Assessment of satisfaction with the quality of residential environments in sensitive conditions: A case study of Ferdows city on the edge of the desert

This study aims to assess the results of settlement projects in arid and semi-arid areas of Ferdows city. The main hypothesis of the study was that new residential districts would bring more satisfaction to residents and have better conditions as compared to old neighborhoods. The study was conducted with a descriptive-analytical methods. The required data were collected using library research, field surveys, and a questionnaire. The data collection tool was confirmed before use, based on experts’ opinions and tests of validity and reliability. The data were then analyzed using the SPSS software. The findings show that new residential areas have not been able to provide higher life satisfaction than in older neighborhoods. Indeed, the overall satisfaction with residential neighborhoods was not at a high level; only 48 percent of the respondents were satisfied with life in their neighborhood. In the case of the quality of buildings, there was a satisfaction of 49 percent. It seems that, among the affecting factors, disregarding the climatic and environmental conditions plays an important role in creating dissatisfaction. For this reason, it is recommended that, in future projects, these factors be taken into account more emphatically.