Journal of Urban Environmental Management

Abstract This research aims to identify the origin and hidden causes affecting the ‎occurrence of fires and accidents in the metropolis of Mashhad. The present ‎research is of a descriptive-analytical type that was conducted using the ‎exploratory factor analysis method. In this research, statistical data on ‎fires and accidents of the Mashhad Fire Department during the years 1395 to ‎‏1403 were used.‏
Data related to the causes and origin of fires were categorized into 25 ‎different components and data related to urban accidents were categorized into ‎‏21 components. The adequacy of the sample and the appropriateness of the ‏correlation matrix were confirmed in the fire section with KMO=0.888 and ‎Bartlett's test χ²(300)=2314.183, p<0.001, and in the urban accidents section ‎with KMO=0.816 and Bartlett's test χ²(210)=1000.476, p<0.001.
Exploratory ‎factor analysis identified five main factors for the fire category, which ‎together explain 70.75% of the variance. The main factors included heat from ‎electrical distribution network components and electrical problems with ‎electrical appliances (46.96%), carelessness and high-risk human behavior ‎‎(8.13%), ignition of flammable liquids and gases (5.97%), and high-risk daily ‎activities (5.07%).‎
In the urban accidents (rescue and rescue) category, five factors were ‎identified, accounting for a total of 74.14% of the variance. The main factors ‎included entrapment in confined spaces, elevators, and entrapment of body ‎parts (39.412%), structural hazards, building debris, and indirect falls ‎‎(14.658%), flooding incidents and water/wastewater infrastructure incidents ‎‎(8.838%), and urban gas incidents and respiratory poisoning (6.074%).‎

Abstract The increasing energy imbalance and widespread power outages have transformed energy supply management in urban spaces into a serious environmental and infrastructural challenge. This research aims to provide a comprehensive technical, economic, and environmental assessment of three key solutions for emergency power supply (including UPS, generator sets, and photovoltaic solar systems) across three different levels of urban household consumption (high, medium, and low). The methodology involved collecting data based on current domestic market prices and real technical information extracted from field sources. The study utilized the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) model and Net Present Value (NPV) analysis over a 15-year period, incorporating the effects of inflation and the discount rate, to quantitatively assess all lifecycle costs. Furthermore, the consequences of noise pollution and pollutant gas emissions from generators were considered in the analysis as critical variables affecting urban quality of life and environmental crisis management. The research findings indicated that although, in the high consumption scenario, gasoline generators (Generator Set) are considered the most economical short-term option due to their low initial investment, photovoltaic solar systems, despite their higher upfront cost, offer long-term economic savings in addition to the complete elimination of local pollutants and noise pollution in the urban environment. These findings underscore the necessity of urban policies to encourage and guide the use of clean technologies for energy sustainability in residential areas.

Abstract Medicinal plant gardens are special ecosystem structures of native and non-native plants. In these gardens, plant conservation and propagation are carried out as genetic reserves, plant science studies and public education of the people, and in addition to ecological value and sustainable development of communities, they are effective in reducing the effects of climate change and improving livability. In this research, part of the lands of Kerman Municipality have been selected to design a medicinal plant garden. The necessity of this research is the need to develop native and medicinal green structures appropriate to ecological conditions and improve biological quality. The purpose of this research is to design a garden for collection (gene bank), ease of access to plants, increase information and public tendency to consume medicinal plants, and create a scientific-research garden with artistic and tourism aspects in accordance with the principles of sustainable landscape design. The innovation of the research is to create an ecological oasis of biodiversity in a dry urban environment using unconventional water resources for sustainable urban planning. Also, the landscape factors of the site and their distribution were examined and by determining the landscape zones, planning and design strategies for each zone were determined and an attempt was made to present a combination of the science of medicinal plants and the art of landscape design by preparing a strategic plan for the medicinal plant garden and designing the site plan. The findings of this research include identifying, determining, and presenting a plan for planting native medicinal plant species, phytoremediation for cleaning and recycling water, and selecting, examining, and placing microspaces in the plan related to the type of medicinal plants.

Abstract In the present study, extraction of lithium from salts obtained from brine desalination in Gohar Zamin iron ore mine (Sirjan) was investigated using D2EHPA extractant solvent and kerosene diluent. This laboratory-scale study included 29 sets of experiments using a solvent extraction system. To perform the desired extraction experiments, equal volumes of the aqueous phase (10 ml) were contacted with the organic phase (D2EHPA + kerosene) at a specified concentration and then subjected to stirring in a magnetic stirrer for 30, 45, and 60 minutes at laboratory temperature (23 °C). In this investigation, was utilized form Box-Behnken (response surface design) to optimize and assessment of main variables influence of solvent extraction process such as pH, organic to aqueous phase ratio, stirring time, and D2EHPA percentage on lithium recovery. The linear interference model (2FI vs Linear) was applied as the response for lithium recovery. The accuracy and validity from this model were evaluated using variance analysis (ANOVA). According to the process results, optimal operating conditions for lithium recovery were 69.81% at condition of volume of D2EHPA extractant of 29.2%, pH of 5.6, organic to aqueous phase ratio 3:1, and 52.05 min stirring time. The results illustrated that the stirring time had a smaller effect than the two variables of extractant amount and ratio of O/A. The organic to aqueous phase ratio index O/A was more effective than other parameters on lithium recovery.

Abstract The Anjilsi landfill in Babol County, located in the humid region of northern Iran, generates a considerable volume of leachate daily due to high rainfall and the high permeability of landfill layers. Managing this leachate poses serious technical and environmental challenges. This study aims to present an integrated framework for analyzing, strategizing, and technically designing an optimized leachate treatment system for this site. In the first step, the actual volume of generated leachate was simulated and estimated using the HELP (Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance) model, revealing that the current treatment facility lacks sufficient capacity to handle the inflow load. Subsequently, by applying multi-criteria decision-making tools, namely SWOT, QSPM, and SPACE, the existing system was evaluated in terms of technical and managerial performance, and the strategy of “capacity enhancement while maintaining the existing structure and upgrading critical units” was identified as the optimal alternative. Based on this strategy, a modified treatment process was designed, consisting of anaerobic (ABR), chemical coagulation–sedimentation, membrane bioreactor (MBR), reverse osmosis (RO), and final disinfection (UV/chlorination) units. Mass balance analysis demonstrated that the proposed system can remove COD, BOD, ammonia, TSS, and heavy metals with efficiencies exceeding 80%, producing an effluent fully compliant with national discharge and agricultural reuse standards. The novelty of this research lies in the integration of hydrological modeling, strategic analysis, and a locally adapted process design, which can serve as a practical model for upgrading leachate treatment systems in humid-region landfills across Iran.

Abstract Land subsidence is one of the most significant geotechnical hazards in arid and semi-arid regions globally, primarily triggered by the over-extraction of groundwater resources. Rafsanjan County, a major urban and agricultural center in Kerman Province, has experienced widespread signs of land subsidence in recent years, including building cracking, uneven settlement of structures, and damage to urban infrastructure. This study investigates the effects and risk of land subsidence in Rafsanjan by integrating field observations, documentation of structural damage, spatial data on water wells, and information on groundwater extraction rates. Spatial analysis of damaged structures indicates that the highest severity of damage is concentrated in areas where structures are built on soils with higher density and strength compared to adjacent lands, with the damage attributed to differential subsidence. Conversely, areas underlain by relatively uniform, coarse-grained deposits have experienced less damage due to uniform subsidence. This study demonstrates that the rate and trend of increasing structural damage and subsidence intensify towards areas with a higher density of operational wells and greater volumes of groundwater extraction. This spatial correlation underscores the significant role of human activities, particularly the over-exploitation of groundwater aquifers, in the occurrence and exacerbation of land subsidence in Rafsanjan County.

Abstract The rapid growth of urban populations and energy consumption, coupled with the limitations of fossil fuel resources and environmental crises, has highlighted the necessity of managing energy use in cities. Urban energy simulation using semantic 3D models, due to cost reduction, time efficiency, and the ability to evaluate diverse scenarios, is an effective tool for predicting and optimizing energy consumption in existing urban fabrics as well as designing new neighborhoods and cities. This study reviews urban simulation research over the past decade in estimating energy demand. The findings indicate that semantic 3D models enable precise calculation of energy demand, consumption simulation, analysis of renewable energy potential, and assessment of building renovation scenarios. Optimal use of roof space, simplification of building components, and integration of spatial, energy, and climate data enhance simulation accuracy while reducing computation time. Considering the climatic diversity of Iran, it was found that energy simulation parameters must be adjusted according to each climate: in hot-dry and hot-humid regions, the focus should be on cooling load management and solar energy utilization; in cold and mountainous climates, reducing heating loads and improving building insulation are essential; and in temperate-humid climates, combined consumption patterns and humidity and heating–cooling control must be accounted for. Accordingly, developing semantic 3D city models, establishing building energy databases, generating urban energy maps, and performing dynamic energy simulations can serve as effective tools for energy management, efficiency enhancement, sustainable planning, and supporting strategic decision-making in Iran’s architecture and urban planning sectors.

Abstract Community gardens, rooted in Iranian-Islamic culture, have experienced extensive growth in recent years, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as a widespread phenomenon in Iran's metropolises. This study aimed to recognize them as an "Iranian-Islamic third place" within the framework of urban regeneration, employing a systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis based on the PRISMA 2020 protocol. A search in national and international scientific databases (2019-2025) led to the selection of 60 final studies. Qualitative analysis using MAXQDA software extracted six main themes: alignment with the characteristics of the Iranian-Islamic third place (90%) , social role in neighborhood regeneration (87%) , environmental role and climate resilience (80%) , nutritional role and local food security (73%) , contextual moderating factors (70%) , and outcomes of urban regeneration and identity revival (83%). The results indicate that by integrating Oldenburg's eight features and components of Iranian-Islamic identity, community gardens have filled the post-pandemic gap in informal interactions and contributed to reducing the urban heat island effect, strengthening food security, and the sustainable regeneration of dilapidated urban fabrics. By presenting a native framework for the "Iranian-Islamic third place," this research introduces an operational model for the integrated management of the urban environment and public spaces and suggests that these gardens be prioritized as "community-driven and resilient regeneration cores" in the planning and policymaking of urban environmental management.