Investigating the impacts of green spaces planning on social sustainability improvement in Tehran, Iran: a SWOT-AHP analysis

Green spaces are foundational to urban social sustainability and solidarity since they are accessible to all citizens without discrimination or restriction. Such spaces enable social interactions, and as places of convergence offer a sense of belonging, participation and social sustainability. Green spaces also can directly contribute to SDG 11 "Sustainable cities and communities". This research investigates the effects of urban green spaces on the promotion of social sustainability in a case study of Tehran, Iran. By adopting both quantitative and qualitative methods, this study employs a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis in combination with an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) implemented in Expert Choice software and focus group discussions. Results revealed that in order to improve social sustainability, the risk of growing insecurity in green areas among citizens and the spreading of disease due to proximity to dangerous sites were the highest overall priority values. In contrast, the lowest overall priority values belonged to the factors of sports equipment for physical activities and intellectual games and lack of attention to trees and seasonal flowers in some obsolete green spaces.