Tehran Metropolitan Area

Abstract

Tehran Metropolitan Area is the primary urban center of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the home of the country’s capital city, Tehran City. This chapter examines the spatiotemporal patterns of urban land changes, i.e., changes from non-built-up to built-up lands, in Tehran Metropolitan Area in recent decades, including the potential future urban land changes. The analysis revealed that the area of built-up lands in the study area has increased more than threefold over the past 26 years (1988–2014). The patches of built-up lands in the area have also become more fragmented. The geographic location, landscape characteristics and road network of Tehran Metropolitan Area, including its population growth and status as the primary urban center in the country and home of the country’s capital city, are hypothesized to be among the key factors influencing the spatiotemporal patterns of urban land changes and the overall urban development of the area. The simulated urban land changes indicated that the area of built-up lands would continue to increase in the future (2014–2030) under the influence of continuous expansion and an infill urban development pattern. The intensifying pressure of urbanization due to continuous population growth and urban land changes poses many challenges that need to be considered in sustainable urban development and landscape planning.