Document Type : ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Authors

• Z. Sadreazam Nouri ¹
• J. Nouri ²
• F. Habib ³
• M. Rafieian ⁴

¹ Department of Natural Resources and Environment, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

³ School of Art and Architecture, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

⁴ Faculty of Art and Architecture, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Urban river valleys are so important with regard to their benefits and functions, including air temperate, microclimate creating, landscape, fresh water supplement. Urban development over considering environmental issues, population density, constructions, solid waste or effluent discharging, especially in quantitative and qualitative river boundaries and land taking of their beds, are significant reasons to decline cities functions and ecosystems degradation. So, natural ecosystems should be restored and a thorough strategic planning is necessary for their conservations.    
METHODS: With regards to managerial aspects involving ecological, spatial, economic, socio-cultural, and managerial- executive dimensions integrated management model has been recommended for Farahzad River Valley in Tehran city as a case study via Urban River Survey and Geographic Information System. Finally, effective and efficient strategically management plan was suggested by implementing SWOT, QSPM and Analytical Hierarchy Process.
RESULTS: Amongst 12 identified strategies regulation settings, “correlation between green space and the surrounding park”, and “preventing the increase of residential” and “the expansion of recreation” are prioritized as most significant strategies, scores have been calculated 5.616, 5.589, and 5.375 on QSPM matrix or 0.256, 0.192, and 0.133 by AHP method, respectively.
CONCLUSION: in overall, systemically, multi dimensional and holistic decision of river valleys environmental management is a magnificent example that provides essential tools to urban planners. Environmental and ecological approaches of the model are counted as a main key of succession to sustainable development achievement and its advantage to other past studies.

Keywords

• Analytical hierarchy process (AHP)
• Integrated conceptual model
• River valley
• Strategic management
• Urban rivers survey (URS)
• Urban development

Main Subjects

• Urban ecology and related environmental concerns

Open Access

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this license, visit: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Publisher’s Note

Tehran Urban Planning and Research Center remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional afflictions.