Introduction
Human societies have always sought to confront both natural and man-made threats throughout history. In the present era, man-made threats, primarily military in nature, have led societies to establish preparedness for both military (active) and non-military (passive) defense. Iran has constantly faced threats from both regional and extra-regional adversaries. Despite these threats, enhancing the readiness of cities and citizens to face threats during crisis situations has not received adequate attention. One of the available opportunities in cities for facilitating crisis management is urban parks. If the principles of passive defense are observed, urban parks can not only serve their regular functions in peacetime, but also play a role in enhancing preparedness and educating citizens about the concepts and fundamentals of passive defense. In crisis situations, they can function as urban shelters, contributing to the protection of social assets. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to evaluate the performance of a sample urban park in crisis situations based on the principles of passive defense, and it seeks to answer the following questions:
• What characteristics of an urban park contribute to its response and the enhancement of social resilience in crisis situations?
• How can the capabilities of existing urban parks be utilized to enhance the role of parks in crisis situations?
• How can the weaknesses of urban parks in crisis situations be identified and addressed?
In this study, an urban park with various strengths and weaknesses in responding to crisis situations was selected, and its performance was analyzed based on the principles of passive defense. The criteria derived from this section include passive defense education, security, multifunctional use, resilience and reinforcement, refugee accommodation, and crisis management systems.
Methodology
The research methodology employed in this study is a combination of descriptive-analytical and fieldwork approaches. In the first phase, evaluation criteria for urban parks based on passive defense objectives were identified and categorized through library research, including the review of documents, books, scholarly articles, and relevant research projects. The criteria were divided into components, and to assess their importance, a survey method using a researcher-developed questionnaire based on the Likert scale was administered to urban passive defense experts and specialists. The questionnaire's validity was confirmed by experts. To measure the questionnaire's reliability, Cronbach's alpha coefficient was calculated using SPSS software, yielding a value of 0.939, indicating an excellent level of reliability. In the fieldwork phase, Vahdat Park in Mashhad was selected as the case study. Field observations were conducted to assess the park’s current condition and compare it with the extracted criteria. This process involved site visits, analysis of pathways, access points, the surrounding urban fabric, and the compatibility or incompatibility of adjacent land uses. Data collected from these observations were analyzed to evaluate the park’s alignment with passive defense goals, identifying areas of strength and weakness, and proposing solutions to enhance its compliance with passive defense principles.
Results and discussion
The data obtained from the survey method, after being completed by experts and specialists, were entered into SPSS software by the authors and analyzed using the Friedman test. The P-Value for all criteria was less than 0.05, indicating a significant difference among the components affecting the evaluation of the passive defense park. This section examines the current status of Vahdat Park based on its adjacency, accessibility, land uses, and existing on-site spaces. The surrounding fabric of Vahdat Park primarily consists of residential, lodging, and commercial land uses. Additionally, specific land uses are observed in different zones around the park: in the northeastern area, educational facilities, including a high school and an elementary school; in the northwestern area, sports facilities, a fire station, and a police station; in the southern area, service facilities such as a CNG fuel distribution center; and in the southeastern area, healthcare facilities, including a hospital. The existing land uses within Vahdat Park include a cultural center, open sports fields, restrooms, utility facilities, an artificial lake, retail kiosks, administrative offices, an auditorium, a prayer room, a library, a women's park, an amusement park, and a parking.

Conclusion
The findings indicate that enhancing the role of Vahdat Park in Mashhad as a passive defense park requires the following measures: leveraging its numerous educational and cultural spaces for passive defense training, improving security by increasing compatibility of adjacent areas, and enhancing legibility, sociability, and safety in furniture design. For multifunctional use, provisions for temporary clinics, improved pathways for aid delivery, and storage spaces for medical supplies are essential. Resilience and reinforcement during crisis requires shelters, redesigned protective furniture, blast-resistant windows, solar panels, emergency generators, and water purification systems. To accommodate refugees, the park must improve tent areas, provide covered shelters, portable baths, cooking facilities, and storage systems. Additionally, installing crisis management systems like CCTV and public announcement equipment is crucial.

Funding
There is no funding support.

Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.

Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.