Urban Planning
Zeinab Adeli; Azin pirasteh
Abstract
Highlights
Comprehensive Assessment: Systematic, multi-scalar analysis of the correlation between 22 distinct urban form indicators and primary air pollutants across all 22 administrative districts of Tehran.
Spatial Determinism: Empirical confirmation of the decisive role of urban spatial structure ...
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Highlights
Comprehensive Assessment: Systematic, multi-scalar analysis of the correlation between 22 distinct urban form indicators and primary air pollutants across all 22 administrative districts of Tehran.
Spatial Determinism: Empirical confirmation of the decisive role of urban spatial structure and morphological patterns in modulating air quality variations.
Introduction
Despite occupying less than three percent of the Earth’s surface, contemporary cities are the primary drivers of anthropogenic pollution, exposing a vast global population to hazardous air quality with severe public health and economic repercussions. While vehicular emissions and fossil fuel consumption are the dominant sources of atmospheric pollutants, local climatic conditions, complex topography, and—critically—urban form exert a profound influence on pollutant dispersion and concentration. Recent scholarship has increasingly focused on the nexus between urban morphology and air quality, suggesting that land-use patterns and spatial configurations can significantly attenuate or exacerbate the accumulation of pollutants. However, much of the extant research has been geographically limited or focused on restricted sets of environmental indicators.
Tehran, as a rapidly expanding megacity characterized by industrial development, high population density, and intensive motorized transport, serves as a critical case study for this environmental challenge. This research aims to investigate the complex relationship between various urban form indicators and air pollution levels across Tehran’s 22 districts. Specifically, the study seeks to answer: What are the primary morphological indicators affecting air quality, and what are the specific correlations between these urban form dimensions and major pollutants (CO, O₃, NO₂, SO₂, and PM2.5)? This understanding is essential for shifting towards more sustainable urban planning paradigms.
Theoretical Framework
This study conceptualizes the city as a dynamic system where physical form and environmental processes are inextricably linked. The research operationalizes urban form through 22 metrics categorized into four strategic dimensions: environmental design, land use, accessibility, and density. By meticulously calculating the quantitative values of these metrics for each district, the study provides a robust empirical basis for evaluating the spatial distribution and intensity of pollutants.
The correlation between these indicators and annual pollutant concentrations is analyzed to assess how spatial and design configurations influence urban environmental performance. This research adopts an applied analytical approach, utilizing quantitative spatial data to delineate the association between the dense urban fabric of Tehran and the magnitude of pollutants. Pearson’s correlation coefficient is employed as the primary statistical tool to establish the strength, direction, and structural significance of these bivariate dependencies. By integrating concepts from urban morphology and environmental science, this research offers a comprehensive understanding of how strategic spatial interventions can be leveraged to enhance urban environmental resilience.
Methodology
This research is an applied study utilizing a quantitative-statistical approach. The primary objective is to analyze the correlation between urban form indicators and air pollution across Tehran’s 22 districts. Data regarding the concentration of pollutants (CO, SO₂, NO, O₃, and PM2.5) were compiled from official air quality monitoring station archives and longitudinal environmental reports.
The indicators of urban form were categorized based on a thorough literature review, followed by the definition of standardized quantitative measures for each. Subsequently, the Pearson correlation test was performed to test the null hypotheses concerning the relationships between independent variables (urban form metrics) and dependent variables (pollutant concentration). This method allows for a clear evaluation of linear relationships within the high-density urban environment of Tehran, facilitating the identification of critical morphological factors that correlate with air quality degradation.
Results and Discussion
The Pearson correlation analysis revealed a diverse range of relationships between urban form and pollutant concentrations. Statistically significant positive correlations were observed between “residential unit density” and pollutants such as CO, SO₂, NO₂, and PM2.5, confirming that high-density residential areas—often associated with increased traffic and energy consumption—are more susceptible to air quality issues. Similar trends were noted for “gross population density” and “distance traveled,” which show a strong positive correlation with SO₂ and NO₂ emissions, underscoring the role of transport and human intensity in pollution cycles.
Conversely, indicators associated with sustainable urban design, such as “public transport network length” and “per capita green space,” demonstrated inverse relationships with several pollutants. For instance, increased green space coverage was negatively correlated with SO₂ and CO levels, suggesting a significant mitigating effect. However, the study also encountered complex nuances; for example, while some indicators like “pedestrian and bicycle path length” showed negative associations with SO₂, they exhibited positive correlations with others, indicating that the impact of urban form on air quality is multifaceted and highly dependent on the specific pollutant under examination.
Conclusion
This study provides empirical evidence that urban form is a fundamental determinant of air pollution distribution. By analyzing 22 morphological indicators, the research confirms that structural characteristics—such as land-use intensity, density, and spatial connectivity—directly influence the accumulation of CO, SO₂, NO₂, and PM2.5. The results suggest that urban air quality is not merely a product of emissions, but also a result of how urban space is organized. Therefore, to mitigate air pollution, urban planners must move beyond traditional emission-control policies and embrace strategic spatial planning. Targeted interventions in density management, the enhancement of green infrastructure, and the optimization of accessibility can act as effective tools for long-term environmental management and sustainability in the Tehran metropolitan area.
Acknowledgment
We sincerely acknowledge all those who provided scientific support for this research.
Passive Defense
Hossein Mahdizadeh; Ghader Ahmadi; Mohammadreza Pakdelfard; Mahsa Framarzi
Abstract
Highlights
- The vulnerability of the semi-grid urban form is greater than that of the grid urban form with respect to the indicators of plot area, fabric pattern, building density, building age, building quality, distance from rescue centers, distance from hazardous centers, building facade, ...
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Highlights
- The vulnerability of the semi-grid urban form is greater than that of the grid urban form with respect to the indicators of plot area, fabric pattern, building density, building age, building quality, distance from rescue centers, distance from hazardous centers, building facade, population density, and building structure.
- The vulnerability of the grid urban form is greater than that of the semi-grid urban form with respect to the indicators of distance from open spaces, area of worn fabric, distance from faults, and distance from the main thoroughfares of the city.
- The grid urban form exhibits better performance than the semi-grid urban form in terms of vulnerability from the perspective of passive defense against earthquake.
Introduction
The present age is referred to as the age of urban vulnerability, because cities face natural hazards and technological crises from various aspects on the one hand and socio-security crises on the other as urban life becomes more complex. The issue of passive defense is no longer defined as a mere research topic but as a vital requirement for governing any country, both upon crisis and at other times, for maintenance of its material and spiritual values. Therefore, the theoretical and practical position of defense and defense against the crisis is very important in this area. On that basis, the application of passive defense and consideration of its principles in urban planning can greatly reduce the destructive effects of such crises. The checkered city of Salmas, Iran, a mid-sized city, according to Iranian Space Agency, with a population of 91239 people, is located in a region with high relative risk based on the relative earthquake risk zoning of Iran, from the study of the National Physical Plan of Iran. Due to its location on a fault, evidenced by the devastating 7.2-magnitude earthquake in 1930, it is very important in this city to observe the principles of passive defense in urban planning. Accordingly, this study was conducted with the aim of measuring and modeling the vulnerability of grid and semi-grid urban forms in Salmas against earthquakes from the perspective of passive defense.
Theoretical Framework
With respect to the type of fabric, there is less vulnerability and greater relief in case of earthquake in regular continuous fabrics over flat lands featuring roads with low or medium confinement and blocks with one or two regular rows of construction. The grid urban form of the roads is also effective in the provision of relief due to easy access. Regular and stepped discontinuous fabrics over foothill lands are moderate in terms of efficiency and vulnerability, and irregular continuous fabrics over flat areas are less effective against earthquakes. The indicators of urban fabric in the assessment of vulnerability against earthquake include the method of attachment of adjacent segments to the passage, adjacency of the open and constructed spaces of each section to the passage, extent of confinement of the fabric, pattern and size of the urban blocks, and pattern of combination of the roads and urban blocks.
Methodology
In this applied analytical research, data collection was carried out through library studies, existing articles, field studies, and 2016 census information from the Statistical Center of Iran. Thus, the effective indicators of vulnerability were extracted from the perspective of passive defense after the relevant documents and resources were studied, and fourteen indicators were then selected from among various influential factors according to their availability for specification of vulnerability in Salmas to obtain the research output. Given that each of the indicators effective in the specification of the vulnerability of the coefficient has a different importance, the opinions of the elite were used in this research to determine the weight (coefficient of importance) of each indicator. To weigh the indicators according to the BWM method, ten questionnaires with contents based on a pairwise comparison of the indicators were formulated given the preference of the best indicator over the others and the preference of the other indicators over the worst. In the next step, the data from the questionnaires were entered into the GAMS software and calculated and analyzed. The weight calculated with the value of λε obtained for the ten questionnaires was 0.097, which indicates the stability and consistency of the calculated weights due to its proximity to zero. For spatial analysis, the information layers of the indicators were first digitized and edited in the GIS software, and each of the indicators was multiplied by the significance coefficient calculated by the BWM method through conversion of the information layers into rasters and their standardization with large and small fuzzy functions and Boolean logic. Using the weighted sum of the indicators to measure vulnerability, the grid and semi-grid urban forms in Salmas were addressed separately.
Results and Discussion
Among the calculated weights of the indicators in GAMS, the highest concerned urban from pattern, with 0.164, and the lowest pertained to building façade, with a significance coefficient of 0.030. The average value of λε obtained for the ten questionnaires was 0.097, which indicates the stability and consistency of the calculated weights due to its proximity to zero. The results of combining the indicators in the grid urban form in Salmas demonstrated that there were 4866 parcels in the very low vulnerability zone in the grid urban form, 2719 parcels in low vulnerability, 2862 in medium vulnerability, 3435 in high vulnerability, and 430 parcels in the very high vulnerability zone. In the semi-grid urban form, there were 611 parcels in the very low vulnerability zone, 2598 in low vulnerability, 3669 in medium vulnerability, 5350 in high vulnerability, and 3057 parcels in the very high vulnerability zone.
Conclusion
In general, it can be stated that the level of vulnerability in the grid urban form is less than that in the semi-grid urban form. The semi-grid urban form was found to be more vulnerable than the grid urban form based on the indicators of area, parts pattern, building density, building age, building quality, distance from rescue centers, distance from hazardous centers, building facade, population density, and building structure. Moreover, the grid urban form was found more vulnerable than the semi-grid urban form based on the indicators of distance from open spaces, range of worn fabric, distance from faults, and distance from the main thoroughfares of the city.
Urban Design
Yones Changalvaiee; Mostafa Behzadfar; Mahmud Mohhamadi; Zahra Sadat Saeideh Zarabadid
Abstract
As an interface between humans and their peripheral environment, urban form is the embodiment of formative and transformative flows of the built form. Energy flows of urban form production, operation and maintenance lead to the generation and transformation of built form which is the transmitter of information ...
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As an interface between humans and their peripheral environment, urban form is the embodiment of formative and transformative flows of the built form. Energy flows of urban form production, operation and maintenance lead to the generation and transformation of built form which is the transmitter of information flows, such as visual and perceptual flows, between humans as receptor and the built environment. On this basis, continuous and integrated interactions between humans and the living environment is considered as energy operational flows of environmental comfort (heating and cooling energy demand) and informational flows of perception, cognition and evaluation of the built form (focusing on visual interaction) which are the two generic flows of built form in relation with humans. These relations and interconnections between energy and information flows are excavated based on the Eco Efficient Urban Form (EEUF) model. The present research aims to explore the relationship between these two flows and the built form based on two distinct states of occlusivity factor: distribution of built elements in vertical plane (Adolphe occlusivity factor for operational energy flows), and Benedikt occlusivity factor for visual information flows which demonstrates the interconnections between the horizontal built elements perimeter map and visual sight flows. The analytical content of the study was chosen from the morphological aspects of Isfahan in the form of ten morphological types presenting general morphological trends of Isfahan. With regard to these, results indicate that there is an inverse correlation between the two states of occlusivity: occlusivity in vertical planes for energy performances and occlusivity in horizontal planes for sustainable visual information flows between built form and humans. The results reveal that the fabrics with organic morphological aspects and structure have a higher value in terms of energy performance occlusivisty factor, especially effective for decreasing heating energy demand in cold seasons, and a lower value in terms of isovist occlusivity factor, indicating higher value of isovist compactness leading to coherency in visual information flows. Hence, the results indicate that the integration between two generic flows of sustainable urban form is demonstrable for old tissues with old organic morphological patterns. The main contribution of the study is to confirm the relationship and interconnection between generic flows of energy and information as the key content of EEUF model.The research is focused on the operational mode of energy flows (indoor energy demand) and the visual interactions of information flows. Finally, future research should therefore concentrate on the investigation of the integrity between perceptional aspects of urban form and outdoor environmental comfort as the main characteristics of urban form environmental performance in the form of EEUF model. It is worth to mention that the study is mostly focused on the environmental performance and morphological configuration in hot and arid climate. Therefore, other effective parameters such as structures, visual proportion of vertical facades, aesthetic aspects, meaning of place, environmental preferences, sense of place, etc. necessitate further investigations in the future. Reanalysis of the study model according to the new types of morphological units and other climates as well as addressing perceptional aspects can provide valuable results for developing sustainable urban form frameworks.
