Analysis of Urban Gardens in Urban Natural System Based on Water Footprint Approach (A Case Study of Nazhvan area of Isfahan)

Urban gardens are important not only in terms of landuse but also in terms of the urban infrastructure, and their protection is an intergenerational responsibility. In recent decades, urban growth, inability to adapt ecological potential to the horizontal development of the city, weak integrated land management, inconsistencies in legal principles, lack of water resources and land trade, have led to the destruction of gardens and Irregular construction in them. The continuation of this process will face a crisis in urban life. Accordingly, the mechanism of protection of urban gardens has become a serious issue. This paper aims to explain the importance of urban gardens as urban green infrastructure, based on Water Footprint Protection and planning experiences and legal principles and by examining the special plan of Nazhvan lands as one of the successful experiences in this field, to introduce a desirable model to prevent the decline of urban ecosystem. This paper in terms of orientation is an applied research and in terms of the nature and subject of the research is descriptive and explanatory-predictive. The strategy of the research is based on qualitative research and case study, and data gathering has been done through documentary study and focus group. In this paper, ‘Nazhvan Special Plan’ has been analyzed using strategic analysis (SWOT) method based on the criteria of Plan-Process-Results (PPR) evaluation model and its orientations and intervention methods have been analyzed based on green infrastructure principles. The results of the analysis indicate that in Nazhvan Special Plan, the garden is seen as a part of the integrated structure of Isfahan green infrastructure and the main proposals of the plan are expressed in four types of protection, support, development and organization in order to maintain and expand the gardens. Evaluation of Nazhvan Special Plan shows that this plan has acted in acceptable quality in 50% of the criterias including Internal coherence, Interpretation of planning system, Relevance, external coherence and Direction, 30% of the criterias need to be completed and 20% of the criterias need to be modified and revised to be used in similar future experiences.