Application of Landscape Ecology to Develop a Conceptual Model for Planning Urban Rivers (Case Study: Darakeh River)

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student in Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran.

2 Ph.D. in Landscape Architecture, School of Architecture, College of Fine Arts, University of Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

The excessive use of the ecological capacity of the seven rivers of Tehran, as the most important natural components of the city, has undermined their status in city calculations. This has caused different challenges of various dimensions, such as reduced social interactions, increased insecurity, environmental pollution, etc., which indicate the ineffectiveness of one-dimensional management strategies. On the other hand, a review of past experiences suggests a large gap between theoretical approaches and operational solutions in the management of rivers, which reduces the effectiveness of the existing techniques. Thus, it is imperative to adopt a holistic approach to natural environmental planning to simultaneously address the preservation and revival of the natural ecosystem theoretically and practically and consider social challenges. Using landscape ecology knowledge, this research conducts a pathological investigation of the river dimensions and compares them with the Darakeh River to provide guidelines to resolve the current situation. It also aims to answer the question: how are management and planning to revive the urban rivers performed using the landscape ecology approach through combining theoretical and practical attitudes? To this end, first, a descriptive-analytical method was used to develop a conceptual model, then the Darakeh River was analyzed using the SWOT method. The conceptual model links theoretical and practical approaches to three semantic, structural, and functional areas to describe secondary principles and policymaking. The findings of this study indicate policies such as conservation and restoration of the river basin, habitat regeneration and development, environmental vitality, the reflection of cultural-historical identity, development establishment, and the main strategies in three areas: functional, physical, and semantic, which have been introduced to revive the natural environment of the River Darake based on the conceptual model of research and can be used as a model for the restoration of other urban rivers. The conceptual model of the research has been introduced and can be used as a model for the revitalization of other urban rivers.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

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MANZAR, the Scientific Journal of landscape
Volume 15, Issue 65
January 2024
Pages 62-71

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