Land Use Planning Considering Sustainable NeighborhoodDevelopment, with Emphasis on Energy Efficiency( Case Study: Daroos, Tehran)

Land use planning as an important part of planning that has taken place in the form of development projects and sometime influenced by other forces, has affected neighborhoods after increasing development of cities and neighborhoods. During this process, some neighborhoods have been developed and some have been declined. Following new developments and in response to their problems, different theories and opinions have been proposed in which sustainable community development has been considered seriously in recent years. One of the most critical and challenging discussions with sustainable community development is energy debate. Due to important role of land use layout in sustainability of neighborhoods, energy consumption and land use planning approach to sustainable neighborhood development thereof, and with emphasis on efficient use of energy, can protect and enhance the level of sustainability in different neighborhoods. This study attempts to clarify the concept of neighborhood sustainable development especially in field of efficient energy consumption and its relation to land use planning. Daroos among other neighborhoods was chosen because it is one of Tehran's northern neighborhoods, which has been developed through a predetermined plan. The research method is analytic. To analyze the collected data (using questionnaires, field studies, information from relevant organizations and etc.), the qualitative, quantitative methods and analytic relevant softwares, including GIS (Geographic Information System), Likert spectrum and etc, have been used. In the section of analysis, critera and sub- criteria derived from theoretical framework are weighted using AHP tools and expertise; therefore arrangement of land uses in the neighborhood with an approach to energy consumption in the current situation, are analyzed. According to results of the analysis, options for land use planning in the neighborhood are offered. Then considering the criteria check list method and effects on energy consumption and according to the criteria and sub- criteria framework, options are evaluated. As a result, superior option for land use planning in line with sustainable neighborhood development, with emphasis on energy efficiency in the specified neighborhood is selected. Questions in prepared questionnaire are based on some sub-criteria for land use planning in order to optimize energy consumption, which directly associated with different age range residents, have been set and according to Likert spectrum, responses have been provided. Number of questionnaires based on the Cochrane formula is calculated (96 questionnaires) and randomly, in several parts of neighborhood have been completed. The results of this study demontrate that some sub-criteria such as land use diversity, appropriate public transit stop coverage radius, optimum residential density, nonresidential density, neighborhood unit centers, and etc., are in favorable conditions. However, in order to develop land use planning with an approach to efficient energy consumption in Daroos, it is imperative to improve some sub-criteria, such as dynamic neighborhood activity center, access to basic services, parking lots near public transport stops, standard green area per capita and etc., which are not in desirable conditions. Considering theoretical framework, acquaintance with Daroos neighborhood and the upstream projects, a land use plan was developed and presented as a result of this study.