Evaluation and optimal site selection for local and regional parks in Shiraz city

Rapid expansion of cities in developing countries has had a number of spatial-physical consequences including imbalance distribution of service-related land-use in cities, especially metropolitan areas. Shiraz as a metropolitan in Iran is no exception. Intensive concentration of service-related land-use in few areas of the city has led to deprivation of the rest parts of the city to enjoy urban facilities and services. Urban parks distribution is an example of the mentioned situation. Public parks regardless of their function to clean the environment have an important role in citizen’s health conditions. Assessing the spatial distribution of local and regional parks of Shiraz indicates that there is a high concentration of such features in central area of the city and its nearby lots. Accessibility to such parks is not easy for most residents and the influence areas of the parks are intersected in most cases. The present study was aimed to show the optimal site locations for public parks in Shiraz. Therefore, first effective criteria for urban park locations were defined based on current land-use map of the city, and then using Hierarchical Analysis Process method, the criteria and sub-criteria were weighted. Finally, based on network analysis and defining influence area methods, 14 local parks and 3 regional parks were proposed in suitable locations.