Archaeology and nature: hyblean cultural landscape and territorial ...

3.1. A brief history of Iranian productive landscape
Throughout different periods of time gardens have been deemed as sacred places, where techniques of
farming and gardening had been practiced. Survival of ancient Iranian cities depended on the presence of
gardens, at the city’s entry [6].In ancient times cities were regarded as garden-city in that farming and
agriculture were an inseparable feature of those cities.
The city was surrounded by large scale farmlands that reduced into private courtyard when entering into the
city core. Farming is part of Iran’s economical and production system, which promotes self –sufficiency.
Iranian cities have lost their identity during years and they sought to imitate western culture ,hence farm
land had been replaced by parks during centuries.
Tehran is surrounded by agricultural lands and gardens (Fig.2). The city’s wall was removed in 1270 for the
first time and it was expanded in four directions. As the city developed a remarkable part of it remained in the
form of gardens, farmlands and green spaces. And the new developed city spreaded out to fertile fields in
the outskirts [5]. The Gardens gradually transformed into roads and buildings without any visual and
conceptual harmony (Fig.3).
3.2. Site inventory and analysis
Tehran’s agricultural land, is both located within the city and in the city’s outer range .productive landscape
in the outer range considered as rural area and were designed according to a specific structural
plan(Fig.4).The inner lands are located in three different regions and they have been structured according to
their specific regional policy plan(Fig.5). Hence, there is not a coherent and unified approach regarding
agricultural land design in Tehran.
Although an urban freeway acts as a border in between the metropolitan and the rural area, there is not any
hierarchical process to segregate the rural and urban area. Due to Lack of integrated approach to
agricultural land design and planning, agriculture as an important urban function is neglected. This leads to
unauthorized construction, destructions of agricultural land and exploiting agricultural lands for other uses.
3.3 Proposed productive landscape’s arrangement pattern in the selected site (regional scale)
Converting agricultural lands and gardens into urban and industrial land use, leads to environmental and
economical consequences, which is threatening to the productive landscape’s preservation. Therefore the
Importance of productive landscape development and preservation are as fallowing:
Tehran’s southern agricultural lands perform as a visual land mark on entrance to the city.
Urban gardening and agriculture revitalized the native landscape and is considered as Tehran’s
valuable heritage.
Sustainable approach, accentuate productive landscape preservation and development.
Productive landscapes are urban ecological zones, and their preservation ,will strengthen
biodiversity and the life cycle
Fig. 2, 3: Tehran map in 300 years ago, Tehran map in 200 years ago
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