Tehran and the lost nature

Abstract

Located at the foot of the Alborz Mountains, Tehran once had a reputation for its many gardens, trees, and natural beauty. It was because of this rich natural asset that the city was even dubbed ‘ Chenarestan ’, or the land of Chenar trees. Today, there is not much left of this natural element due to decades of rapid urban development and expansion. This chapter presents an analytical account of how this asset came under such heavy threat that there is now a clear scarcity of green spaces in the city. The chapter first traces how social and economic factors, along with the process of modernisation have, over years, contributed to this destruction. An analysis follows of the cultural factors playing parts in this process. The relationship between governmental, public, private factors and the role of civic society as a regulating body are used as a framework for analysis. In the final section, a case study of Darband neighbourhood is offered to illustrate the points made. The destruction of Darband’s rich natural environment exemplifies the wider process of incongruent development and its consequences for Tehran. The case study demonstrates how various factors discussed in the chapter operate to shape the concrete reality of the city.