evaluation of xeriscape application in landscapes of cities, (a case study in karaj)

in today’s world the concept of “city” without effective landscape is out of imagination. being focal points for human life and activities, cities have to consider the structure and functions which are influenced by natural systems. in this regard, landscapes are inevitable parts of cities with an essential metabolic role. unlike most countries which don’t have to deal with water shortage as a major issue, climatic characteristics of iran have restricted the water consumption in this country. as a result improving green landscapes faces severe obstacle and the main measure to combat it is pressurized irrigation systems. in the other words the actions are concentrated on irrigation management, while there are other measures that can be considered as well. xeriscape is one of those measures in which non-vegetation or very low water demand are used in landscapes. this approach is very common in many developed countries like usa. promoting this approach in iran needs a few basic steps as well as the study of public opinion. this paper aims to introduce xeriscape by presenting some field surveys in parks and city hall of karaj; experts and people’s view points were collected using a questionnaire. the results showed neither people nor authorities are not still aware of water deficit problem. the people who participated in this study agree with this kind of landscape alongside highways. but for parks they prefer a combination of xeriscape with green landscapes.