Explanation and Validation of a Methodological Framework for Evaluating Livability in Urban Semi-Public Mixed-Use Land Uses: An Integrated SEM-TOPSIS Approach

Articles in Press

Document Type : Article extracted From phd dissertation

Authors
Seyed Alireza Madelat 1
Seyed Mohammad Rashtian 2
Bahareh Tadayon 3
Golrokh Kopaie 1
1 Department of Urbanism., Is.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 Department of Urbanism., Is.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran
3 Department of Urbanism, Is.C., Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
10.22034/he.2026.537686.1124
Abstract
Assessing livability in urban semi-public mixed-use spaces, given their multidimensional and complex nature, requires a methodological framework capable of systematically identifying critical dimensions and indicators, explicating their interrelationships, and enabling a scientifically sound ranking of criteria. This paper aims to introduce, develop, and validate a three-stage hybrid methodological framework that integrates a systematic meta-synthesis of the literature, expert localization and validation, and a field study by combining Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and the TOPSIS multi-criteria decision-making technique. Within this framework, the standardized path coefficients derived from the SEM model are employed as criterion weights in the TOPSIS model, ensuring that ranking is grounded in empirically tested relationships among variables. The efficacy of the proposed framework was evaluated in an empirical case study involving 56 urban planning experts and 384 users across six mixed-use centers in Tehran. The results demonstrated that the research instrument possesses satisfactory reliability (Cronbach’s alpha of 0.908 and 0.960) and adequate construct validity (standardized factor loadings ranging from 0.58 to 0.87), with model fit indices falling within acceptable thresholds. The primary novelty of this study lies in presenting a replicable framework that systematically links explanatory modeling with multi-criteria decision-making, using SEM path coefficients as the weighting basis for TOPSIS. This framework can serve as a transferable model in future research for assessing and ranking the livability of diverse urban spaces.
Keywords
Urban Livability
Semi-Public Mixed-Use Spaces
Methodological Framework
Mixed-Methods Research
Subjects
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Human Ecology

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 03 September 2026