Over the past decades, protecting existing gardens and farmlands from rapid urban expansion has been a major challenge for municipalities, especially in large cities. Urban development plans — such as master and detailed plans — have mostly taken a growth-oriented approach and failed to preserve these natural assets through conventional planning regulations. This strategic-scale study, covering approximately 700 square kilometers, was the first to base its decisions on foundational environmental studies, environmental design, and landscape architecture, using satellite imagery and map analysis. Other disciplines aligned their studies within this framework, leading to the preparation of the final strategic plan and related regulations. The study divided Tehran into nine major urban-environmental zones, each containing several subzones based on specific local characteristics.