Explanation of the feasibility of the ecological city model (biocity) with an emphasis on the role of a renewable gray urban infrastructure.
Subject Areas : Sustainable DevelopmentNaser Lamei Ramandi 1 , Seyyed Mohammad Reza Khatibi 2 , Zohreh Davoudpour 3
1 - Department of Urban Planning, Qa.c., Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran
2 - Department of Urban Planning, Qa.c., Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.
3 - Department of Urban Planning, Qa.c., Islamic Azad University, Qazvin, Iran.
Keywords: Eco-City, Gray Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Grounded Theory, PLS Structural Equations,
Abstract :
Ecological cities seek to create a sustainable balance between human activities and the environment. Based on the objective, this is applied-developmental research. In the qualitative section, grounded theory and MAXQDA software were used for qualitative data analysis. Interpretive-structural modeling and a structural self-interaction matrix were used to provide the initial model. In the quantitative analysis section, the partial least squares technique, structural equation modeling with PLS software, was used. The location and case study are the city of Qazvin. The characteristics and dimensions related to the ecological city in the community, geographical dimension, physical boundary, and sphere of influence with eco-urban dimensions have been studied and analyzed. The results seek to raise awareness and assist in generalizing to similar societies and expanding its application. The statistical population in the qualitative section includes experts, university professors, and urban management specialists. The sampling method combines two methods: purposive non-probability sampling and theoretical sampling. The questionnaire includes 15 main factors and 60 items. Using the power analysis rule at a 95% confidence level, with an effect size of 0.15 and a statistical power of 80%, the minimum sample size was estimated to be 145 people. For greater certainty, 150 questionnaires were collected. The relationships of the constructs affecting the model were investigated and identified. After identifying the sequence of constructs, they were classified in the MICMAC diagram based on the power of influence and the degree of dependence.
1- Barati, Ebrahim; Saberi, Hamid. 1401 [2022]. The Necessity of Creating Ecological Cities, Challenges and Obstacles Ahead in Iran. Journal of Urban and Regional Sustainable Development Studies 3, 170-190. (In persian)
2- Zahedi Kalaki, Ebrahim; Motavalli, Sadreddin; Mahmoudzadeh, Hassan; Janbaz Ghobadi, Gholamreza. 1402 [2023]. Evaluation of Changes in the Ecological Structure of Behshahr City in Order to Provide Solutions to Improve Landscape Continuity and Promote Environmental Resilience. Geographical Landscape 62, 239-256. (In persian)
3- Mousavi, Seyed Mahmoud; Mohseni, Amir; Gheytasi Vand, Fatemeh; Sharifzadeh, Fattah. 1399 [2020]. Improving Public Transportation Policy in Tehran: A Comparative Study of Successful Asian Cities. Second National Conference on Water Resources Management Strategies and Environmental Challenges. (In persian)
4- Nouri, Mahboubeh; Rezaei, Mohammad Reza. 1402 [2023]. Application of Environmental Technologies in Creating a Sponge Eco-City Pavement (Case Study: Shiraz). Spatial Planning Geography 4, 97-114. (In persian)
5- Barati, Ebrahim, Saberi, Hamid, Khadem Al-Hosseini, Ahmad, Azani, Mehri. (1400 [2021]). Identifying and Analyzing Effective Factors in Achieving an Ecological City (Case Study: Dorcheh City). Spatial Planning, 11(4), 151-168. (In persian)
6- Heydari, Mohammad Taghi, Salimi Abolfazl, Mohammadi, Ali, (1402 [2023]), The Role of Community-Based Planning in the Renovation of Urban Gray Spaces, Political Strategy Quarterly, 4(7), 331-356. (In persian)
7- Salehi Amiri, Seyed Reza, Khodaei, Zahra. (1396 [2017]). Slums and Informal Settlements, Tehran, Second Edition, Qoqnoos Publications. (In persian)
8- Sarafi, Mozaffar; Tavakoli Nia, Jamileh, Chamani Moghaddam, Mehdi. (1395 [2016]). Exploring the Role of Government and Informal Goals in Iranian Urban Planning. Soffe, 25(2), 71 –88. (In persian)
9- Kokhaei, Tahereh, Masnavi, Mohammadreza. (1393 [2014]). Environmental Design of Ecological Urban Landscape Infrastructures Using the Continuity with Branches (AWOP) Principle in Order to Improve the Quality of Urban Life (Case Study: Tehran Municipality District 2). Environmental Science, 40(3), 559-572. (In persian)
10- Mozhgani, Parvaneh, Jahanshahlou, Lela, Hosseinzadeh Lotfi, Farhad and Rajabi, Azita. (1401 [2022]). Analysis of the Impact of Urban Infrastructures on the Efficiency of New Cities (Case Study: New Hashtgerd and Pardis Cities). Geography Quarterly (Regional Planning, 12(49), 256-276. (In persian)
11- Norouzi, Maryam and Suzanchi, Kianoush. (1401 [2022]). Investigating and Comparing the Role of Urban Infrastructures in the Formation of the Urban Green Network. Architecture and Urban Development of Armanshahr, 15(40), 221-242. (In persian)
12- Hashemi, Aida, Mansouri, Seyed Amir and Barati, Naser. (1395 [2016]). Urban Infrastructure and the Need to Change Perspective in its Definition and Planning; Landscape Infrastructure, a New Concept in the Definition of 21st Century Urban Infrastructures. Baq Nazar, 13(43), 5-18. (In persian)
13- Amati, M., & Taylor, L. (2010). From green belts to green infrastructure. Planning Practice & Research, 25(2), 143-155. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/02697451003740122
14- Clippinger, J., & Davis, R. (2021). Techno-Economic Assessment for Opportunities to Integrate Algae Farming with Wastewater Treatment. Retrieved from
15- Danish, M. S. S., Sabory, N. R., Ershad, A. M., Danish, S. M. S., Yona, A., & Senjyu, T. (2016). Sustainable architecture and urban planning trough exploitation of renewable energy. International Journal of Sustainable and Green Energy, 8(1), 1-7. doi:https://doi.org/10.11648/J.IJRSE.S.2017060301.11
16- Dizdaroglu, D., Yigitcanlar, T., & Dawes, L. (2009). Sustainable urban futures: An ecological approach to sustainable urban development. Paper presented at the Conference Proceedings of The Second Infrastructure Theme Postgraduate Conference 2009: Rethinking Sustainable Development-Planning, Infrastructure Engineering, Design and Managing Urban Infrastructure.
17- Foley, J. A., DeFries, R., Asner, G. P., Barford, C., Bonan, G., Carpenter, S. R., . . . Gibbs, H. K. (2005). Global consequences of land use. Science, 309(5734), 570-574.
18- Gattegno, N. (2011). Ecological Urbanism. In: Taylor & Francis.
19- Grabow, S. (2019). Broadacre City. The Wiley Blackwell Encyclopedia of Urban and Regional Studies, 1-4. doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118568446.eurs0030
20- Hardoy, J. E., Mitlin, D., & Satterthwaite, D. (2013). Environmental problems in an urbanizing world: finding solutions in cities in Africa, Asia and Latin America: Routledge.
21- Hodson, M., & Marvin, S. (2010). Eco-urbanism: transcendent eco-cities or urban ecological security? In.
22- Howard, E., Wright, F. L., & Corbusier, L. (2015). Urban Utopias in the Twentieth Century. Readings in Planning Theory, 23. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/1855161
23- Juchs, S. A., Blvd, S. C., & Creek, C. (2007). The rapid increase in the world’s urban population over the past century has significantly impacted the functioning of the earth’s ecosystems and the services they provide.
24- Kenworthy, J. R. (2006). The eco-city: ten key transport and planning dimensions for sustainable city development. Environment and urbanization, 18(1), 67-85. doi:https://doi.org/10.1177/0956247806063947
25- Mandeli, R. S., Arief, R., Firmansyah, M. R., Nurhasansyah, N., Heldi, H., & Chatri, I. (2022). Implication of the Concept of Ecocity in City Planning in Indonesia. Extra Teritorial, 1(02), 30-37. doi:https://doi.org/10.54482/teritorial.v1i02.113
26- Mayona, E. L. (2021). Konsep ecological city dalam kerangka konsep ekologi kota dan kota berkelanjutan. Jurnal Planologi, 18(2), 226-241. doi:https://doi.org/10.30659/jpsa.v18i2.17978
27- Mayona, E. L., & Sutriadi, R. (2024). Ecological city concept: Challenge and future research agenda in urban ecology perspective. Journal of Infrastructure, Policy and Development, 8(5), 2852. doi:https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i5.2852
28- Abaas, Z. R. (2019). The impact of the residential units’ formation in raising the functional performance efficiency of the human activities. In The 6th Engineering Conference (pp. 278–296). Baghdad: University of Baghdad/College of Engineering Journal of Engineering.
29- Aksoy, Y. (2020). Examining the ecological quality of Küçükçekmece District parks in Istanbul in terms of permeability and natural vegetation. Ekoloji, 19(74), 181-189.
30- Albrecht, J., Smith, R., & Johnson, T. (2023). Urban infrastructure needs in ecological cities: A social and economic perspective. Journal of Urban Planning, 45(2), 123-145.
31- Anker, P. (2020). From Bauhaus to ecohouse: A history of ecological design. Louisiana: Louisiana State University/United States of America Thomson-Shore.
32- BenDor, T. K., Spurlock, E., et al. (2022). A research agenda for ecosystem services in American environmental and land use planning. International Journal of Urban Policy and Planning, 60, 260–271.
33- Bibri, S. E., & Krogstie, J. (2020). Smart eco-city strategies and solutions for sustainability: The cases of Royal Seaport, Stockholm, and Western Harbor, Malmö, Sweden. Urban Science, 4(1), 11.
34- Carter, J. G., Cavan, G., et al. (2024). Climate change and the city: Building capacity for urban adaptation. Progress in Planning, 95, 1–66. Manchester: University of Manchester/UK Elsevier.
35- Çelikyay, S. (2022). A theoretical framework on retro-fitting process based on urban ecology. In Sustainable Urbanization (pp. 251–267). Open access books: Intech Open.
36- Chance, T. (2019). Towards sustainable residential communities: The Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) and beyond. International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) UK, 21(2), 527–544.
37- Chang, I. (2021). Variegated Geographies of Ecological Urbanization: China's Eco-Cities in Global Context.
38- Chen, L., Zhang, Y., & Liu, X. (2024). Models of ecological cities: The role of renewable infrastructure. Sustainable Cities and Society, 56, 102-115.
39- Cidell, J. (2019). A political ecology of the built environment: LEED certification for green buildings. Local Environment, 14(7), 621–633.
40- córdoba hernández, r. a. f. a. e. l., & camerín, f. (2023). assessment of ecological capacity for urban planning and improving resilience in the european framework: an approach based on the spanish case. cuadernos de investigación geográfica, 49(2).
41- Coskun, H. (2023). Eco-City Planning; concepts and contemporary models. Global Journal of Ecology, 8(2), 110-119.
42- Eicker, U., et al. (2024). Economic evaluation of solar thermal and photovoltaic cooling systems through simulation in different climatic conditions: An analysis in three different cities in Europe. Energy and Buildings.
43- Emamnia, S. A. (2023). The concept of sustainable city and eco-city in Iran, case study the third district of Isfahan municipality (Doctoral dissertation, Politecnico di Torino).
44- Eskola, T. (2020). Viikki – Ecological housing and planning in Helsinki. Helsinki: City Planning Department, 24–68.
45- Fastenrath, S., & Braun, B. (2018). Sustainability transition pathways in the building sector: Energy-efficient building in Freiburg (Germany). Applied Geography, 90, 339–349.
46- Feng, Q., Zhao, Y., & Wang, H. (2022). The relationship between renewable infrastructure and urban quality of life. Environmental Science & Policy, 129, 45-58.
47- Garcia, J. L. M. I., & Llorens, F. M. (2020). Rewilding urban areas to maintain ecosystem services and ecological tourism: The case of saler’s devesa, València, Spain. WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment, 248, 177-189.
48- Goddard, M. A., et al. (2020). Scaling up from gardens: Biodiversity conservation in urban environments. Trends in Ecology & Evolution.
49- Gunawardena, K., et al. (2017). Utilising green and bluespace to mitigate urban heat island intensity. The Science of the Total Environment.
50- He, B. J., et al. (2019). An approach to examining performances of cool/hot sources in mitigating/enhancing land surface temperature under different temperature backgrounds based on landsat 8 image. Sustainable Cities and Society.
51- Hou, Z., & Yao, J. (2022). Ecological design strategy of high-tech architecture. Tech Publications, 174–177, 3186–3189. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM
52- Ibrahim, I. A. S. (2020). Sustainable Cities Indices in Modern Architecture: A Comparative Study in UAE. Eco-Architecture VIII: Harmonisation between Architecture and Nature; WIT Press: Southampton, UK, 195, 173.
53- Jashari-Kajtazi, T. (2023). An insight into green/ecological architecture and natural building. Riinvest: University AAB, 1–7.
54- Johnson, M., Lee, S., & Kim, J. (2022). The role of renewable gray infrastructure in ecological city realization. Ecological Indicators, 135, 108-120.
55- Joss, S. (2022). Initiative Tomorrow’s City Today: Eco-City Indicators Stand. & Frameworks. In Bellagio Conference Report (pp. 2–20). London: University of Westminster.
56- Joss, S., Tomozeiu, D., et al. (2021). Eco-cities: A global survey 2011. International Eco-Cities Initiative. London: University of Westminster.
57- KallKalli, L. (2018). History of ecological design. Oxford: Oxford University.
58- Khalid, Z., & Abaas, Z. R. (2021, April). Defining the aspects of the local urban sustainability: Eco-cities as a model. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 754, No. 1, p. 012005). IOP Publishing.
59- Kim, S., Park, J., & Choi, H. (2022). The impact of gray infrastructure on sustainable urban development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 358, 132-145.
60- Kolokotroni, M., et al. (2022). The London Heat Island and building cooling design. Solar Energy.
61- Kotharkar, R., et al. (2018). Evaluating urban heat island in the critical local climate zones of an Indian city. Landscape and Urban Planning.
62- Li, X., & Zhuang, X. (2022). Eco-city problems: industry–city–ecology, urbanization development assessment in resource-exhausted cities. Sustainability, 15(1), 166.
63- Li, X., Yang, L., & Zhao, Y. (2024). Global experiences in implementing renewable infrastructure in ecological cities. Urban Studies, 61(1), 88-105.
64- Li, X.-X., et al. (2020). Evaluation of cool roof and vegetations in mitigating urban heat island in a tropical city, Singapore. Urban Climate.
65- Liisa, J. S. C., Tyrväinen, A., et al. (2022). Tools for mapping social values of urban woodlands and other green areas. Landscape and Urban Planning, 79(April), 5–19.
66- lya Coskun, H. (2024). Towards A 21st Century Systematize the Ideas; COVID-19, Sustainability and Discourse of SDG,(Sustainable Development Goals), The Cities and Housing Models.
67- Mahmoudi, D., Lubitow, A., et al. (2019). Reproducing spatial inequality: The sustainability fix and barriers to urban mobility in Portland, Oregon. Urban Geography Journal, 1–25.
68- Manghnani, N., & Bajaj, K. (2024). Masdar City: A Model of Urban Environmental Sustainability. Journal of Engineering Research and Applications, 4(10), 38-42.
69- Morris, T., Brown, A., & Green, R. (2023). Integrating renewable infrastructure in urban planning: Policy implications. Urban Affairs Review, 59(3), 345-367.
70- Nazir, H., et al. (2019). Recent developments in phase change materials for energy storage applications: A review. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer.
71- Niemelä, J., Saarela, S. R., et al. (2020). Using the ecosystem services approach for better planning and conservation of urban green spaces: A Finland case study. Biodiversity and Conservation, 19(11), 3225–3243.
72- Pardo, C. F. (2021). Shanghai manual: A guide for sustainable urban development in the 21st century. Shanghai: Bureau International des Expositions.
73- Pedersen-Zari, M. (2021). Regenerative urban design and ecosystem biomimicry. New York: Routledge-Taylor & Francis Group.
74- Pickstone, S. (2020). Europe’s cities call for clean energy-future. EndsEurope. Retrieved from https://energy-cities.eu/policy/cities-call-for-a-more-sustainable-and-equitable-european-future
75- Qi, J. D., He, B. J., Wang, M., Zhu, J., & Fu, W. C. (2019). Do grey infrastructures always elevate urban temperature? No, utilizing grey infrastructures to mitigate urban heat island effects. Sustainable Cities and Society, 46, 101392.
76- Rama, M., González-García, S., Andrade, E., Moreira, M. T., & Feijoo, G. (2020). Assessing the sustainability dimension at local scale: Case study of Spanish cities. Ecological Indicators, 117, 106687.
77- Rietmann, H. (2021). Ecological Modernization in the United Arab Emirates?: The Case of Masdar Eco-City (Vol. 119). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
78- Romano, G. C. (2024). The transfer of eco-city concepts to China: A selective and gradual policy transfer style?. Environment and Planning C: Politics and Space, 23996544241232514.
79- Ruiz-Pérez, M. R., Alba-Rodríguez, M. D., Rivero-Camacho, C., Solís-Guzmán, J., & Marrero, M. (2021). The budget as a basis for ecological management of urbanization projects. Case study in Seville, Spain. Sustainability, 13(7), 4078.
80- Sandra, W., Bill, C., et al. (2018). Portland Plan Comprehensive Plan Evaluation (Draft Report). Portland: Bureau of Development Services-Design Review, 1–40.
81- Santamouris, M., et al. (2017). Passive and active cooling for the outdoor built environment–Analysis and assessment of the cooling potential of mitigation technologies using performance data from 220 large scale projects. Solar Energy.
82- Shiuh-Shen, C. (2023). Chinese eco-cities: A perspective of land-speculation-oriented local entrepreneurialism. China Information, 27(2), 173–196.
83- Smith, J., Thompson, R., & White, P. (2023). Challenges in implementing renewable infrastructure in ecological cities. Sustainability, 15(7), 2345-2360.
84- Späth, P., Rohracher, H., et al. (2021). Cities and low carbon transitions: The ‘eco-cities’ Freiburg and Graz. London and New York: Routledge Taylor & Francis Group, Part II, 88–106.
85- Steinberg, F. (2020). Eco-cities in China: Building the Chinese dream. In Europe-China Prospects of Sustainability and Planning of Cities (SPSC 2020) (pp. 1–128). IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 754. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/754/1/012005
86- Steinberg, F., & Li, C. (2018). Compact urban development: EC-Link draft version 1.5. China: Europe-China Eco-Cities Link Project (EC Link).
87- Tsoutsos, T., Papadopoulos, A., & Kouloumbis, E. (2022). Environmental impacts of renewable infrastructure in ecological cities. Renewable Energy, 185, 123-135.
88- Tütüncüoğlu, F. M. (2023). An urban political ecological analysis of the Canal Istanbul Project (Master's thesis, Middle East Technical University).
89- Vincent, A., Green, M., & Robinson, D. (2023). Social and economic impacts of renewable infrastructure on sustainable urban development. Journal of Urban Affairs, 45(4), 567-589.
90- Wilhel, D., Hofmester, P., et al. (2024). Eco-cities: Sharing European and Asian best practices and experiences. Singapore: Konrad Adenauer-Stiftung Ltd.
91- Yakoub, W. A., Elrayies, G. M., et al. (2019). Ambassadors of sustainability: An analytical study of global eco-friendly cities. In Second International Conference (Tenth Conference of Sustainable Environmental Development) (pp. 16–20). Egypt: Menoufia University.
