A proposed framework for analyzing the spatial organization of urban open space networks : case studies: Tehran and Isfahan, Iran

• Main Author: Shakibi, Negin
• Language: English
• Published: University of British Columbia 2015
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/2429/52393

Urban Open Spaces (UOS) are among fundamental urban elements that can have a profound effect on the quality of social life and on the physical and/or mental health of citizens. UOS system is composed of individual components and a network that connects these spaces. UOS system, just as any other sustainable systems, should be more than the sum of its parts and should exhibit interdependence among its components. Therefore, there is a need to study these individual UOS as interconnected elements and, in other words, as part of a network. To date, most studies have focused on the quality of UOS as individual urban elements. Studies specific to the role of public participation on design and the planning of certain UOS, quality and quantity assessments of certain case studies, and behavioral studies are all good examples of current studies on UOS. However, a holistic view of these spaces as connected urban elements is missing from most urban studies. The UOS networks of some Iranian cities such as Tehran and Isfahan have faced numerous changes through time. While some cities such as Isfahan have had the opportunity to adapt to new conditions, these sudden changes have caused some abnormalities in the UOS networks of other cities such as Tehran. Moreover, the cultural and historical sensitivities of these cities amplify the complexity and importance of analyzing the UOS network. Despite the need to study UOS networks, only a few of the valuable studies conducted in Iran have addressed the importance of UOS as connected networks of individual elements. Therefore, the aim of this study is to illustrate an attempt to fill in some of that gap by proposing a framework for analyzing the spatial organization of the UOS networks. This Spatial Analysis Framework (SAF) focuses on how individual UOS connect, interact and interdepend upon one another at a greater spatial scale. Finally, using the proposed SAF, the UOS networks of two selected case studies from the historic cores of Tehran and Isfahan have been analyzed and compared. The results of this analysis have been used to refine the proposed SAF. === Applied Science, Faculty of === Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA), School of === Graduate