Spatial Analysis of Security in Parks of Tehran

Introduction Increased urbanization and increasing population density have made security as one of the basic human needs in urban life. For this reason, throughout history, human beings do not feel safe. In fact, one of the criteria for urban development is the sense of security, as a measure of the effectiveness of urban development programs that influence citizen’s behaviors and, consequently, urban dynamics. Many factors affect the removal of urban security that threaten or reduce the security of the cities. Some urban spaces, especially public spaces such as parks, are considered as one of the main threats to the security of the cities. For many reasons, they are safe spaces for unlawful and abusive activities. Parks are one of the most important urban utilities that make a significant contribution to the realization of leisure and recreational functions for residents of urban spaces and attract many people every day. Attention to security in the parks is because of the fact that these spaces do not have security factors and users will not be welcomed, so there are problems like lack of socialization and sense of belonging in these places. Use of these spaces as insecure areas does not lead to a serious decline in the quality of the environment, but also is in contradiction with the principle of citizenship. In fact, the sense of security of people in urban spaces greatly affects the individual and collective behavior of users. In other words, if space is not used because of insecurity, it loses its dynamism, which may provide a favorable ground for its crime due to the reduction of social supervision. Providing security of the parks is one of the most urgent categories of society. Therefore, city policemen have the duty to ensure the safety of the people in these places because the number of families in parks and recreation centers for leisure time and the use of nature increase once providing their safety and comfort. The sense of security in Tehran parks differs from other cities in the country, and the flow of social life of its inhabitants is challenged. This is due to social, economic and even socially-based activities that provide more favorable conditions for the emergence and exacerbation of insecurity. The continuation of such an issue in the near future may cause the capital of the country with severe problems. Therefore, due to the importance and safety of parks, the present study was conducted with the aim of assessing and measuring security in the parks of Tehran. We have used 24 indicators to assess and measure the security of parks in Tehran. The following are the most important research questions. • What is the status of Tehran's parks in terms of security? • Which factors have the greatest role in the insecurity of the studied parks? Methodology The statistical sample of the research is 41 parks of Tehran city. The security of the parks was evaluated by 24 indicators. Data were obtained from the performance statistics and arrests of the Tehran Municipality Protection Unit at the parks level. The importance of each of the indicators was determined with the help of the Network Analysis Model (ANP). The data analysis was performed using the Promethean model and the toolboxes in the GIS. After analyzing the data, the parks were classified into five groups with high, moderate, low, very low security and no security. The results of this stage are mapped into the GIS software environment. Different layers have been overlayed in GIS. Then, the information on the descriptive table of the layer was added. Using the kernel density estimation interpolation model, the zones with the greatest insecurity factors were identified and deispalyed on the map. Results and discussion In 2014, among the 41 selected parks in Tehran, 6 parks have the great security. The 6 parks are Sahand, Al-Ghadir, Saadatabad, Cestag, Shafagh and 22 Bahman parks. The parks with moderate security are including Niavaran, Thought, Miyad, Flight, Bahman, Shariati, Jamshidieh, Saeed, Razi, Narges, Fadak, Basij, Darband, Ghaem, Koohsar, Knowledge, Mahdi and Darabad. The parks of Baharan, Beast, Mellat, City, Derek, Tochal, Laleh, Persian Gulf and Nahjolbalagheh had low security. The security of Azadegan, Daneshjo, Velayat and police parks was very low, and Lovzan, Chitgar and Sarkhahsar had no security. Out of the 24 security indicators, the most important are including addict, deceptive, impostor, suspect, robber, thieves, hijab and alcoholic beaters, cold and hot arms, CD sales, automobile violations and vehicle seizure mainly in the east and west parts of Tehran. In fact, these indicators are the main causes of insecurity in the parks located in the west and east Tehran. According to the distribution map of the dispersion side, the most insecurity factors in the parks of Tehran are located in the east and west. The directional distribution circle also suggests that most of the insecure parks are centered in the eastern and western parts of Tehran. Conclusion  The Sahand Park with the Phi value of 0.416 is in the first rank and the Sorkheh Hesar Park with the value of -0.728 is in the last rank. In Sahand Park, we can observe the least amount of arrests of drug addicts, coffers and alcoholic beverages, the perpetrators of conflict, social corruptors and wicked people, and denial of bribes. On the contrary, the Sorkheh Hesar Park is the worst in arresting of the deceiver, force majeure, suspect, thief, and the thug and illegal sale of CDs. In 2014, a total of 17,883 crimes were committed in the designated parks.