Urban growth in Iran, sustainability and the path forward!

Tehran - (Image by Marco from Pixabay)

When I first started studying architecture, I became more aware of my surroundings—especially in my city, Tehran. I began to notice the chaotic disarray. In my daydreams, I would reimagine Enghelab Street as I walked to university: greener, with fewer cars, more harmonious building facades, and less visual pollution from store signs and advertisements. I often thought about potential solutions, though they weren’t always democratic. Over time, this awareness deepened, and I began to understand why Tehran, and later I realized, most cities in Iran, are in such a chaotic state.

Don't get me wrong—I'm not saying these cities aren't beautiful. There is beauty, especially in certain places, but it's not systematic. It often comes from exceptional projects or specific periods in history. However, I don’t want to get lost in the exceptions. The question of why my city, Tehran, is like this, kept growing in my mind. At first, I thought the issue might lie in the architecture. Yes, we have examples of good architecture, but they’re not the mainstream in Iran. So, I blamed architects and, of course, their clients. Then, I started questioning what was wrong with our architecture. Iran has a rich architectural heritage, economic potential, rich local materials, and many skilled architects and engineers, both recognized locally and abroad. So, why the chaos? This "why" eventually became the driving force behind my decision to leave Iran and study abroad, and here’s my take on the situation today:

Context

Though awareness of social and environmental sustainability is growing among architects, it largely remains limited to academic circles. Political, bureaucratic, and mismanagement issues have prevented real action. Efforts to improve public transportation, infrastructure, and green spaces have been made, but they are concentrated mainly in major cities like Tehran and are often fragmented, lacking a coherent long-term plan.

In March 1978, the Secretariat of the Supervisory Council for the Expansion of Tehran City published a study titled "A Brief Report on the City of Tehran: Current Situation and Recommendations," which provided an expert depiction of Tehran's situation, free from the ideological biases—both positive and negative—of later years. This urban study, prepared in 1978, was published at a time when Iran was moving towards a revolution. As a result, the managers and rulers of the Pahlavi era had little opportunity or capacity to reflect on this research and address the shortcomings in the governance of Tehran, as suggested in the study. According to the report's authors, Tehran's issues, such as marginalization, the gap between the north and south of the city, rapid population growth, and physical expansion, are the result of macroeconomic policies. They analyze Tehran's situation on three levels: the macro level (economic policies and industrialization strategies), the middle level (urban management structure, Tehran's dependence on its surrounding environment), and the micro level (Tehran's local problems). Within this framework, the report's authors examine the impact of national macro policies on creating Tehran's problematic situation and demonstrate that the urban bureaucracy lacks the capacity to solve the resulting problems. Read more HERE!

Tehran 70's - more PHOTOS

 Iranian cities, especially larger ones, face several challenges:

Rapid Urbanization  

 Since the 1950s economic boom, driven by oil revenue and industrialization, Iran has seen rapid urbanization. However, the revolution and the eight-year war disrupted any efforts to address these changes. Cities like Tehran, Mashhad, and Isfahan have seen an arrival of rural migrants, leading to housing shortages, inadequate infrastructure, and growing slums on the city’s edges. Meanwhile, real estate prices skyrocketed, air pollution worsened, and traffic became unbearable. For instance, Tehran's city center, once vibrant, is now primarily a business district, while old neighborhoods decay, despite their potential.

Economic Disparities  

A middle class emerged in Iran in the 1950s, primarily to meet the demand for skilled labor. However, the gap between rich and poor has widened in recent decades, shrinking the middle class. This divide is particularly evident in Tehran, where living in the north or south often leads to judgments about one's social status. Infrastructure and services are unevenly distributed, deepening social inequality and limiting societal growth.

Cultural Tensions  

A significant gap exists between reformists and conservatives in Iranian society. This tension between modern urbanization and traditional values complicates architectural design and increases sensitivity around public spaces. For example, the UN's 2020 Sustainable Development Goals—which address issues like education, gender equality, and sustainable cities—have largely stalled due to conservative resistance.

Environmental Crisis  

Iran is already experiencing the effects of climate change without adequate preparation. Fires are becoming more frequent in the few remaining green areas, and our wetlands, rivers, and lakes are drying up due to droughts and poor water management. The construction of dams and deforestation has worsened this situation, leading to floods and sandstorms. In the past, Iranians developed technologies like the “Qanat” to manage water resources and adapted architecture for a desert climate, but today, we have exchanged these for unsustainable building practices.

Political and Social Constraints  

Politics shadows over everything in Iran. Government positions, including those in municipalities, are filled based on political allegiance rather than qualifications. This practice extends to universities, where both professors and courses are chosen accordingly. Urban development often serves ideological goals, rather than prioritizing people’s needs.

Advantages

Despite these challenges, Iran still has significant potential:

Cultural and Architectural Heritage  

Iran’s rich heritage is a valuable resource for architects, artists, and designers. Rather than simply repeating past forms, we should learn from the core values of traditional architecture and apply them selectively to modern contexts. Countries such as Japan and Denmark provide excellent examples of how to modernize while maintaining cultural identity.

Yazd windtowers Isfahan

A Young, Connected Population  

Despite political isolation, Iran’s youth are part of the global internet generation. Many Iranian architects and designers are trying to redefine the role of architecture and urbanism in society.

The Red CAAI Youtube channel showcases the work of young architects in Iran, emphasizing their approach, talks, and more. 

The solutions potentially

Comprehensive and Participatory Planning  

We must include the community in decision-making processes. Urban planning should be democratic and diverse, with input from neighborhoods to create a sense of belonging and encourage active participation in shaping living spaces.

Environmental Consideration  

Environmental sustainability should be at the heart of urban planning. This includes expanding green spaces using local biodiversity, improving waste management and recycling, enforcing stricter environmental regulations, and promoting public transportation, biking, and electric vehicles.

Cultural Integration  

We need to move away from imitating postcard architecture* and instead rediscover the lost genius loci of Iranian cities. This is not about repeating old forms but about capturing the essence of what made Iranian architecture unique and applying it in modern contexts.

Affordable Housing  

There is a pressing need for high-quality, affordable housing. To address this, coordinated efforts between developers, municipalities, and urban planners are necessary to create a long-term plan that provides housing for lower and middle-income residents.

Public Spaces  

We need more public spaces—green, safe, and vibrant areas that promote social interaction. As private space continues to shrink, public spaces will become increasingly important for community building and enhancing quality of life.

Clean Mobility  

Resolving transportation issues is key to creating a sustainable city. Instead of expanding streets, we should promote biking, electric public transportation, and shared vehicles. Urban planning must focus on shorter commutes, ensuring people can walk or bike to work, school, and shops.

Our Responsibility

Policymakers should prioritize sustainability, affordable housing, public transportation, and the decentralization of services.  

City planners must ensure access to essential services and prepare for long-term challenges like climate change, creating strategies for the future.  

Urbanists should focus on unifying services, promoting mixed-use development, and designing walkable, human-centered neighborhoods.  

Architects should create healthy, energy-efficient spaces that embrace cultural values while minimizing environmental impact.

Conclusion

One of the most frustrating responses I hear when discussing challenges of Iranian cities is: “This isn’t Europe!” This excuse prevents us from learning and moving forward. I do agree, though, that the solutions should be adapted to our climate and cultural context, but it does not mean that we cannot solve issues because we do not have the ability to.

If we want to improve our cities, we need a holistic approach, bold actions, and significant changes. We must address the gaps between our plans and reality to tackle current challenges and create a better future for the next generations. And we need to take action NOW!

Each of these topics deserves a more in-depth analysis, but this provides a general overview of the key issues and potential solutions and most probably an intro for the next articles.

• Postcard architecture is a term in Iran referring to a type of architecture during the 18th and 19th centuries. It involved Iranians bringing postcards from Europe and asking local architects to replicate the facades and ornaments. The interior design and construction methods remained unchanged, with only the exterior being copied from the postcards.