The increasing risks arising from urban warfare and security crises have highlighted the need to rethink the role of micro-urban spaces in enhancing neighborhood resilience. Despite the considerable focus of existing research on large-scale infrastructure and formal shelters, the lived experience of citizens in relation to local shelterable spaces has remained relatively underexplored. This study aims to examine the lived experiences of residents regarding micro-urban micro-shelters and to elaborate on their role in shaping local resilience in Narmak neighborhood, District 8 of Tehran, within the context of the crisis referred to as the “Ramadan War” (February 28, 2026–April 8, 2026).



The study adopts a mixed-methods design with a dominant interpretive qualitative approach. In the qualitative phase, 50 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with long-term residents and urban experts, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis via MAXQDA software. In the quantitative phase, 380 questionnaires were distributed among residents, and the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation test.



The findings indicate that micro-urban shelters are not merely protective physical elements, but function as lived and meaning-making spaces that enhance citizens’ resilience capacity through strengthening perceived security, social cohesion, collective memory, and sense of control. The quantitative results further confirmed significant positive relationships between perceived security, spatial experience quality, adaptive strategies, and residents’ resilience. It was also found that spatial legibility, rapid accessibility, relative enclosure, and the potential for social support formation are among the most influential factors shaping shelter perception in the public squares of Narmak.



Overall, the results emphasize the necessity of shifting from purely technical approaches toward place-based planning and design, in which neighborhood public spaces are reconceptualized as active infrastructures of urban resilience.