach." The study was conducted by the first author under the supervision of the second author.