The role of green space development in renewing a degenerating neighbourhood, a case study from Tehran, Iran

Omid Rismanchian

Abstract

Tehran is the capital city of Iran, occupying some 700 square kilometres in area and with a population of almost 12 million in the city and province. It is located in a semi-arid area and has developed dramatically during the last five decades. As most of the cities in Iran are located in semi-arid regions, open and green spaces are not very common in traditional urbanization patterns. Generally, the only green space to be found in the cities of Iran was the Persian garden which was on private property and not opens to the public. Throughout the modernization era the inattention to open and green spaces continued and many cities like Tehran can be found in the region. Recently, Tehran municipality has set six objectives for the city’s spatial development of which two are directly concerned with green space. The question is that how the municipality can develop open and green space in such a densely built-up city. One of the movements which has attracted the authority’s attention for several decades is ‘revitalization’ of old neighbourhoods. The main characteristics of these low income neighbourhoods are: being vulnerable to earthquakes; low quality of access; insufficient open space; lack of green space; high level of corruption and crime; and high density.

Many studies have been conducted about the values of green and open spaces and their environmental, economic, social and health benefits. This paper aims to highlight the role of green spaces in stimulating the local economy and attracting private sector investment; enhancing people’s satisfaction with their neighbourhood; improving access by focusing on pedestrians and reducing the level of crime in these low income neighbourhoods.

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