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The historical ecosystem of nodoushan: a reinterpretation of multi-family housing and the social production of space in central Iran
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Mohammad Reza Babaei Nadushan  , Mohammad Hossein Saraei *  |
| Department of Geography, Yazd University, Yazd, Iran. , msaraei@yazd.ac.ir |
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Abstract: (1349 Views) |
Objective: This study aims to explain the factors underlying the formation and continuity of multi-family housing in the historic city of Nodoushan, Yazd Province, and to examine its relationship with the spatial, economic, and cultural structure of the urban fabric from the perspective of the social production of space.
Method: This qualitative study employed thematic analysis. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with nine experienced elderly native residents of Nodoushan, aged 67 to 103 years. The interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. The collected data were analyzed using MAXQDA 2020.
Results: Five key themes were identified: housing structure, household economy and livelihoods, family and social relations, security and sense of tranquility, and public health and hygiene. The findings indicate that multi-family living was a response to three structural challenges: enclosure within the city walls, which restricted horizontal expansion; historical insecurity, including attacks by bandits during the Qajar period; and absolute economic poverty. Within this pattern, the house evolved from a mere shelter into a network of trust, mutual assistance, and collective well-being. Shared spaces, including courtyards, ovens, and water channels; a non-monetary economy; the Badali system in agriculture; shared resources such as firewood and donkeys; and collective care for the elderly and sick were among the prominent features of this system. Health and sanitation were also managed through separate toilets used for manure production and a scheduling system for public bathhouses, all within the framework of this social solidarity.
Conclusions: Multi-family living in Nodoushan represents a sustainable cultural pattern and a living example of the social production of space. In this pattern, residents produced space not through top-down external planning, but through coexistence and social interaction. These findings highlight the need to reconsider contemporary housing policies that have reduced the home to a consumable and passive unit and emphasize that social sustainability emerges when space is produced through social life rather than merely constructed. The main limitation of this study is its small sample size and focus on a single case study (Nodoushan), which limits the generalizability of the findings to other regions. |
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| Keywords: Collective Housing, Nadushan, Social Sustainability, Culture of Dwelling, Indigenous Space. |
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Full-Text [PDF 1958 kb]
(34 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
سکونتگاههای شهری و روستایی
Received: 2025/12/22 | Accepted: 2026/06/10 | Published: 2026/09/22
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