Persian Gardens: Meanings, Symbolism, and Design

Culture and identity in a society can be represented in the architecture and the meanings intertwined with it. In this sense, the architecture and design are the interface for transferring meaning and identity to the nation and future generations. Persian gardens have been evolved through the history of Persian Empire in regard to the culture and beliefs of the society. This paper aims to investigate the patterns of design and architecture in Persian gardens and the meanings intertwined with their patterns and significant elements such as water and trees. Persian gardens are not only about geometries and shapes; but also manifest different design elements, each representing a specific symbol and its significance among the society. This paper seeks to explore Persian gardens in terms of their geometric structure, irrigation system, network construction and pavilions alongside design qualities such as hierarchy, symmetry, centrality, rhythm and harmony. In the second stage, the paper investigates the fundamental symbols and their philosophy in the creation of Persian gardens and in relation to the architecture and design

Snakes in the city: understanding urban residents' responses to greening interventions for biodiversity

As cities are recognised as hotspots for biodiversity, urban greening interventions are becoming more important. Such initiatives are promoted as having multiple benefits for nonhumans and humans alike, infused with narratives of climate change adaptation and positive health outcomes. Yet little research has critically examined how residents of cities respond to urban greening or rewilding interventions and the potentially increasing numbers, or changing types, of diverse plants and animals in urban neighbourhoods. This paper critically engages with the social dimensions of urban greening for biodiversity by drawing on a case study of Upper Stony Creek, an urban waterway restoration in Melbourne's West. Upper Stony Creek is being transformed from a concrete channel separated from the residential area into an accessible urban wetland and park. Data from interviews with residents living in close proximity to the Creek before the transformation show that while being generally supportive of increased greenspace and vegetation in their local area, perceptions of higher biodiversity of native animals are mixed. For example, while birds and lizards are viewed neutrally or favourably, there are fears about the return of snakes. Turning to concepts of biophilia and biophobia, the paper discusses how urban residents' perceptions of and relations to native animals in urban areas could be problematic for urban greening and other initiatives designed to encourage biodiversity. It concludes by arguing that greater understanding of residents' diverse relationships with urban wildlife is needed if cities are to continue to be transformed into shared habitats

Perceptions and Preferences of Urban Greenspaces: A Literature Review and Framework for Policy and Practice

The ever-increasing process of urbanisation across the globe has major implications for the environment, biodiversity and health and wellbeing of urbanites. Urban greenspaces are considered a promising planning tool in tackling some of the problems associated with urbanisation such as pollution and urban heat island effects. It is, therefore, important to understand what encourages the extent to which urban dwellers interact with or use greenspaces. Perceptions and preferences are different ways of exploring how users interact with greenspace, but they are traditionally considered separately in extant research. The aim of this literature review is to synthesise the existing evidence for both perceptions of and preferences for greenspaces, highlighting crossovers and synergies between these two approaches. Drawing on a review of literature found in three online databases - EBSCOhost Web, Taylor and Francis Online and Elsevier -, the paper proposes a framework for understanding perceptions of and preferences for greenspaces which can assist policy makers and planners to develop and design greenspaces with higher efficiency and use or improve existing ones, ultimately improving the liveability of urban environments

Investigating the benefits of 'leftover' places: Residents' use and perceptions of an informal greenspace in Melbourne

Urban greenspaces play a key role in the health and wellbeing and quality of life of residents. Several studies have documented the physiological, environmental and social benefits of parks and formal greenspaces for urban dwellers. The contribution of informal greenspaces and their potential uses and benefits, however, have received very little attention in extant research. Informal greenspaces are found in a variety of forms and types including vacant lots, railway or waterway verges and brownfields. Drawing on an empirical study of Upper Stony Creek in Sunshine North, Melbourne, this paper examines how residents perceive and use informal greenspaces. Upper Stony Creek is a concreted drainage channel with limited access from the residential area. An informal greenspace of around 40,000 square metres is located towards the east of the Creek. Drawing on systematic observations and interviews with local residents, the study examined how residents engaged with and benefited from the presence of informal greenspaces in their neighbourhood. The findings showed that not only did residents use the accessible greenspace, but also they were using channel verges fenced-off at the time. The activities varied based on season and the level of maintenance. Dog walking was the main activity conducted in the informal greenspace, and the lack of regular maintenance, perceptions of unsafety and littering were among the most critical concerns regarding its use. The paper concludes by recommending ways informal greenspaces can be managed and improved to add value to urban environments and fully capitalise on their potential as integral parts of neighbourhoods that can contribute to liveability

Investigating residents' use and perceptions of informal greenspaces: A study of Stony Creek in Melbourne's West

As the world's population is becoming more urbanised, there is growing recognition of greenspaces as a promising planning tool in tackling problems associated with urbanisation. An increasing body of research highlights the physiological, environmental and social benefits of urban greenspaces for urbanites. So far, however, very little attention has been paid to informal greenspaces and their potential uses and benefits. Informal greenspaces are found in a variety of forms and types including vacant lots, railway or waterway verges and brownfields. Drawing on a case study of Upper Stony Creek, an urban waterway in Melbourne's West, this paper examines how residents perceive and use informal greenspaces. Upper Stony Creek is a concreted drainage channel separated from the residential area. An informal greenspace of around 40,000 square metres is located towards the south of the Creek. Drawing on qualitative interviews with residents living in close proximity to the Creek, the study examined how residents engaged with and benefited from the presence of informal greenspaces in their neighbourhood. The findings showed that not only do residents use the accessible green area, but they were also using the fenced-off channel verges. Dog walking was the main activity conducted in these spaces and the lack of regular maintenance and perceptions of unsafety were among the most critical concerns regarding their use. The paper concludes by recommending ways informal greenspaces can be managed and utilised to add value to urban environments and fully capitalise on their potential as additional parkland

Investigating the sustainability of a vernacular village

Vernacular architecture, as an attractive product of the society, is an expression of the cultural beliefs, geographical characteristics and available local materials, which inevitably reflects on its territory and context. The vastness of countries such as Iran, with different climatic zones, has initiated the development of logical design solutions via vernacular architecture. The vernacular heritage with self-efficient local materials and climate responsive design is a manifestation of sustainability. This paper presents the principles and methods of vernacular architectural design, used in a historical village, Abyaneh, in the central part of Iran, to address how sustainability has been achieved through vernacular design in this region. This paper also explores how physically sustainable urban settlements can lead to socially sustainable and viable communities. There are many lessons to be learnt from the vernacular architecture of traditional villages, like Abyaneh, which have been shaped organically, throughout the centuries. Through investigation of vernacular strategies, we need to find economically viable and context responsive design solutions in today\u27s contemporary architectural designs. This study is based on the systematic review of the existing literature, site observations and field studies

Private Gardens as Urban Greenspaces: Can They Compensate for Poor Greenspace Access in Lower Socioeconomic Neighbourhoods?

The increasing process of urbanisation has major implications for the environment, biodiversity, and health and well-being of urban residents. Empirical evidence for urban greening benefits suggests that it is anappropriate planning and policy approach for tackling some of the problems associated with urbanisation, including biodiversity loss and heat island effects. Gardens on private residential lots represent a substantial proportion of greenspaces in low density cities with extensive suburban areas. Drawing on a qualitative study of residents in Sunshine North, Melbourne, Australia, this paper discusses three questions about the relationship of private gardens to public greenspaces: 1) how does residents' use of private gardens impact their use of other neighbourhood greenspaces; 2) can private gardens address inequality of access to greenspaces in lower income neighbourhoods; and, 3) what does this imply for planning and neighbourhood design? Contrary to previous research, the findings did not show a meaningful relationship between residents' use of their gardens and local greenspaces, and further, that large yards and gardens do not substitute for poor access to local greenspaces. The paper concludes that policy makers and planners cannot assume private gardens and public greenspaces are interchangeable. While private gardens and local greenspaces can both provide positive benefits to residents, private gardens do not act as a substitute for local greenspaces in neighbourhoods of varying socio-economic status

Whole-Transcriptome Analysis by RNA Sequencing for Genetic Diagnosis of Mendelian Skin Disorders in the Context of Consanguinity

BACKGROUND: Among the approximately 8000 Mendelian disorders, >1000 have cutaneous manifestations. In many of these conditions, the underlying mutated genes have been identified by DNA-based techniques which, however, can overlook certain types of mutations, such as exonic-synonymous and deep-intronic sequence variants. Whole-transcriptome sequencing by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) can identify such mutations and provide information about their consequences. METHODS: We analyzed the whole transcriptome of 40 families with different types of Mendelian skin disorders with extensive genetic heterogeneity. The RNA-seq data were examined for variant detection and prioritization, pathogenicity confirmation, RNA expression profiling, and genome-wide homozygosity mapping in the case of consanguineous families. Among the families examined, RNA-seq was able to provide information complementary to DNA-based analyses for exonic and intronic sequence variants with aberrant splicing. In addition, we tested the possibility of using RNA-seq as the first-tier strategy for unbiased genome-wide mutation screening without information from DNA analysis. RESULTS: We found pathogenic mutations in 35 families (88%) with RNA-seq in combination with other next-generation sequencing methods, and we successfully prioritized variants and found the culprit genes. In addition, as a novel concept, we propose a pipeline that increases the yield of variant calling from RNA-seq by concurrent use of genome and transcriptome references in parallel. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that "clinical RNA-seq" could serve as a primary approach for mutation detection in inherited diseases, particularly in consanguineous families, provided that tissues and cells expressing the relevant genes are available for analysis