Scientific Association of Waste Management Human Ecology 3041-9255 4 12 2025 09 23 Explaining the Components of Residents’ Satisfaction with the Spatial Quality of Ahvaz Residential Complexes: A Comparative Assessment (Application of Content Analysis Approach) Explaining the Components of Residents’ Satisfaction with the Spatial Quality of Ahvaz Residential Complexes: A Comparative Assessment (Application of Content Analysis Approach) 1506 1525 234956 10.22034/he.2025.560158.1167 FA Saba Mirderikvandi PhD student in Architecture, Department of Architecture, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. Mostafa Masoudinejad PhD in Architecture, Assistant professor, Department of Architecture, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran. Behzad Vasigh PhD in Architecture, Visiting Associate Professor, Department of Architecture, Ahv.C., Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran / Jundi_shapur University of Technology, Dezful, Iran. 0000-0001-5708-7045 Journal Article 2025 11 16 This study aimed to explain and comparatively evaluate the components influencing residents’ satisfaction with the spatial quality of residential complexes in Ahvaz, Iran. Conducted as a cross-sectional study in 2025, the research adopted a qualitative framework, utilizing the Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) method and relying on content analysis of data obtained from in-depth interviews with 19 residents and architecture experts. The study population comprised residents of five prominent residential complexes in Ahvaz, selected based on criteria such as socioeconomic diversity, level of vibrancy and social interactions, cultural and indigenous characteristics, as well as physical distinctions among the complexes. The findings reveal that a multitude of subjective and objective components contribute to resident satisfaction. Crucially, the interaction between cultural, social, psychological, and aesthetic factors and physical, functional, and environmental factors played a determining role in both satisfaction and the overall quality of the residential experience. Complexes that incorporated cultural harmony, legible spatial hierarchy, efficient public services, and flexible spaces in their design demonstrated significantly higher levels of resident satisfaction. Consequently, the final results emphasize the critical importance of culture-based and human-centered design in enhancing the quality of residential spaces, particularly within the hot and diverse climate of Ahvaz. This insight can serve as a valuable foundation for revisiting future urban design and planning policies in the region. This study aimed to explain and comparatively evaluate the components influencing residents’ satisfaction with the spatial quality of residential complexes in Ahvaz, Iran. Conducted as a cross-sectional study in 2025, the research adopted a qualitative framework, utilizing the Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) method and relying on content analysis of data obtained from in-depth interviews with 19 residents and architecture experts. The study population comprised residents of five prominent residential complexes in Ahvaz, selected based on criteria such as socioeconomic diversity, level of vibrancy and social interactions, cultural and indigenous characteristics, as well as physical distinctions among the complexes. The findings reveal that a multitude of subjective and objective components contribute to resident satisfaction. Crucially, the interaction between cultural, social, psychological, and aesthetic factors and physical, functional, and environmental factors played a determining role in both satisfaction and the overall quality of the residential experience. Complexes that incorporated cultural harmony, legible spatial hierarchy, efficient public services, and flexible spaces in their design demonstrated significantly higher levels of resident satisfaction. Consequently, the final results emphasize the critical importance of culture-based and human-centered design in enhancing the quality of residential spaces, particularly within the hot and diverse climate of Ahvaz. This insight can serve as a valuable foundation for revisiting future urban design and planning policies in the region. https://www.landscapeecologyjournals.ir/article_234956_f090f6ddb14e51823b1e582fa30ae704.pdf