Abstract

Urban rivers, as elements connecting natural systems and urban structures, have significant potential to strengthen the reciprocal relationship between cities and nature and enhance urban landscape quality. However, a gap remains between theoretical concepts of human–nature coexistence and their translation into specific design principles, strategies, and actions. This study aims to develop a framework for river-edge landscape design to strengthen the relationship between cities and nature, using a qualitative approach and inductive qualitative content analysis. Data were collected through written studies and case studies related to river landscapes, the city–nature relationship, and contemporary design approaches, and were analyzed through coding, comparison, and categorization of concepts. The findings showed that achieving a reciprocal city–nature relationship in river-edge landscapes is multidimensional, and the extracted concepts and considerations can be organized into six main domains. These domains were subsequently translated into design objectives and strategies, establishing a hierarchical relationship among components, objectives, strategies, and design actions. At the application stage, the resulting framework was adapted to the conditions of the Tire River in Dorud. Site analysis and an analysis of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats identified the area’s priority issues and potentials, which provided the basis for defining context-specific design strategies and actions. The findings indicate that the proposed framework can serve as a tool for linking theoretical foundations of the city–nature relationship with design decision-making and guiding river-edge landscape design in accordance with site-specific conditions.

Keywords: City–nature coexistence; river-edge landscape; qualitative content analysis; design framework.



Keywords: City–nature coexistence; river-edge landscape; qualitative content analysis; design framework.