Spatial Analysis of the Distribution of Urban Parks and Green Spaces in Iranian Metropolises

Introduction Proper access to urban parks and green spaces is an important criterion for measuring livability in cities. Urban green spaces and consequently urban parks have a great contribution to the health and well-being of citizens. Parks and urban green spaces are some of the most important elements of urban green infrastructure that help to increase the quality of life of citizens and improve the urban environment by purifying the air, controlling noise pollution, reducing the heat island effect, and preserving biodiversity. Urban parks provide ecological and cultural services such as sightseeing, aesthetics, recreation and entertainment, education and culture, sports, and social communication for urban residents and thus improve their quality of life. Urban parks and green spaces as a center for social interactions in today’s cities play a key role in urban renewal and sustainable urban and regional development. Proper access to urban parks and green spaces is related to the happiness of citizens. Considering the important functions of urban parks and green spaces and their role in achieving sustainable urban and regional development, the design and organization of these spaces in cities, especially in the metropolises of Iran, as a strategy to solve acute urban problems and rapid and indiscriminate urbanization and to increase the level of urban livability.
Materials and MethodsThe present study was carried out with the aim of statistical analysis of the spatial distribution of urban parks and green spaces in the metropolises of Iran. For this reason, the spatial distribution of parks and urban green spaces in selected Iranian metropolises has been analyzed in this quantitative research using Critic and Cocoso techniques. The metropolises studied in this research were official and unofficial metropolises of Iran such as Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Karaj, Shiraz, Tabriz, Ahvaz, Kermanshah, Rasht, Zahedan, Hamedan, and Kerman. The data needed to conduct the research has been collected from the statistics of the studied metropolises. The indicators used are the total area of urban green space in square meters, the area of green space covered by the municipality, the total number of parks, the total area of parks in square meters, the number of urban parks, the area of urban parks, the number of forest parks, and the area of forest parks and per capita green space in the studied metropolises of Iran. The weight of these indicators was calculated using the Critic technique and was used in the Cocoso technique. In the Cocoso technique, three strategies and the value of the final score (K) have been investigated and analyzed. FindingsIn the first strategy (Ka), the Cocoso technique of Tehran metropolis has the highest score (0/114). In this strategy, the cities of Rasht (0/016) and Hamedan (0/071) have the lowest scores. In the second strategy (Kb), the Cocoso technique of Tehran metropolis obtained the highest score (426/23). In this strategy, the cities of Rasht with a score of (2), Zahedan with a score of (49/76), and Hamadan with a score of (61/47) obtained the lowest scores. In the third strategy (Kc), the Kokosu technique of Tehran metropolis has the highest score by scoring (1). In this strategy, the cities of Rasht with a score of (0/140) and Hamedan with a score of (0/619) have the lowest scores. The mean of the closest neighborhood of the spatial distribution of urban parks and green spaces in Shiraz metropolis is 0/721049, the Z score is -4/713088, and the PValue is 0/000002. Based on the average of the nearest neighborhood, the pattern of spatial distribution of urban parks and green spaces in Shiraz metropolis was clustered. Multi-distance spatial cluster analysis shows that the pattern of spatial distribution of parks and urban green spaces in Shiraz metropolis is clustered.
ConclusionThe results of the research show that Tehran metropolis had the highest number of parks and urban green spaces. Despite the fact that this national metropolis has obtained the highest number of parks and urban green spaces among the studied cities; considering the amount of population concentrated in this metropolis, this city is far from the ideal state. It is not possible to check the amount and level of urban livability only by using indicators related to the number of urban parks and green spaces, and many other factors influence the level of livability. After Tehran metropolis, Shiraz and Mashhad metropolises have many advantages in terms of parks and urban green spaces. Among the studied metropolises, Rasht city has obtained the weakest and lowest score and this city needs special attention in the field of studied indicators.