Space Ontology International Journal
Volume:4 Issue: 2, Summer 2015

Land use planning is the main core of urban planning and one of the main components of an urban system. This element has close relation with transportation system of the city, so if their interaction becomes insufficient, deterioration and chaos would have an adverse impact on the urban system and would cause serious environmental issues. The integrated land use-transportation models seem to be the ones that can help to create efficient interaction between land use and transportation systems. Since the introduction of sustainability to urban studies, urban researchers have tried to investigate and use the variables that will help to achieve urban sustainability in the models. This analytical-documental research (with a quantitative approach), with emphasis on sustainability tries to verify the most effective variables in the above  mentioned models, and then propose a process with a particular kind of analysis. The verified variables and the process are then examined in part of the 22nd district of Tehran as the case study. Our findings indicate that; applying the chosen variables in the model and simulation process will make significant reduction in energy use, pollution (MO2), and delay (direct effects on environment and economy). The indirect effect shows itself on social aspect since the mentioned changes are related to the citizens conveniences.

Climate change impacts are seen within growing numbers of cities in low- and middle-income countries, so there is growing interest in the adaptation and mitigation plans and programs put forward by city authorities. This paper aims to provide a better understanding of the constraints which cities face them in this subject by analyzing the case of Tehran. City has a commitment to decentralization, transparency, accountability and participation. There are some new programs and plansin urban planning which has evolved to include a broad vision of urban challenges and responses, a commitment to environmental sustainability and a strategic plan that has involved multiple stakeholders. This paper describes the principles for integrating climate change adaptation and mitigation with urban planning which can be useful for urban authorities. Then it analysesthe many measures implemented in Tehran over the last years, which provide a solid foundation for more systematically addressing adaptation. It also describes the significant challenges faced by the city’s administration, especially around funding, data and the challenge of responding to pressing and competing interests.Tehran city is still struggling to complete greenhouse gas inventories andit has, however, implemented several specific mitigation measures and tries continuously to place this issue on the government’s agenda.However, Tehran’s particular way of responding to current development challenges has put in place the flexibility, creativity and commitment needed for adaptation, regardless of whether this is made explicit or not. The results of this study reveal thatTehran’s policies have had continuity and consistency, despite being frequently revised over years, because each administration has built upon the progress of its predecessor. This is quite unusual; it is more common for there to be a revision of all that has been accomplished and for the need to point out the negative aspects of the previous administration and to differentiate from it. But according to policies that developed and leading countries in field of climate change adaptation and mitigation, Tehran can create a basis for including adaptation measures in local environmental and development plans. Some solutions in this area are: effective governance; institutional capacity; innovative planning and legal frameworks; holistic approaches to urban environmental problems and local development issues; a capacity to work with the urban poor; and an engaged civil society.

Deteriorated urban textures are areas of a city isolated from developmental life cycle. They have turned into the focus of problems and inefficiencies. The evaluation of renewal actions claims to promote residents’ satisfaction in some cases. At the same time of improving objective and economic quality of life, there are claims regarding the lack of any improvements in their subjective quality of life. Above physical reforms, renewal actions in deteriorated textures should consider the issue of enhancing residents’ quality of life. Hence, besides considering physical aspects, renewal thoughts must also seek to provide and promote their quality of life and satisfaction. This article explains the status of residents’ satisfaction in the internal and external experiences of urban deteriorated fabrics renewal. To do so, first, the aspects of residential satisfaction in deteriorated textures will be discussed. Then, the status of these aspects in renewal experiences will be reviewed. Accordingly, the aspects of achieving residential satisfaction in these fabrics are explained via deductive reasoning method. Based on historical research method, renewal experiences are studied regarding the aspects of residential satisfaction.   Residential satisfaction in deteriorated fabrics is influenced by all physical-environmental, services, socio-cultural, managerial, and economic aspects. Reviewing the renewal experiences across the world showed that, by 1990s, renewal was only continued based on physical and economic aspects in deteriorated areas. Yet, in this decade, it was tried to include social, managerial, and subjective aspects of residential satisfaction in the renewal of these textures by participating residents and stakeholders in the whole renewal process and using the existing social capital. In Iran, again, the evolutions of renewal thinking and actions show that, by 2000s, renewal was mainly done based on physical and economic aspects with a rationalistic, top-down and one-way management. Yet, in 2000s, it was tried to provide the scene for considering social and qualitative issues by participatory planning and development in the local scale.

Not long ago, city gates and entryways had high spatial value and were among the landmarks for marking city boundaries. Today with cities having been expanded and developed, such aspect of the entrance concept is lost and entryways are turned to passages for transportation. In fact, the rich spatial value of such entrances has decreased as they are solely spaces for passing through out or into the city. The dissonant expansion of entryways causes irregularities in thresholds of urban structure. This is due to imprudent intrusion into city landscape entailed by ill-considered planning activities. The main problem is the lack of comprehensive visual or mental definitions in the field. In other words, the challenge includes improper sequencing, zoning, and lack of lucid scenario and interfere procedure. Through defining a scenario, this study aims to set a spatial hierarchy for urban entryways. It then uses a comparative study to examine the scenario for an existing case study. This study provides a new definition for designing and planning for the fields concerned with city entryways. This implies methods by which authorities can interfere in the process of urban design.

As claimed by many behavioral scientists, designing should be based on the knowledge of interaction between human and environment. Environmental quality is also created in the context in which humans interact with their environment. To achieve such quality, designers should develop appropriate models for explaining this relationship, and this requires an understanding of human nature and the environment. Criticisms on the Modern Movement have shown that architects have often used incomplete and simplistic models in this regard, while most of design ideas are based on the definitions of human and environment and the interaction between them. However, the most important question that is raised is that how understanding of human nature and the environment and their interaction, which depends on foundations of different views, can affect the pursuit of quality in designing? Therefore, the present paper, in addition to introduction and comparison of common paradigms in humanities as the and methodological foundation of human sciences, aims to deal with the relationship of human and the environment from the perspective of objectivist, relativist, and critical paradigms in order to identify the characteristics and differences in their views on the analysis of the quality of this interaction. This is the most important step that paves the way for understanding the qualitative foundations of the environment and human life quality and also the quality of interaction between them.

This survey is conducted with the purpose of studying factors effective in vitality of residential complexes. This is an important subject because through recognition of the reciprocal relation between human being and environment -as far as vitality is concerned- various attitudes and approaches can be recognized and on the other hand, for the purpose of explaining the concept of vitality in the domain of architecture, we can define some physical and conceptual criteria and indicators in residential complexes which allow improvement of mental welfare and social stability. This survey is a fundamental research conducted based on inferential method, content and comparative method. Data were collected through documentary method and through conducting field study in Azadegan, Lakan and Golsar Residential Complexes of Rasht and were studied through analytical-Survey Method. Data collection tools included questionnaire and photos. The theoretical framework of this research was based on the psychology of vitality and happiness-oriented approach and puts emphasis on understanding the issue and merging it with the theory of perception which is based on final result of perception of space and also based on Gibson’s information theory in the domain of perceiving space elements and factors.The data analysis reveals that the three indicators of vitality in residential complexes include mental, physical and service indicators that taking the standards of these three indicators and the degree of their influence and priority into account can be considered in designing alternatives.

Human habitat change is a complicated issue that many factors play different roles in its formation and distribution. Considering this complication, a more comprehensive and holistic approach is needed for a better understanding and management of those factors. The causal frameworks are among systemic and integrated methods for addressing the causes of environmental problems and the relationships that exist between the environmental systems for proposing proper solutions. The DPSIR model is a functional analysis framework to depict the cause-effect relationships that exist in creating environmental problems. Tehran is one of the major megacities in the Middle East that faces environmental consequences of over population and unplanned urban sprawl, and because of its location in arid region, its vulnerable to rise of environmental problem. In this research, by using the DPSIR framework, different aspects of habitat condition of Tehran are analyzed and later with the help of this conceptual framework, strategies for controlling urban environment.The results show that urbanization is the major driving force that is induced by overpopulation and the need for further urban sprawl, which cause pressure on natural resources. The state of housing and rapid land use changes have brought about unfavorable living conditions that result in unfavorable impacts on public health and safety, which are the results of ineffective policies and solutions.