Human, Cities and Nature: A Design-Based Relationship
"Throughout history, Iranians have been a nature-oriented people. The renowned Persian gardens are one of the most prominent signs of this cultural trait. Our wise ancestors incorporated one or more biological essences—such as water, shrubs, flowers, trees, and more—into public and communal buildings, urban pathways, administrative and commercial structures, and even mausoleums."
In recent decades, however, the rapid expansion of cities has gradually weakened the connection between people and nature, and between cities and their natural heritage. I believe that every city and its inhabitants must reestablish a balanced relationship among people, the city, and nature. The biological essences inherited from our ancestors—such as gardens, rivers, valleys, mountains, springs, seashores, and others—must be properly preserved and respectfully passed on to future generations. Otherwise, we will be left with joyless, soulless cities filled with masses of buildings and construction materials, populated by citizens who are depressed, aggressive, and ashamed in the face of both their ancestors and descendants.
With steadfast belief in the principles and expressions above, I have endeavored—wherever possible—to propose solutions in my designs that forge connections between the city and its people, especially the younger generation, and their habitats and natural assets, particularly in large-scale urban projects.
In these projects, all decision-making and design are firmly rooted in and guided by the findings, imperatives, and constraints derived from environmental studies and ecological design principles.
It is worth noting that in every project, I have benefited from the collaboration and guidance of university professors, scholars from various disciplines, experienced experts, and dedicated students from different fields—all of whom are committed advocates for the environment of this country.
In the table below, drawn from the projects featured on this site, one or two examples have been selected from each category to illustrate how the relationship between humans, the city, and nature is addressed across seven key domains."
| # | Comprehensive Heading | Specific Heading | Function / Position | Ideas and Strategies | Scale/Type | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buildings | House | Tranquility and human comfort | Integration of one or more natural essences within or around the dwelling (Iranian House) | Executed | 1-27. Niloufar House | Karaj | 2008, 1-25. Negarestan Residential Complex | Besat New Town – Jarahi – Mahshahr | 2003 |
| 2 | Buildings | Cluster of Houses | Tranquility, comfort, and social connection | Integration of one or more natural essences within or around the cluster (Miānvand natural essences) | Executed | 1-14. Residential Complex | Besat New Town – Jarahi – Mahshahr | 1990 |
| 3 | Buildings | Public Buildings | Individual and collective benefit | Integration of one or more natural essences within or around the building (Miānvand natural essences) | Executed | 2-46. Children and Future Complex | Koohsangi – Mashhad | 1998, |
| 4 | Human Passageway | Alley | Circulation – Social connection | Incorporation of natural essences such as trees and flowers (Koocheh-Bagh – garden alley) | Executed | 1-14. Residential Complex | Besat New Town – Jarahi – Mahshahr | 1990 |
| 5 | Human Passageway | Commercial and Artisan Streets | Circulation – Trade – Social interaction | Incorporation of natural essences including trees, flowers, and flowing water (Bagh-Bazaar – garden market) | Executed | 6-31. Street Layout of District 12 – Strategic–Design | Tehran | 2011 |
| 6 | Human Passageway | Expressways | Movement – Close and continuous visual corridor | Safety enhancement and integration of green natural essences like trees, shrubs, and bushes (Bagh-Rah – garden road) + reuse of vacant spaces | Strategic + Executed | 5-5. Urban Landscape Architecture of Modares Highway – Central Section | Tehran | 1999 |
| 7 | Human Passageway | Urban Highways | Movement – Distant and continuous visual corridor | Safety enhancement and integration of green natural essences like trees, shrubs, and bushes (Bagh-Rah – garden road) + reuse of vacant spaces | Strategic + Executed | 5-1. Safety and Structural Design of Chamran Highway | Tehran | 1990 |
| 8 | Water Corridor | River-Valley | A natural essence – a symbol of nature within the city | Sustainable rehabilitation of the riverbed and adjacent slopes, utilizing surrounding green natural essences — enabling clean passage through the city (the rare gift of a natural essence within the urban fabric) | Strategic + Executed | 4-8. Cultural, Sports & Tourism Campus of Vakilabad Garden | Mashhad | 1996, 6-23. Velenjak River-Valley – Strategic | Tehran | 2004 |
| 9 | Water Corridor | River | A natural essence – a sign of living nature in the city | Sustainable management of the riverbed and its banks, benefiting from surrounding natural essences — clean passage through the city (a connective corridor between city and nature) | Strategic | 6-15. Tourism Development in the Valleys of Torghabeh, Shandiz, etc. – Strategic | Mashhad | 2001, 6-14. Kio River and Mountainous Lands | Khoramabad | 2001 |
| 10 | Water Corridor | Qanat | An ancestral essence – an infrastructure for sustainable urban life | Preservation, revitalization, enhancement, flowing water, and creation of a visible linear garden along its course | Executed | 4-8. Cultural, Sports & Tourism Campus of Vakilabad Garden | Mashhad | 1996, 4-11. Restoration of the Garden and Guesthouse of the National Iranian Oil Company | Tehran | 2002 |
| 11 | Water Corridor | Spring | A natural essence – an asset of the city | Preservation, enhancement, flowing water, and creation of a visible linear garden along the spring's path | Recommended | 6-14. Kio River and Mountainous Lands | Khoramabad | 2001 |
| 12 | Garden – Green Space | Single Gardens | Natural essence – Urban asset | Active conservation through context-sensitive and dignified use | Executed | 4-11. Restoration of the Garden and Guesthouse of the National Iranian Oil Company | Tehran | 2002 3-2. Renovation of Sardar Garden | Polyacryl Leisure Complex – Isfahan | 1990 |
| 13 | Garden – Green Space | Connected Gardens | Natural essence – Urban asset | Active conservation through appropriate, garden-compatible uses | Strategic + Prototype | 6-32. Special Urban-Environmental Design for Kan Gardens – Strategic | Tehran | 2012 |
| 14 | Garden – Green Space | Gardens of an Entire City | Natural essence – Urban asset | Zoning based on environmental studies, site-specific design, and landscape architecture; management aligned with zone/subzone conditions and compatible land use | Strategic | 3-2. Renovation of Sardar Garden | Polyacryl Leisure Complex – Isfahan | 1990 |
| 15 | Garden – Green Space | Public Gardens | Natural essence – Urban asset – Social connectivity | Revitalization, stewardship, function aligned with ecological capacity, and services appropriate to the garden’s identity | Executed | 4-15. Protection and Spatial Organization of Gardens and Agricultural Lands | Tehran | 2010, 4-6. Renovation of Besat Park | Tehran | 1995 |
| 16 | Garden – Green Space | Forest-Gardens on the Urban Edge | Natural essence – Potential for social cohesion | Safety measures, continuity, urban-compatible uses, and functions aligned with garden identity and security | Strategic + Prototype | 5-8. Entrance, Square & Park | Ramin New Town – Ahvaz | 2009, 6-17. Nahar Khoran Valley and Region – Strategic | Gorgan | 2002 |
| 17 | Garden – Green Space | Urban Pardises (Campus-style Parks) | Tranquility – Social interaction | Naming, features, activities, and siting of each garden; integration of gardens; functional balance based on the capacity of each garden | Strategic + Executed | 3-4. Koohsangi Cultural, Recreational, Sports & Tourism Campus | Mashhad | 1993, 3-3. Azadegan Park Cultural, Recreational & Sports Campus | Tehran | 1990 |
| 18 | Garden – Green Space | Fragmented Green Spaces | Greater resilience against threats and degradation | Selecting green spaces for potential linkage, identifying connectors (routes or areas), and implementing methods for spatial integration | Strategic | 5-1. Safety and Structural Design of Chamran Highway | Tehran | 1990, 6-6. Proposed Continuous Green Structure from the Airport to Vakilabad – Strategic | Kohsangi Area – Mashhad | 1993 |
| 19 | Vacant Lands | Degraded Passageways | Urban asset – opportunity for optimized urban functions | Removal of degradation, zoning of the corridor, linear gardens, activities aligned with capacity and need of each zone, integration with adjacent lands | Strategic + Designed | 6-34. Linear Urban Paradise – Strategic | Arak | 2012, 3-14. Sadra Green Campus | Sadra New Town | 2018 |
| 20 | Vacant Lands | Degraded Lands | Urban asset – opportunity for optimized urban functions | Structural reprogramming, removal of physical and functional blight, phased implementation of structural transformation, execution of alternative land uses | Strategic + Designed | 7-14. Rehabilitation of Contaminated Lands | Southeast Isfahan | 2007, 4-15. Eastern Zone Park | Chabahar | 2008 |
| 21 | Natural Structures | Integration of Nature with the City | A foundation for sustainable urban expansion | Final alignment selection, zoning aligned with site conditions and influential structures, protection plan, feasible and site-specific activities including linear gardens | Strategic + Prototype | 6-24. Ghaleh Dokhtar and Ghaleh Ardeshir – Strategic | Kerman | 2004, 4-8. Cultural, Sports & Tourism Campus of Vakilabad Garden | Mashhad | 1996 |
| 22 | Natural Structures | Mountains Dominating the City | Natural essence – Social and ecological connection | Zoning based on structural influence, revitalization, active protection, appropriate uses based on mountain characteristics, potential for stone gardens | Strategic + Executed | 4-2. Ferdowsi Garden | Tehran | 1992, 3-11. Gerdo Mountain Campus | Arak | 2010 |
| 23 | Natural Structures | Inner and Peripheral Urban Hills | Natural essence – Social and ecological connection | Zoning based on structural impact, revitalization, active protection, suitable activities for hill typologies, construction of specialized day–night gardens | Strategic + Designed | 6-16. Entrance to Gorgan City and Hezarpeych Hills – Strategic | Gorgan | 2002, 3-10. Mostofi Mountain Campus | Arak | 2010 |
| 24 | Natural Structures | Foothill Lands | Natural essence – Social and ecological connection | Zoning from structural influences, revitalization, active maintenance, land-specific activities, construction of specialized day–night gardens | Designed + Executed | 4-1. Jamshidiyeh Garden | Tehran | 1978, 4-12. Sofeh Mountain Tourism Complex, Pachenar Spring & Khachik Spring | Isfahan | 2003 |
| 25 | Natural Structures | Urban–Coastal Interface | Natural essence – Social and ecological connection | Safety improvements, revitalization, redesign of access routes from the city, coastal landscaping, construction and planning regulations for waterfront areas | Strategic + Designed | 7-11. Plan for 22nd Streets Perpendicular to the Sea and Coastal Axis | Kish | 2004, 2-11. New Coastal Commercial-Administrative Complex | Old Wharf – Bandar Abbas | 1987 |
| 26 | Natural Structures | Coastal Tourism | Tranquility and social connection | Safety measures, zoning integrated with structural factors, planning of access routes from the city, coastal landscaping, and construction regulations | Strategic + Prototype | 6-37. Sustainable Tourism Development – Free Zone Coast – Strategic | Chabahar | 2018, 6-38. Coastal Development of the New Town of Tis – Strategic | Chabahar | 2022 |
| 27 | Rural Tourism Routes | Rural Tourism Routes | Natural assets – Social connection | Route and corridor safety improvements, revitalization of valuable buildings, zoning and management of key sites, landscape design, construction guidelines on both sides of the road | Strategic + Prototype | 6-21. Tourism Axis of Shazand-Khomein-Delijan – Strategic | Arak | 2003 |
| 28 | Rural Tourism Routes | Historical Tourism Routes | Natural assets – Social connection | Safety upgrades, restoration of historic buildings, zoning of special and heritage zones, landscape planning, building regulations along both sides and within heritage boundaries | Strategic + Prototype | 6-27. Mashhad–Neyshabur Silk Road Corridor – Strategic | Binalud | 2007 |
| 29 | Urban–Environmental Design | Active Stewardship of a City's Natural Assets | Conservation – Sustainable Use Aligned with Capacity | Prioritizing the application of environmental studies and environmental design principles in all planning efforts involving a city’s natural essences (natural heritage) | Strategic + Prototype | 6. Urban-Environmental Design |