Title: Urban oasis, towards a prototype for sustainable urbanity: the case of Tehran

Authors: M. Reza Shirazi; Somaiyeh Falahat

Addresses: Oxford Brookes University, Headington Campus, Gipsy Lane, Oxford, OX3 0BP, UK ' Berlin University of Technology, Strasse des 17. Juni 135, 10623 Berlin, Germany

Abstract: Drastic urban transformation of Tehran over the last two centuries generated an open spatial matrix with a state of affairs that is considered highly unsustainable. Due to the vast dimensions of the existing constructed area, which makes any radical interventions almost impossible, prototypes that provide a realistic and applicable approach are required to enhance the sense of place and ameliorate the current unsustainable situation. The aim of this article is to review the above-mentioned problems in the context of Tehran. It investigates the process of 'placelessness' and the state of 'unsustainability' in this city and formulates the concept of 'urban oasis' as an appropriate prototype for future interventions: a 'domain of resistance' against the ubiquitous placelessness of the megalopolis which integrates principles of sustainability and suggests a more sustainable urban life for the city's inhabitants. Finally, it puts forward a practical framework for implementing this concept in Tehran.

Keywords: urban transformation; spatial fragmentation; sustainability; urban oasis; urban enclaves; urban prototypes; open matrix; place; placelessness; Mahalla; Tehran; Iran; sustainable urbanity; sustainable development; cities.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSSS.2015.073227

International Journal of Society Systems Science, 2015 Vol.7 No.4, pp.334 - 351

Published online: 29 Nov 2015 *

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