Original Article Analytic hierarchy process for assessing sustainability of bazaars: The case of Tajrish bazaar in Tehran Halleh Nejadriahi* and Mukaddes Fasli Department of Architecture, Eastern Mediterranean University, Mersin 10, Famagusta, North Cyprus 99628, Turkey. *Corresponding author. Abstract Throughout history, shopping and social interaction in bazaars had been among the most important traditions in the lifestyle of Iranian people. Owing to this fact, the continued sustainability of Bazaars needs to be ensured. This article adopts Analytic hierarchy process (AHP), as a multi-criteria decision making method, for assessing the sustainability of the Tajrish Bazaar in the capital city of Iran; Tehran. In this study, an examination of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainability in the Tajrish Bazaar reveals that the social dimension is the most sustainable one, followed by the economic and environmental dimensions respectively. As research for assessing sustainability of bazaars in a systematic way is rare, this article offers a significant con- tribution through the use of AHP method. URBAN DESIGN International advance online publication, 22 June 2016; doi:10.1057/udi.2015.15 Keywords: AHP; MCDM; sustainability; bazaar; Tehran Introduction In multi-criteria problems, hierarchical models help the evaluators to analyze problems in a Sustainability integrates three fundamental dimen- systematic manner. The priority ranking to such sions: environmental, social, and economic, which problems as sustainability assessment is effectively makes its measurement a complex issue. Analytic handled by AHP (Bhatt et al, 2010). Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a multi-criteria deci- Currently, there is a steady increase in the sion making (MCDM) method which assists in the usageofAHPinresearch.Itisextensively decision making of such complex problems by applied to construction fields such as resources employing multiple and subjective criteria. AHP allocation, project design, planning for urban is a method that was developed by Saaty (1980); development, maintenance management, policy it is a tool which is widely used by researchers for evaluation and so on (Saaty, 1980; Cook et al, MCDM (Vaidya and Kumar, 2006; Bhatt et al, 1984; Shen et al, 1998; Banai, 2005; Cheng et al, 2010). 2005; Lee and Chan, 2008). Moreover, as stated AHP is a reliable tool to facilitate logical deci- by Ishizaka and Labib (2011), it is also used in sion making processes and determine the signifi- different disciplines such as site selection (Onut canceofasetofcriteriaandsub-criteria.TheAHP et al, 2010), construction method selection (Pan, method is particularly suitable for assessing com- 2009), route planning (Niaraki and Kim, 2009), as plex issues (Lee and Chan, 2008). This complexity well as environmental resources planning and dictates that the problem be divided into smaller management (Panthi and Bhattarai, 2008). Further- ones, where the different groups determine how more, AHP is also applied on some sustainability each sub-problem affects the overall problem studies such as sustainability management (Javadi (Saaty, 1990). One of the most significant advan- and Dambatta, 2008), regional sustainable devel- tages of AHP is group decision making where opment (Xiongwei et al, 2009) and sustainable results are more reliable. building assessment (Bhatt et al, 2010), and so on. © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1357-5317 URBAN DESIGN International 1–14 www.palgrave-journals.com/udi/ Nejadriahi and Fasli It is considered that AHP is a suitable method for In general, bazaars are located in open or cov- assessing sustainability. ered street, usually linear passageways, which are Bazaar is one of the irreplaceable social and surrounded by shops on two sides. As is stated by cultural elements that highly contribute to the Ardalan and Bakhtiar (1973, p. 89) ‘the bazaar’s social and cultural sustainability of the Iranian main component is a center as a single point in cities. In the Iranian city, Bazaar is not something space with all its spatial attributes, but a center like market; it does not have only an economic which moves in time through its expansion and function, but its social and cultural dimensions thus creates a line or the linear element of the have the same importance as its economic one. bazaar’ (Figure 1). In other words, bazaars in the Iranian cities are Commercial activities are one of the most impor- ‘authentic places’ providing cultural identity, tant reasons that people come into the city memory, and history of the local community (Mahmoudi and Fanaei, 2009). Generally, bazaars through the repetition of everyday activities and are located in the heart of a city close to most of the interactions. This study applies AHP in order to important public buildings. In traditional Iranian assess the sustainability of the Tajrish Bazaar cities, the bazaar usually defined the main street of which is one of the significant traditional bazaars urban fabric, and could connect the two major in the capital city of Iran, Tehran. entrances of the city (Moosavi, 2005). Moreover, it is mentioned that traditional bazaars were mostly linked to the mosque, it being the spiritual head of Bazaars the body (Arjomand Kermani and Luiten, 2009). In traditional Iranian cities, bazaars are known ‘Bazaar’ is an old Persian word that is highly as characteristic symbols and well-established ele- integrated in the Iranian culture. Historical docu- ments with historical precedents, cultural, scarcity ments verify that bazaar has existed in the Iranian and resource values. Accordingly, sustainability of cities since 3000 BC (Moosavi, 2005). Bazaars have the bazaars plays an important role in the sustain- played an important role in the survival and able development of the Iranian cities. development of the Iranian cities, since they enrich Similarly, from viewpoint of users bazaar is not economic power of the cities through their com- only a place for maintain and develop the city’s mercial activities. A bazaar is a kind of public economy (Pourjafar and Pourjafar, 2009, p. 36), but space with multi-functional characteristics that also is a place for increasing social interactions in has a significant role in the environmental, social the City (Soltanzadeh, 2000, p. 45). Purchase, and economical aspects of cities. Bazaars are used spending leisure time, taking part in celebration not only for commercial purposes, but also for and mourning, religious activities, presence for the social, cultural and religious activities, as Khaksari notice from public hearing, being informed of mentions: ‘in fact the assembly of economic, social, events and daily news in the city (Pirnia, 1991, religious and cultural centers under a tent called p. 39), all are represented in the minds of citizens as the Bazaar is a phenomenon which has always social demands that can be supplied in bazaar occurred in the Iranian city formation’ (Khaksari (Tavassoli, 1992, p. 41) Therefore, in addition to and Ghorbanian, 2006, p. 76). the city’s economy that is highly dependent on Bazaar is a place that people from different bazaar, Bazaar has extra power on city and urban classes of society could gather and communicate. life. Moreover, it provides opportunities for people from different cultures to meet and exchange cultural values. Owing to this fact, it is realized that bazaars have great impacts on the urban life of people. The bazaar of the traditional Iranian city was a concentrated complex of craftsmen, retailers, and wholesalers. It was the commercial centre of the city for shopping, business and economic activities; therefore, it had a high social status and the spatial fl position of the bazaar had an important in uence Figure 1: The movement pattern of the bazaar and its on urban structure of the traditional Iranian city centrality. (Azimzadeh, 2003). Source: Ardalan and Bakhtiar (1973, p. 89). 2 © 2016 Macmillan Publishers Ltd. 1357-5317 URBAN DESIGN International 1–14 The case of Tajrish bazaar in Tehran Sustainability major dimensions of sustainability as environmen- tal, social and economic. Sustainability is a well-known term which can be Assessing the sustainability of bazaars needs to understood in many ways depending on the con- be done in accordance with the social, economic text. It refers to ‘long-term economic, environmental and environmental aspects of bazaars, which are and community health’ (Bauen et al, 1996, p. 4). also the fundamental dimensions of sustainability. A generally accepted definition of sustainable Considering these issues, sustainability evaluation development is put forward by the Brundtland of bazaars turns to a multi-criteria problem, which Report as follows: ‘Sustainable development is can be solved by developing a set of criteria and development that meets the needs of the present sub-criteria and structuring a hierarchical model to generation without compromising the ability of assist the evaluators to evaluate the problem in a future generations to meet their own needs’ most systematic way. (WCED, 1987). It is also related to quality of life; balancing economic and social development with environmental protection (Doughty and Sustainability of Bazaars Hammond, 2004). There are three major dimensions related to the concept of sustainability: environmen- The sustainability of bazaars as one of the main tal, social and economic (Khalfan, 2002) (Figure 2). components in the urban fabric of traditional Environmental sustainability deals with different Iranian