Clarifying the Role of Political Fragmentation in the Non-Realization of the Goals of Tehran's Urban Complex Plan

Document Type : Article extracted From phd dissertation

Authors
Maryam Kouhestani Nezhad 1
Mousa Kamanroudi 2
Habibollah Fasihi 2
1 PhD Candidate, in Geography and Urban Planning, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor of Geography and Urban Planning, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/he.2025.542293.1134
Abstract
This study investigates why Tehran’s Urban Complex Plan has failed to materialize, focusing on political fragmentation and weaknesses in multi‑level spatial governance. Using a descriptive–analytical design and guided document analysis, we review supra‑regional planning documents, cabinet approvals since 1995/1374, and official reports through the lenses of the political economy of space, regional planning theories, and urban–regional network approaches. Findings indicate that the absence of a supra‑regional coordinating authority, overlapping mandates and conflicts among sectoral agencies, the centralization of powers and resources in Tehran, and the dominance of market‑oriented decision‑making have sustained functional disintegration between Tehran and its periphery and undermined the Plan’s objectives. We operationalize the dimensions of “political fragmentation” (governance, planning, territorial/spatial, actors, and institutional context) and propose a four‑pillar conceptual model (structural, procedural, actor‑coordination, and spatial policy). Policy suggestions include establishing a supra‑regional coordinating body, devolving powers to local tiers, inter‑municipal spatial compacts, and smart decentralization of higher‑order public services. The framework offers a basis for re‑engineering metropolitan governance in the Tehran region.

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Human Ecology
Volume 4, Issue 12
Autumn 2025
Pages 1476-1493