Transforming Leftover Spaces into a Resilient Urban Landscape in Tehran: A MICMAC analysis of Key Social-Ecological Factors

Abstract

Concerning resilient urban landscapes, current research emphasizes that we can no longer ignore ecological systems and social aspects. Thus, planning and design approaches must fundamentally address public needs and preferences. This research focuses on resilience from a community, infrastructure, social-ecological perspective, while there are still considerable gaps in integrated and holistic views on resilience. Moreover, providing more public spaces is a challenge, especially in cities with a high population density. Considering vacancy as an underexplored resource for socio-ecological benefits, this study intends to demonstrate how intervention in urban leftover spaces can transform into socio-ecological landscapes contributing to urban resilience. Moreover, choosing the design intervention will directly influence the vacancy; therefore, user preferences should be considered. With an analysis of critical aspects through experts’ opinions of landscape resilience in leftover spaces, the paper shows that Flexibility was the most effective, while Activity affected most properties. Also, to focus on human preferences, a questionnaire was distributed among 386 residents. The findings suggest that the diversity and density of trees, type of activity, and water may create resilient urban landscapes and provoke satisfaction. The study results might inform particular research projects and interventions that consider landscape as a resource for resilience.