Evaluation of the aesthetic traits of ornamental shrubs in urban green space (Case study: region one of Rasht city)

Ornamental flowering shrubs have a special place in urban landscapes. Appropriate selection of these plants according to ecological and aesthetic criteria can help to improve and develop the performance of the urban landscape. A lot of research has been done on the selection of plants in green space. But less research has been done to examine the aesthetics of ornamental flowering shrubs. Identification and prioritization of ornamental flowering shrubs in region 1 of Rasht city is addressed in this research, according to experts’ evaluation. In this study, the combined approach of AHP-TOPSIS was used to prioritize the indices and rank the shrubs. The results of this study showed that Lagerstroemia indica has the first rank according to 10 indicators among 17 shrubs. Using the AHP-TOPSIS method is a good way to select a shrub. The findings of this research, based on identification of 10 indices and 17 shrubs, showed that among the indices, the landscape aesthetics index with a coefficient of 0.188 and flowering period with a coefficient of 0.185, ranked first and second, respectively. Also, shrub height index and branching with weights of 0.047 and 0.059 gained the last ranks. Among the shrubs, Lagerstroemia indica with a coefficient of 0.791 gained first rank, and Callistemon citrinus and Nerium oleander with coefficients of 0.732 and 0.722, gained second and third ranks in the green space of the Rasht city from the view of experts. Philadelphus coronaries and Spartium junceum with coefficients of 0.321 and 0.309, had the last ranks. Therefore, this method can be used to select plants in the urban landscape in similar regions.