Throughout the urban development process over the last seven decades in Tehran, Iran many self-generated neighbourhoods have developed, in which the majority of the residents are low-income families. The main spatial attribute of these deprived neighbourhoods in space syntax terms is spatial isolation from the surrounding, more affluent areas, which is accompanied by inadequate urban infrastructure and a lack of accessibility and permeability. This paper discusses a method of developing a route filtering system for identifying the most suitable streets for the creation of a pedestrian-friendly network, using an example of a deprived area, in order to integrate it with the surrounding urban fabric. The theory of ‘Natural Movement’ formed the basis of the research, the spatial pattern being analysed through Space Syntax using Depthmap software and GIS. The results showed that it is possible to identify the underlying spatial pattern using this approach and this could form a very cost effective basis for developing a pedestrian friendly street network, in order to release the deprived area from its spatial isolation.

Throughout the urban development process over the last seven decades in Tehran, many deprived neighbourhoods have developed. The main spatial attribute of these neighbourhoods is spatial isolation from the surrounding, more affluent areas, inadequate urban infrastructure and a lack of accessibility and permeability. This article discusses a method of developing a route filtering system and a transformability index for identifying the most suitable streets for the creation of a pedestrian-friendly network as a potentially socio-economic stimulus zone, using an example of a deprived area. The theory of ‘Natural Movement’ formed the basis of the research, the spatial pattern being analysed through Space Syntax using Depthmap software and ArcGIS 9.3 (GIS). The results showed that it is possible to identify the underlying spatial pattern using this approach and this could form a cost effective basis for developing a pedestrian-friendly street network, in order to release the deprived area from its spatial isolation.

The December 2003 earthquake that struck the city of Bam, Iran and its surrounding villages killed more than 30,000 people. It rendered more than 75,000 people homeless and severely damaged 85% of the buildings stock in the area. Bam was one of the oldest cities in Iran with valuable heritage buildings like Arg-e-Bam, the biggest citadel built by adobe in the world and registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Monument. In the aftermath of the massive destruction, the unique opportunity for re-planning the whole city had to be used to address different urban, social and cultural purposes, including better addressing the needs of all residents and specifically children as the most vulnerable group of the society. In order to understand the children's essential needs in the new Bam, UNICEF was involved in restoration of Bam through the Child Friendly City (CFC) project. The first phase of planning for the CFC initiative in Bam focused on community participation, using children as key planners of their own environments for which a 2-week workshop was held. The workshop underscored very useful and applicable ideas and concepts for both urban design and architecture. This paper first reviews the evolution of the CFC project and its concepts and discusses their relevance more widely. Then the paper moves on to discuss participation principles, the workshop process, the method of children participation in this workshop and its role in bringing out new idea. As a conclusion, strengths and weaknesses of this initiative will be discussed.