Investigating and Presenting Environmental Quality Strategies in Informal Settlements with Participation approach(Case Study: Farahzad Neighborhood)

Farahzad neighborhood as one of the old neighborhoods of Tehran, which used to be a village. Along with the rapid development of the city, this neighborhood is facing spatial inequality and various problems related to environmental quality. It seems that the level of participation and presence of citizens in the public areas of Farahzad's informal residence is directly related to the environmental quality. In this regard, the present study seeks to analyze the environmental quality strategies of Farahzad informal settlement based on participation. It is assumed by presenting the proposed strategies of environmental quality in the dimensions (economic, social, physical, environmental, decision-making and management), Farahzad can be directed towards environmental quality with an emphasis on participatory approaches. 

The present research is descriptive and analytical, and in terms of purpose is an applied study. In order to analyze the data, confirmatory factor analysis method was used via AMOS software, SPSS, and SWOT models, and (FARAS, FBMW), and QSPM method. The statistical population in the present study consists of two parts. The first part is the residents of Farahzad informal settlement. According to Cochran's formula, 377 people were selected as the sample population. In the second part, the sample population includes experts and informants. In the field of study, using a purposive sampling, 20 people were selected as the sample population.
 

According to the SWOT model, the most important strengths and opportunities of the neighborhood are the existence of local mosques and the role of neighborhood tourism, and the most important weaknesses and threats are lack of service uses and unprincipled constructions. After the statement of problems, the results of ranking the categories using the FARAS model showed that, from the experts' point of view, the problems of the current situation in Farahzad neighborhood in the physical field with a weight of 0.456 is more than other fields. Subsequently, in order to rank each problem in the thematic areas, the BMW model was used. The most important challenges are as follows: in the environmental dimension, lack of sewage disposal system with a weight of 0.087, in the social dimension, social security with a weight of 0.087, in the economic dimension, the existence of unauthorized housing with a weight of 0.084, in the physical dimension, the growth of informal settlements in the north of the neighborhood with a weight of 0.085, and finally, in decision-making and management dimension, weak participation of people in urban development decisions with a weight value of 0.084. To correlate the problems between environmental quality and citizen participation, Spearman correlation test was used. The results showed a significant and positive relationship between the problems and the lack of citizen participation. Finally, using the QSPM method, goals were formulated in order to improve the quality of the environment based on citizen participation. Organizing informal settlements in the neighborhood are also the most important goals of the managerial, economic and physical areas, respectively. 

In the optimal design and planning of public areas of informal settlements, including Farahzad, it is vital to pay attention to the needs, characteristics and preferences of citizens to attend, perform activities, accept responsibility and, in a word, citizen participation.