Sustainable planning for a quasi-urban region, necessities and challenges: the case of Tehran-Karaj

Abstract

A number of studies explore the urban structure of the city of Tehran; however, little has been done in regard to its interconnectivity with the surrounding settlements and current challenges at the regional scale. This article investigates the making and current unsustainable condition of the Tehran-Karaj Urban Region arguing that it took shape passively in the absence of any structural framework. To tackle these problems, it is essential to formulate a regional sustainable comprehensive plan, one in which the interrelatedness across the entire region is observed, and which takes appropriate account of current international understandings regarding sustainable urban development.