Planning Cooling Structures for Climate-Resilient Cities: A Configurational Approach to Optimizing Urban Green Spaces in Tehran, Iran

The rapid pace of urbanization globally has led to the expansion of unplanned surfaces, intensifying urban heat, increasing climate risks, and exacerbating vulnerabilities in cities. While urban areas significantly contribute to these challenges, they also have the potential to enhance resilience to climate change and related stressors through effective planning and adaptation strategies. In this context, Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) have emerged as a powerful approach in urban planning, design, and management to mitigate urban heat, combat climate change, and improve urban quality of life. Despite the urgent need to integrate NBS into urban planning, many urban areas still struggle to effectively implement strategies that enhance climate resilience while mitigating heat emissions. To fill the gap, this study explores cooling structures in Tehran, Iran, by adopting an integrated planning approach to optimize the cooling effects of urban green spaces (UGS). The research aims to assess how UGS can be strategically planned and adapted to the city’s existing spatial configuration to function as an effective NBS. To this end, the study employs space syntax theory to analyze urban form and structure, and landscape ecology principles to model UGS spatial patterns. Several indices are used to evaluate urban spatial structure, including global integration, connectivity, and spatial depth. UGS spatial patterns are quantified using landscape metrics such as LPI, MPS, TE, ED, MSI, MPI, and MNN. The findings reveal a lack of alignment between Tehran’s existing spatial configuration and UGS spatial patterns and distribution via a combination of spatial and statistical analyses. This misalignment has resulted in suboptimal cooling performance, limiting the effectiveness of UGS in mitigating urban heat. To enhance cooling efficiency, the study proposes the development of a connected ecological network that integrates UGS with urban spatial configurations to improve spatial connectivity and ecological functionality. By adopting this framework, cities can strengthen the synergy between physical-spatial urban layouts and the biophysical characteristics of UGS, creating more resilient urban environments. This approach not only enhances cooling performance but also supports broader climate adaptation efforts, helping cities reduce their exposure to climate risks while fostering greener, smarter, and more inclusive communities.