Analytical Review of the Visual and Spatial Character of Urban Neighborhoods Toward Optimal Spatial Planning (Case Study: Sirus Neighborhood in District 12 of Tehran Municipality)

Abstract

The rapid expansion of cities without adherence to design regulations is one of the major causes of disorder in contemporary urban environments. In Iranian metropolises, cities have lost the opportunity for spatial refinement due to rapid growth, resulting in evident visual chaos. Neglecting urban visual character, landscape, and the quality of urban spaces is considered one of the serious issues facing the city of Tehran. Due to insufficient attention to the principles of urban visual character and landscape and their role in spatial planning, many proposed plans have failed to meet citizens’ needs. The Sirus neighborhood, one of the historical cores of Tehran, is among the sites whose historical fabric makes it worthy of examination. The aim of this study is to analyze the factors affecting the visual and spatial character of the Sirus neighborhood in line with achieving optimal spatial planning. The central area of the Sirus neighborhood was selected as the study boundary for redesigning its visual character and landscape toward efficient spatial planning. This research is applied in purpose and employs a qualitative–quantitative methodology. The statistical population consists of experts. The sampling technique was snowball sampling. Research data were collected through a library method, and the data collection instrument was a questionnaire. Data were analyzed using a Delphi panel approach. The results indicate that the visual and spatial character of the Sirus neighborhood, with an emphasis on spatial planning, is unfavorable, with most criteria scoring below the mean value of 3. Overall, among the 35 evaluated criteria, 22 were in an unfavorable condition and 13 were in a favorable condition.