The Farahzad Neighbourhood of Tehran: Land Use Transition in the City Periphery
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. The Relevant Literature and the Planning and Development Context
3. Research Method
4. Results
4.1. RQ1. How Has Farahzad Developed Since the Turn of the Century and What Types of Urban Fabric Are Now in Existence?
4.2. RQ2. What Are the Socio-Economic Problems Currently Evident in Farahzad and How Can Urban Planning Aid Their Resolution?
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- Gaining approval for an integrated local plan specifically tailored to the socio-economic and environmental exigencies of Farahzad; this should prioritise residential stabilisation, ecological restoration, and infrastructure enhancements, and approval should be obtained from relevant planning authorities, such as the Article 5 Commission.
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- Augmentation of the neighbourhood’s physical services infrastructure by, for example, establishing a sewer network to mitigate sewage overflow, enhancing waste management systems for efficient refuse collection, and improving transportation connectivity to integrate with public transport networks.
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- Facilitation of the documentation of landownership for long-term residents to formalise informal settlements, and collaboration with legal experts to streamline the process of obtaining ownership documents, thereby empowering residents and fostering community stability.
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- Stimulation of local economic growth by promoting small enterprises and restaurants through financial incentives; develop tourism initiatives that leverage Farahzad’s historical and cultural significance to attract visitors.
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- Strengthening of community cohesion by organising vocational training programmes focused on skills such as handicrafts and hospitality, and establishment of forums that enable residents to articulate their needs and aspirations, fostering a sense of ownership and collaboration.
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- Implementation of outreach programmes that provide support for drug rehabilitation, mental health services, and social integration, and facilitation of workshops aimed at promoting coexistence among diverse ethnic groups within the neighbourhood.
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- Establishment of metrics to assess progress in economic development, infrastructure enhancement, and social cohesion, and conduction of regular community surveys to gather feedback on the impact of initiatives and adjust strategies as necessary.
5. Discussion
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. Interview Questions for Responsible and Active Organisations in the Farahzad Neighbourhood
- What type of organisation/institution are you, and what are your main areas of activity?
- What measures has your organisation implemented for the local community in recent years?
- What have been the outcomes/achievements of these activities to date?
- In your opinion, what are the most pressing problems faced by the local community (in order of priority)?
- What solutions do you propose to address these problems?
- How would you describe the level of community participation and cooperation with governmental and private institutions?
- How do you assess the level of public trust in your organisation?
- What is your opinion regarding the performance of local restaurants in the neighbourhood?
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Code | Affiliation | Role/Title | Experience |
---|---|---|---|
P1 | Farahzad municipality | Advisor to Mayor | Mayor’s advisor for more than 5 years and former head of the Farahzad Urban Development Department. |
P2 | Neighbourhood Development Office | Director | 10 years of experience working in the organisation (now the Director) |
P3 | Tehran City Council | Council member for District 2 | 4 years of experience in Tehran city council |
P4 | Mehr o Mah Institute | Director | Office manager for the past three years |
P5 | Imam Ali Community Institute | Citizen Support Officer | 1 year of experience working in the association |
P6 | Rooyesh-e Nahal Institute | Board member | Manager director for past 15 years |
Macro Zones | Code | Main Zones | Sub-Code | Sub-Zones | Sub-Sub-Code | Specifications |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Residential (R) | R1 | General Residential | R11 | Low Density Residential | R111 | Villa Residential and Two-Storey Residential |
R112 | Three Story Residential | |||||
R2 | Special Residential | R23 | Contemporary Valuable Residential Fabric | R231 | Contemporary Valuable Residential Fabric | |
Activity (S) | S1 | Commercial, Administrative, Services | S11 | Market (Commercial, Service, Cultural) | S112 | Commercial and Service Corridors/Areas |
S2 | Commercial/Admin Centres (Green/ Open Dominance) | S21 | Commercial, Administrative, Service Areas/Centres | S214 | Regional and Neighbourhood-Scale Functions | |
Mixed (M) | M1 | Activity with Residential | M11 | Mixed Commercial, Administrative, and Services with Residential | M113 | Sub-Regional Mixed Axes (Regional/Neighbourhood) |
M2 | Cultural & Tourism (Min. Residential) | M21 | Cultural- Recreational Mixed | M211 | Mixed with Service Dominance (Cultural/Artistic Focus) | |
Protection (Green and Open) (G) | G1 | Public Green Space | G11 | Urban Parks | G111 | Urban Public Parks |
G3 | Green and Open (Special Protection) | G31 | River Valleys | G311 | Recreational Garden-River Valley | |
G312 | Green Spaces of River Valleys | |||||
G32 | Special Green and Open Zones | G322 | Special Highway Protection Zones | |||
G323 G324 | Special Protection Zones (Between City Physical Boundary and City Limit) |
Land Use | Area (M2) | Percentage | |
---|---|---|---|
Residential | 373,260.2 | 45.72 | |
Mixed-residential | 14,304.1 | 1.75 | |
Commercial | 23,288.6 | 2.85 | |
Administrative | 11,025.1 | 1.35 | |
Educational | 4326.6 | 0.53 | |
Urban facilities | 21,910.8 | 2.68 | |
Medical | 1305.6 | 0.16 | |
Cultural | 862.9 | 0.11 | |
Religious | 5740 | 0.7 | |
Industrial | 5123.1 | 0.63 | |
Parks/open spaces | 27,898.2 | 3.42 | |
Agricultural | 36,141.9 | 4.43 | |
Urban equipment | 23,012.8 | 2.82 | |
Transportations | 2660.1 | 0.33 | |
Vacant land | 265,625.2 | 32.53 | |
Total | 816,485.2 | 100 |
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Hosseini, S.Z.; Wynn, M.; Parpanchi, S.M. The Farahzad Neighbourhood of Tehran: Land Use Transition in the City Periphery. Urban Sci. 2025, 9, 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9060184
Hosseini SZ, Wynn M, Parpanchi SM. The Farahzad Neighbourhood of Tehran: Land Use Transition in the City Periphery. Urban Science. 2025; 9(6):184. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9060184
Chicago/Turabian StyleHosseini, Seyedeh Zahra, Martin Wynn, and Seyed Mostafa Parpanchi. 2025. "The Farahzad Neighbourhood of Tehran: Land Use Transition in the City Periphery" Urban Science 9, no. 6: 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9060184
APA StyleHosseini, S. Z., Wynn, M., & Parpanchi, S. M. (2025). The Farahzad Neighbourhood of Tehran: Land Use Transition in the City Periphery. Urban Science, 9(6), 184. https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci9060184