Extracting housing preferences with emphasis on the role of ethnicity in Gonbad Kavoos

Abstract

Residential preferences play a crucial role in housing planning and design. However, previous studies have predominantly focused on identifying the relative importance of housing attributes, while paying limited attention to how cultural backgrounds shape the decision-making process and influence the acceptance or rejection of different housing attributes. This study investigates the role of ethnicity in residential decision-making by examining compensatory, non-compensatory, and relative housing preferences among five ethnic groups: Fars, Turkmen, Sistani, Baluch, and Turk in Gonbad-Kavoos, Iran. Data were collected through 100 semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the Decision Plan Net (DPN) method. Instead of evaluating housing attributes solely based on their importance, this study explores how individuals assess these attributes during the decision-making process and how they respond when certain desired conditions are not fully achieved. The findings indicate that while several fundamental housing preferences such as adequate dwelling size, sufficient bedrooms, environmental comfort and infrastructure quality are commonly valued across ethnic groups, the way these attributes are prioritized and compensated differs among ethnic groups. The results reveal distinct patterns of decision-making flexibility among ethnic groups, particularly regarding spatial organization, privacy requirements, ancillary spaces, and patterns of home use. These differences suggest that ethnicity affects not only what housing attributes residents prefer, but also how they evaluate alternatives and negotiate compromises between different criteria. By highlighting the role of cultural context in shaping residential choice, this study provides insights for developing more responsive and culture-specific approaches to housing design and planning in multiethnic societies.