Designing Urban Space for Homeless Children: A Regenerative Approach in Shiraz

Sara Rahmani¹

1) Iran, Shiraz University Email:

IOI Code : AAAA-ABCBDG
Publication : Second International Conference on Civil Engineering, Architecture, Development and Reconstruction of Urban Infrastructure(icduconf.com)
Abstract :
    Urban spaces play a critical role in shaping the well-being and development of children, yet homeless and marginalized children are often excluded from safe, accessible, and engaging environments. This study focuses on designing urban landscapes for homeless children in Shiraz, Iran, using a regenerative design approach to enhance social, environmental, and spatial sustainability. The research employs the LENSES framework, a structured visual and participatory model that guides the exploration of regenerative opportunities across individual, organizational, and community scales. A multi-scale analysis was conducted, covering the macro-level context of Fars Province and Shiraz city, as well as the meso- and micro-level site analysis of District Two, particularly the area around Meydan-e Kouzeh Gari. Methods included field observations, interviews with municipal authorities, site visits, and environmental analyses. A SWOT evaluation of the site identified key strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, informing design decisions that prioritize accessibility, safety, social inclusion, ecological restoration, and child-centered activity spaces. Based on these analyses, design criteria were developed, addressing social sustainability, justice, vitality, safety, and flexibility, and operationalized through strategies such as pedestrian pathways, green corridors, multifunctional play and learning spaces, community gardens, water features, and urban furniture. The resulting design integrates spatial, social, and ecological interventions to create a regenerative urban environment that fosters inclusion, engagement, and well-being for homeless children while enhancing the broader urban context. This research contributes to the field of urban design by demonstrating how regenerative and child-centered design frameworks can transform underutilized urban spaces into safe, interactive, and socially empowering environments.

Keywords : urban design homeless children regenerative design lenses framework