In recent decades, the Tehran metropolitan area, under the pressure of rapid and dense urban development, has faced a profound crisis of green space fragmentation and severe weakening of ecological networks. This process has not only disrupted key ecosystem services such as air pollution mitigation, temperature regulation, groundwater recharge, and urban flood control, but has also directly affected spatial justice and the overall quality of urban livability. Consequently, redesigning and strengthening the ecological network of Tehran has become an inevitable necessity for enhancing urban resilience. Drawing on the principles of landscape ecology and integrating remote sensing, spatial analysis, and modeling techniques, this study proposes a strategic framework for identifying, redesigning, and managing Tehran’s ecological network.

Urban green cover was extracted from satellite imagery, and a new composite index was developed to assess structural connectivity. This index enabled a more precise analysis of patch linkages and facilitated comparison across elevational belts. Accordingly, Tehran was stratified into three major belts—upland, midland, and lowland—to reveal the influence of topographical heterogeneity on the spatial pattern of green space connectivity. Based on these analyses, ecological cores, stepping stones, and connecting corridors were identified, and an ecological network plan was formulated with explicit consideration of interactions with urban access networks and the city’s river-valleys.

The findings demonstrate that the upland belt, owing to its large natural patches and foothill river-valleys, possesses the highest level of connectivity and should be prioritized for protection. In contrast, the midland belt, with the highest density of population and built-up areas, exhibits severe fragmentation and weak structural linkages, making it the most fragile part of the city. Despite this, it also holds the greatest potential for ecological restoration through the strengthening of stepping stones and the establishment of new green corridors. The lowland belt, characterized by high heterogeneity, offers further opportunities for improving ecological connectivity, particularly through the integration of urban parks and river-valleys. These patterns highlight the need for belt-specific management interventions.

From a planning perspective, the proposed strategy comprises 15 ecological cores, along with networks of corridors and stepping stones aligned with the city’s transportation system. The incorporation of protective buffer zones along river-valleys and designed corridors supports the creation of a continuous and functional network that not only enhances ecological processes but also ensures more equitable access to green spaces for residents.

The main innovations of this study lie in three aspects: (1) introducing a new index of connectivity applicable at neighborhood, district, and metropolitan scales; (2) integrating elevational, hydrological, and infrastructural data within a unified design framework; and (3) prioritizing spatial justice by identifying the midland belt as the critical missing link with both the greatest need and potential for ecological restoration. Overall, this research not only fills the gap left by previous descriptive studies but also offers a strategic roadmap for urban green space management. Its framework is generalizable to other metropolitan areas, and its outcomes provide a scientific basis for urban decision-making and environmental policy, contributing to improved ecosystem service delivery and greater spatial justice in Tehran.