Ecological approaches in planning for sustainable streets (Case study: Azadi Street)

The streets located in megalopolises have been designed for facilitating the traffic of vehicles. With the increase of the number of vehicles and the limited capacity of traffic, the qualitative level of streets is decreasing. The connection of streets with the community and environment has been neglected and unstable and undesirable conditions for living in street and its surrounding context have appeared. The street through making suitable, spatial and social communication and exchanges can play the most influential role in the existence of lively urban spaces. Ecologic streets through considering social, economic and environmental needs of the considered society, try to make all the people take part in the considered process. The existence of criteria like ecologic streets, comprehensive streets and streets with visual and sensory quality as well as sustainable development in city requires the process of designing urban and ecologic street. The aim of this study is to consider effective criteria in designing the ecologic street that are obtained by performing field studies and using library documents. The strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the Azadi Street have been extracted and ranked through using Expert Choice software. Finally, through using SWOT matrix such issues have been analyzed and the defensive approach in the process of programming the Azadi street street was obtained. Therefore, determined strategies show the crucial position of the Azadi street ecologically that should be considered in urban programming.