Enhancing Urban Resilience Strategic Planning with MetaSWOT in Tehran’s Historic Residential Districts

In recent decades, the escalating impact of natural disasters and climate change challenges has not only increased financial losses and casualties but also posed significant challenges to urban infrastructures particularly in historical areas. In the city of Tehran, which has a historical fabric and enduring social connections, preserving cultural and historical identity along with increasing resilience against crises is important. This paper aims to enhance physical and social resilience in residential neighborhoods within Tehran’s historical fabric by introducing effective strategies to address future challenges. This article uses a quantitative and qualitative combined approach and is implemented in three key stages. The initial phase utilizes the Delphi method to identify and verify indicators of physical and social resilience. The data and opinions are gathered from experts who have knowledge and experience in the conditions of historical fabrics, resiliency, and the Meta SWOT method. Then, utilizing the Meta SWOT technique as a multi-stage analytical method, a strategic roadmap is formulated to enhance resilience in residential areas within the historical fabric. Finally, analysis and evaluation of the strategic roadmap were conducted based on predefined criteria to ensure that the proposed solutions effectively enhance neighborhood resilience. This article highlights the role of citizen education as an external factor in increasing their knowledge and participation in resilience processes. Additionally, it emphasizes the reinforcement of a sense of place and identity as internal and indispensable resources for sustaining and advancing social and physical resilience in historical fabrics.