Scientific Quarterly Journal

From Experience to Strategy: Developing a Systematic Framework for Green Landscape Design Based on Global Project Analysis

Volume 18, Issue 74
Spring 2026
Pages 58-77

Document Type : Original Research Article

Authors

Department of Environmental Design Engineering, Faculty of Environment, University of Tehran, Iran

Abstract
Green landscape design, as an innovative approach to addressing environmental, social, and economic challenges in contemporary cities, requires an integrated and multidimensional framework for sustainability assessment. Existing studies indicate that, despite numerous international indicators and models, there is still no comprehensive and locally adaptable framework to evaluate landscape sustainability that simultaneously covers the environmental, social, and economic dimensions. This theoretical and practical gap has led to the lack of a systematic and measurable structure for assessing landscape design projects in Iran. The main objective of this study is to develop an indicator-based framework for evaluating green landscapes, emphasizing the integration of environmental, social, and economic dimensions. To achieve this goal, five international projects were selected: Shanghai Houtan Park (China), Superkilen (Denmark), Maggie Daily and Beltline Westside (United States), and Kashiwa No-ha Smart Green Park (Japan), and one local case, Tehran’s Water and Fire Park, were comparatively analyzed to identify similarities, differences, and potential for local adaptation. Research method: The research employs a qualitative content analysis method with an inductive–deductive approach. In the first step, a systematic search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science databases to extract indicators related to the three dimensions of sustainability. In the second step, selected projects were analyzed based on criteria such as geographic diversity, climate, and design innovation. Indicators were categorized through three coding stages -open, axial, and selective- to develop a conceptual framework of goal–indicator–strategy. Finally, the findings were validated against expert opinions and global frameworks (e.g., LSA, MEA, and SITES) to ensure the reliability and applicability of the proposed framework. The results indicate that, in international projects, the environmental dimension-particularly indicators such as habitat connectivity, water resource management, and habitat quality-plays a more prominent role. In contrast, in the local case, social indicators, including community participation and social capital, are more emphasized. The findings also reveal a lack of habitat cohesion and weaknesses in water management in domestic projects. The novelty of this study lies in the integration of indicators inductively derived from literature and implemented projects, combined with a deductive coherence based on global frameworks and local adaptation within the Iranian context. The proposed framework can serve as an analytical and strategic tool for landscape architects, urban managers, and policymakers in pursuing sustainable development. It is recommended that future research employ field-based and participatory methods to further validate and optimize this framework.

Keywords

Subjects
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