International Award from the Emerging Communities Forum (ECF 2026) Presented to Applied Project by University of Tehran Faculty Member

According to a report by the Public Relations Office of the University of Tehran, this article, titled "Need Assessment of Urban Zones to Strengthen and Expand Green Space with Emphasis on Spatial Justice (Case Study: Tehran Metropolitan)", is derived from an applied, small-scale research project titled "Spatial Assessment of Green Space Network Connectivity in Tehran Using Landscape Ecology Principles". The project was carried out by the Community and Industry Relations Office under the Vice-Presidency for Research and Technology of the University of Tehran, with the Tehran Urban Research and Planning Center as the commissioning client. The idea, implementation, and responsibility for this research were undertaken by Dr. Sayedeh Alemohammad, a faculty member of the School of Public Administration and Governance at the University of Tehran.

The international event of the Emerging Communities Forum 2026 was held in Istanbul, Turkey, from October 7 to October 9, 2026. Following the judging of submissions in collaboration with the International Union of Urban Professionals (IUPF) and Istanbul Technical University, the award ceremony was also held in that city with their participation. In this international event, numerous valuable scholarly works were submitted by universities and scientific centers from various countries around the world, and among them, the achievement of the University of Tehran faculty member was selected as the top work in the field of urban research.

Unlike conventional approaches that focus merely on per capita green space or the number of parks, this research has analyzed Tehran's ecological network based on key principles of landscape ecology. To achieve this objective, the researchers employed a multi-layered and innovative method, and what distinguishes this project is the design and development of a new composite connectivity index, developed for the first time.

The final output of the project is a strategic management plan built on three pillars: strengthening upstream-downstream connectivity by creating green corridors and connecting transitional stepping stones; protecting and restoring river-valleys as natural corridors; and ultimately strengthening ecological cores. While emphasizing spatial justice in resource allocation, this plan not only provides a systematic picture of the connectivity status of Tehran's green space but also enables targeted intervention to promote spatial justice by making the city's ecological network more connected. This achievement can serve as a model for other metropolises in Iran and the region.