Role of Urban Public Spaces in Promoting Mass Sport and Its Psychological Effects on Citizens of Tabriz: A Case Study of District Two of Tabriz

Introduction                                   
Urban public spaces serve as fundamental and irreplaceable elements in the physical and social structure of cities, playing a crucial role in determining urban quality of life and public welfare (Vukovic et al., 2021). These dynamic, multifunctional environments extend beyond merely providing physical space, offering appropriate settings for forming and strengthening social relationships, cultural exchanges among different social strata, and collective recreational and sports activities. Public spaces including parks, squares, pedestrian walkways, green spaces, and recreational-sports facilities contribute significantly not only to social cohesion and cultural experiences but also to maintaining urban ecological balance and creating sustainable, healthy environments (Mouratidis, 2021).
Mass sport, as one of the fundamental pillars of public health and quality of life enhancement in contemporary societies, adopts a comprehensive and inclusive approach to physical activity. Unlike competitive and professional sports focused on high performance and record-breaking, mass sport prioritizes universal access to regular physical activities suitable for all social strata, thereby contributing substantially to weight management, cardiovascular health improvement, immune system strengthening, and prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases (Zakir, 2024). Beyond physical benefits, mass sports activities play a prominent role in promoting mental health by reducing stress, anxiety, and depression levels while simultaneously strengthening constructive social interactions and transmitting positive values such as teamwork, discipline, and mutual respect among citizens (Kublanov, 2024).
Tabriz, as one of Iran's major metropolitan areas playing a pivotal role in the economic, cultural, and social development of the country's northwest region, faces complex structural and planning challenges in urban development. Most prominently, the inadequate and insufficient distribution of sports facilities throughout the city results in a sports space per capita of only 0.83 square meters-significantly below international standards recommended for modern cities (Ghanbari, 2020). Spatial and demographic analyses reveal moderate spatial correlation of 59% between the city's functional cores and population distribution patterns, accompanied by considerable imbalance in functional center distribution across different urban areas, leading to spatial inequalities in service and facility access (Zadavali Khajeh et al., 2021).
Despite extensive studies on urban public spaces, significant research gaps remain, including insufficient focus on specific conditions of Iranian cities, lack of comprehensive research on particular psychological impacts of public sports spaces on citizens, absence of specialized studies on Tabriz with its unique geographical and cultural characteristics, and inadequate examination of relationships between public space quality and actual citizen participation in mass sports activities. This research addresses these gaps by investigating how urban public spaces in Tabriz's District Two influence mass sport promotion and citizens' psychological wellbeing, providing practical solutions for improving public space conditions and enhancing quality of life.
 
Mothodology
This qualitative research employed thematic analysis through a single case study of District Two of Tabriz, selected for its high socio-economic diversity and varied public spaces with sports, recreational, and social functions. The statistical population comprised four main stakeholder groups: citizens using public spaces, urban design and planning experts, municipal managers and officials from District Two, and relevant authorities. Purposive sampling with maximum variation approach was utilized, continuing until theoretical saturation was achieved. While saturation occurred at the 25th interview, thirty interviews were conducted for confirmation. Data collection spanned eighteen months to capture seasonal and temporal variations in public space usage.
Semi-structured in-depth interviews served as the primary data collection method, lasting 60-90 minutes each. All sessions were recorded with participants' permission. The interview guidemaintained flexibility to explore unexpected themes while ensuring comprehensive coverage. Data analysis followed Braun and Clarke's six-phase thematic analysis framework: (1) familiarization through repeated listening and reading of transcripts; (2) systematic line-by-line initial coding to extract meaningful codes related to citizen experiences, expert perspectives, and managerial challenges; (3) grouping similar codes into preliminary themes; (4) reviewing and refining themes for internal coherence and external distinction; (5) defining and naming final themes with conceptual mapping; and (6) producing a comprehensive analytical report with direct participant quotations. Research quality was ensured through Lincoln and Guba's four criteria: credibility (data triangulation, researcher triangulation, member checking), transferability (rich contextual description), dependability (comprehensive documentation and external audit), and confirmability (transparent audit trail and bias reduction through direct quotations).
 
Findings
The qualitative data analysis employed systematic thematic analysis methodology. Interview data were meticulously transcribed and converted into written texts. During the coding phase, meaningful units were systematically extracted and transformed into initial codes through a rigorous analytical process.
The analysis yielded 95 basic themes which, following comparative and contrastive analysis, were organized into 9 organizing themes (detailed in Table 1). This analytical method facilitated the extraction of deep concepts and semantic relationships within the research data. The organizing themes subsequently underwent further review and deeper analysis following thematic analysis methodology, with initial codes being re-evaluated through detailed examination. The final analytical phase results are comprehensively reflected in Table 2.
The research identified four overarching contradictory themes that characterize urban public spaces in District Two of Tabriz:

Conflict Between Spatial Quality and Social Justice This encompasses challenges in design and spatial quality, social inequalities and access limitations, and security and safety constraints. The findings reveal tensions between achieving high-quality physical environments and ensuring equitable access for all citizen groups.
Crisis in Participatory Governance for Public Space Development Characterized by weaknesses in participatory and democratic processes, alongside managerial and urban governance problems. Citizens and stakeholders report limited meaningful involvement in planning and decision-making processes.
Systemic Instability in Sports Facility Development and Maintenance Encompasses economic challenges and financial sustainability issues, combined with environmental concerns and ecological sustainability problems. This reveals fundamental structural weaknesses in long-term planning and resource allocation for public sports infrastructure.
Duality of Psychological Impacts of Public Spaces While well-designed public spaces demonstrate positive effects on mental health and citizen wellbeing, inadequate or poorly maintained spaces negatively impact citizens' morale and psychological state, creating a paradoxical situation.

These contradictory themes collectively illustrate the complex challenges facing urban public space development in Tabriz, highlighting the need for integrated, equitable, and sustainable approaches to urban planning and sports facility provision.
 
Discussion and Conclusion
This research examined urban public spaces' role in promoting mass sport and their psychological effects on Tabriz citizens, revealing four critical contradictions that hinder optimal functioning.
The conflict between spatial quality and social justice represents the most fundamental finding, demonstrating inequitable development of public sports spaces in Tabriz. This inequality stems from centralized administrative structures, lack of local participation in decision-making, and neglect of diverse population needs (Fainstein, 2014; Aeeni, 2021). Social inequalities and access limitations directly impact citizens' ability to benefit from psychological advantages of sport in public spaces, with research showing good access to green spaces can reduce socioeconomic inequalities in mental wellbeing by up to 40% (Mitchell et al., 2015).
The participatory governance crisis constitutes the second major finding, indicating failure to create spaces genuinely serving mass sport promotion and psychological wellbeing improvement (Morales & Gasparini, 2014; Vázquez & Flores, 2024). The absence of key success factors-spatial sports facilities integration, organization, adaptability, and attractiveness-prevents these spaces from achieving their potential in increasing social participation and improving quality of life (Altaesh & Ujma-Wąsowicz, 2022).
Systemic instability in development and maintenance poses serious threats to long-term roles in promoting mass sport and maintaining positive psychological impacts, influenced by external factors and dependence on broader systems (Pyankova & Arkalov, 2022).
The duality of psychological impacts reveals complexity in relationships among urban spaces, mass sport, and mental health. Well-designed outdoor public spaces reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, but these effects depend on availability, accessibility, and quality (Abed et al., 2025). The relationship between green spaces and mental health is not uniformly positive, as social interaction can also produce negative effects (Veckalne et al., 2025).
Addressing these challenges requires fundamental transformation in urban planning and management approaches based on three pillars: replacing fragmented approaches with integrated multidimensional strategies, strengthening genuine citizen participation mechanisms, and integrating spatial justice principles, environmental sustainability, and design quality throughout all development stages. Establishing specialized planning centers with multidisciplinary teams—including urban planners, landscape architects, sports scientists, environmental psychologists, and sociologists—can ensure scientific and practical design quality while monitoring performance and evaluating impacts on mass sport and mental health.