P1 presentation - Nazanin

A research on feasibility of polycentric development in Tehran Metropolitan Region

P1 Presentation Nazanin Babaee Hemmati 4119959

Graduation project, MSC 3 Urbanism

Faculty of Architecture, TU Delft

Date: 3.11.2011

From Regional Disparity to Regional Synergy

Outline of the presentation

Introduction

Presenting the Context

Problem Statement

Government’s Vision

Aim and Research Questions

Methodology and Timeline

Introduction Presenting the Context Problem Statement Aim & Research Question Government’s Vision Methodology & Timeline

Introduction

The world is undergoing the largest wave of urban growth in history. In 2008, half of the people lived in urban area. It is expected that 70

percent of the world population will be urban by 2050, and that most urban growth will occur in less developed countries (UN, 2008).

What are the problems in big cities?

•Congested transport systems, particularly roads;

• Rising land costs;

•Longer travel times to work

• Decreased access to open space and the countryside;

•Increased need for costly investments in new infrastructure;

• Increasing pollution of air and water.

Urbanized population percentage by country


Location

Iran

Tehran Metropolitan Region (TMR)

City of Tehran

The most populated city in Iran and the center of cultural, economical, political

and social activities.

Area: 730 km-sq

Population: 9.10.347

One of the largest cities in Western Asia, and is the world’s 19th largest city.


Tehran Metropolitan Region (TMR)

With roughly 13.4 million people, TMR is Western Asia’s largest Metropolitan Region. The

TMR is divided into 9 urban areas and 17 districts, encompassing Greater Tehran city and Karaj

and their surrounding suburbs. Hosting one seventh of Iran’s population, the region extends over

a surface of 1247 square kilo-meters (491.9 square miles).


Geographical Situation

The city, however, cannot expand along the plain in the south, due to the high levels of Ground water and the arid zone , nor can the city expand along

the northern and eastern heights. So the city can only expand in the western direction due to its suitable geographical condition.

Alborz mountains in the North of the metropolis

Photo by Younes Kolahduz

Topography of Tehran province (2006)

Source: Atlas of Tehran Metropolis

Tehran in 1985 and 2009

Source: NASA Earth Observatory


Transformation during the history

Source: Master Thesis (Azadeh Mashayekhi)


Regional Growth

Source: Zebardast, 2010


TMR (Current Situation)

What we have now?

Scattered urban structure in the metropolitan fringe with especial concentration near the infrastructure


Where People Live?

Greater Tehran is home to more than 68 percent of the regional population, while Karaj accommodated 10 percent and other urban areas cover other

10 percent of the TMR population. The remaining 22 percent live in the metropolitan periphery.

68%

10%

12%

10%

TMR population distribution

Tehran

Karaj

TMR fringe

TMR other cities

TMR Density



0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

1966 1976 1986 1991 1996

Sh

are

of

Po

pu

lati

on

(P

erce

nt)

Year

Tehran City TMF

Where People Live?

The demographic processes in the Tehran Metropolitan Region (TMR) during the past three decades of 1966-1996 reveal that the

population of the TMR has grown from 3.13 million in 1966 to about 10.34 million in 1996. During this period, the share of the Tehran

City population has decreased from 87% in 1966 to about 65.5% in 1996 while the population of the rest of the TMR has grown from

14.2 % in 1966 to about 34.67% in 1996 .



Where People Live?

Population density around the city of Tehran (2006) Source: Atlas of Tehran Metropolis

Limiting the City Boundary:

The government policy in order to limit the population growth

was restricting development between the 5 and 25yr

boundaries. This policy resulted to the increase of land and

property price in Tehran, accelerate spread of

development into the Tehran urban fringe. Land became

so scarce within that boundary and land prices got so high that

private developers started to build, some illegally, on land in

the restricted zone between the S- and 25-yr boundaries.


Where People Live?

0

200000

400000

600000

800000

1000000

1200000

1400000

1600000

Growth of the Settlements in the metropolitan fringe

1956 1966 1976 1986 1996 2006


Where People Work?

Areas with the greatest concentration of the low income people in the village around the city of Tehran (2006)


Tehran is the commercial heart of Iran. Tehran province has over 17,000 industrial units employing 390,000 people, 26% of all units in Iran.

The province contains 30% of Iran’s economy, and comprises 40% of Iran’s consumer market.


Where People Work?

TMR has an unequal distribution of workplaces, heavily skewed in favor of Tehran, and its business and financial centre in the City of Tehran.

• Around 62 percent (about 2.6 million) of all regional workers, work in Tehran.

• Karaj the other big city in TMR has 12 percent of the workers.

• The remaining of 26 percent is working in the surrounding urban areas.

Areas with the greatest concentration of the low income people in the village around the city of Tehran (2006)


Tehran is the commercial heart of Iran. Tehran province has over 17,000 industrial units employing 390,000 people, 26% of all units in Iran.

The province contains 30% of Iran’s economy, and comprises 40% of Iran’s consumer market.

62% 12%

26%

TMR labors distribution

Tehran

Karaj

TMR periphery


Economy

2%

37%

61%

Agriculture

Industry

Service

61 percent: banking, finance, insurance and business

services sectors.

37 percent: industrial activities, manufacturing and

construction.

2 percent: agriculture sector.


Industries

2%

37%

61%

Agriculture

Industry

Service

61 percent: banking, finance, insurance and business

services sectors.

37 percent: industrial activities, manufacturing and

construction.

2 percent: agriculture sector.

Iran’s Industrial Decentralization Policies (1973)

A number of major urban centers were identified by the policy as growth centers within which to concentrate major national investments. They were to attract

large-scale and private enterprises away from Tehran;

• to constitute a system of secondary cities;

• to absorb the surplus population of Tehran;

• to narrow the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of their access to social and commercial services. (Zebardast, 1990)


Infrastructure

Commuting is characteristics of urban life in Tehran, which makes Tehran’s downtown overcrowded during the day time and nearly empty at night.

Number of inner city daily travel: 15 million

Travel by public transportation: 48%

Travel by private car: 52%



Infrastructure

Commuting is characteristics of urban life in Tehran, which makes Tehran’s downtown overcrowded during the day time and nearly empty at night.

Number of inner city daily travel: 15 million

Travel by public transportation: 48%

Travel by private car: 52%

52%

22%

16%

5% 5%

Transportation in TMR

Private car and motorcycle

Public taxi

Bus

Minibus

Metro



Road Network (Current Situation)

In TMR due to the concentration of over 13 million residents without a large effective public transportation network, automobile has easily found its

place at the first stage in the Traffic and Transportation Network. (Tehran municipality official website)


Public Transport Network (Current Situation)

Metro Line:

• In 2001 a metro system that had been in planning since the 1970s opened the first two of seven envisaged lines.

Access to the metro Source: Atlas of Tehran Metropolis


Public Transport Network (Current Situation)

Railway:

• In 1881 one of the first railway lines in the Middle East was built between Tehran and Rey in Iran. This railway was first horse-hauled, later

steam traction was introduced. The line was closed down in 1952.

• In 1939, Bandar-E-Torkaman on the Caspian Sea was connected to Bandar-E-Emam Khomeyni on the Persian Gulf.

1881- 1952: one of the first

railway lines in the Middle East

Access to the metro Source: Atlas of Tehran Metropolis


Airports and Station

Tehran has:

2 Airports

1 Train Station

4 Bus Terminals


Airports and Station

Tehran has:

2 Airports

1 Train Station

4 Bus Terminals

Imam Khomeini International Airport

Mehrabad National Airport

Central Station of Tehran


Problem Statement

1. City of Tehran was formed around CBD

2. Boom of growth due to the: High birth rate;

Migration from all over the country to the capital as an economic core of the country;

3. Limited the city boundary

Surplus population forced to live in the satellite town in the metropolitan fringe due to

their economic condition

4. Metropolitan fringe start to grow…

5. Marginalized area in the metropolitan fringe connected to parent city by road

network for they daily needs.


Traffic and Air Pollution


Unfair Life condition


Monotonous Landscape



Rapid urbanization growth

+

Lack of regional planning and management


First Master Plan of Tehran 1966

The first Comprehensive Plan of Tehran, drawn up by the Californian architect Victor Gruen in 1963–67, with an agenda to expand

the metropolis was propounded.

Gruen in Tehran’s comprehensive-plan used a linear version of Howard’s concept. He envisioned a city divided into ten large and

fairly self-contained districts of 500,000 inhabitants linked to one another through a network of freeways and a rapid

transportation system and surrounded by open spaces with a very low population density. The commercial facilities would be

concentrated around the public transportation system. The master plan emphasized the idea of decentralization.



New Centrality

The plan for the new centrality is the extension of the historical core of the Tehran in the both direction of the

North and South.

Source: Municipality of Tehran


Vision for the TMR

Preparation of Tehran Metropolitan (Region) Plan:

Started in about January 1996 and the plan was finished in 1999. The process of plan examination and approval took more than 3

years. The plan was approved by the Cabinet in 2003.


Vision for the TMR

Preparation of Tehran Metropolitan (Region) Plan:

Started in about January 1996 and the plan was finished in 1999. The process of plan examination and approval took more than 3

years. The plan was approved by the Cabinet in 2003.

The proposed population of the TMR in the year 2020 would be about 17.8 million people.

The proposed physical development pattern is polycentric, and the proposed strategies include the

following:

• Decentralization and De-concentration from the city of Tehran and devolution of responsibilities to

lower level authorities.

• Optimum utilization of existing infrastructure and utilities.

• Strengthening the role and expansion of existing New Towns. (Zebardast, 2010)


Vision of the Physical Structure of TMR



Vision of the Road Networks of TMR


Vision of the Metro Line of TMR


Aim of the Project

Problem

Aim


Research Questions

To what extent the concept of polycentrism which is proposed by the

government is feasible for Tehran Metropolitan region (TMR)????


Sub-Research Questions

• What is a suitable definition of polycentrism for the context of Iranian Metropolitan Region?

• Why polycentrism is a suitable model for the TMR?

• What are the trends in TMR?

• How does Tehran Metropolitan Region responding to Change from mono-centric region to polycentric one?

• How has government sought to encourage or discourage the polycentrism in the TMR, through urban plan and policies?

• What are the urban planning recommendations for the TMR to deal with polycentric development?


Methodology


Timeline and Phasing

Thank you Questions and Recommendations?

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