Urban Economics and Planning

Urban Economics and Planning

Presenting the Pathology Pattern of Urban Management Policies in the Realization of Spatial Justice in Tehran Metropolis

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Haniye Rashidi 1
Mahmoud Rahimi 2
Ramin Saed Moochshi 3
1 Ph.D candidate, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
3 Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/uep.2025.528748.1654
Abstract
Introduction 
Policymaking is an essential and powerful arena in producing space and creating spatial justice or injustice in cities. Accordingly, spatial justice is a conceptual tool within which urban space production dynamics, processes, and tools can be examined and analyzed to achieve a justice-oriented city. Reviewing and evaluating development plans based on spatial justice theories is one of the topics that has been neglected in Iranian urban planning. Theoretical and empirical studies show that spatial injustice in Iran is caused by neglect of spatial planning and poor political management of space. Therefore, the government decision-making system in Iran faces contradictory challenges in achieving geographical/spatial justice. On the other hand, Tehran, as a metropolis, faces many problems that do not have a physical, spatial, and functional structure appropriate to its needs and is far from sustainability indicators and environmental standards.
Macro policies can play a vital role in achieving spatial justice in the Tehran metropolis, which has not happened much so far. Tehran does not have very favorable conditions in terms of spatial justice criteria. In other words, it can be said that macro policies have not been able to improve the conditions of the Tehran metropolis in terms of spatial justice. Therefore, there is a need to conduct a pathology analysis of the macro policies of urban management in achieving spatial justice in the Tehran metropolis. In this research, in addition to conceptualizing spatial justice in the Tehran metropolis, an attempt is made to identify the damages of the macro policies of urban management from the perspective of spatial justice. In summary, it can be said that the central issue of the present research is to answer the question: What are the dimensions and components that shape the concept of spatial justice in the Tehran metropolis? Also, what are the findings of the pathology of the macro policies of urban management in achieving spatial justice in the Tehran metropolis?
Materials and Methods
The current research aims to diagnose and explain urban management policies in realizing spatial justice in the metropolis of Tehran. This research is applied-developmental in terms of purpose and is considered among qualitative research. This research used a semi-structured method with experts and a thematic analysis technique to design the research model. For this purpose, a semi-structured interview was conducted with 24 academic and executive experts in the Tehran municipality who were selected purposefully and using the snowball method. Thematic analysis was also used to analyze the data, and coding steps were carried out to identify the themes. 
Findings
Three categories of factors, including antecedents, spatial justice, and consequences, were determined for the research model. Also, five physical, value, cognitive, ideological, and sustainability dimensions, 15 components, and 88 indicators were identified for spatial justice in the Tehran metropolis. The physical dimension indicates that justice must be established in the metropolis of Tehran in order to distribute services and improve living conditions among citizens. In other words, the concentration of urban services in specific areas, the deprivation of the other regions, and the large gap in housing conditions and access to land between different areas of the city contradict this dimension. The value dimension also indicates that citizens, in an ethical environment where individual differences are not so decisive and everyone is considered a citizen, should be able to choose where to live freely and the conditions for using city services. The cognitive dimension also relates to the participation of stakeholders and different groups living in the city in creating plans and programs that can affect justice in the city. On the other hand, urban management plans and policies must be transparent to citizens, who must receive the necessary training in this regard. The ideological dimension also indicates that spatial justice at the level of discourse and ideology should be included in all urban plans and programs, and institutionalize concern and sensitivity towards the concepts of spatial justice among citizens and officials. Also, the ideological dimension notes the need for all stakeholders to participate in the discourse of spatial justice and its inclusion in urban management procedures and methods. Finally, the sustainability dimension indicates that there should be an acceptable proportion between different city areas in terms of economic costs and capacity building for citizens, which provides the basis for the growth and development of weaker areas. Also, capacity building for environmental and social issues should be carried out according to the conditions of different regions to provide the basis for reducing injustices.
Also, based on the findings, the damages of urban management policies (precedents) in the three dimensions of formulation stage, implementation stage, and evaluation stage include 15 components and 112 indicators. According to the research findings, experts have raised some disadvantages in all stages of policy-making, including formulation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation. The disadvantages of the formulation stage are mainly related to the content and approach adopted in the urban management macro policies, as well as the programs created based on them, which cannot meet the requirements needed to achieve spatial justice. The formulation stage is very important because it is the basis for the implementation, evaluation, and monitoring stages, and if it is poorly implemented, the subsequent stages cannot achieve valuable results. The implementation stage is also one of the most important stages, which, unfortunately, has numerous problems in the metropolis (even in the entire country), and in many cases, despite the fact that the formulated policies are of acceptable quality, the implementation stage is very weak. This problem also exists in the field of urban management in Tehran, and the fact that policies cannot lead to the achievement of spatial justice is due to a weakness in implementation. The problems of policy implementation range from the performance of implementers and the Tehran Municipality to inter-organizational and environmental issues, and even governance and political problems. Unfortunately, there are also numerous issues in the field of monitoring and evaluation of urban management policies, and why the goals related to spatial justice are not achieved, and who is responsible for the failures are not followed up on much. Finally, the monitoring and evaluation structure is not very scientific and systematic, and cannot pave the way for reform and continuous improvement in the path of achieving spatial justice.
Also in this research, a set of implications for spatial justice was identified. Realizing spatial justice in the metropolis of Tehran can create valuable results in the field of urban management and in relation to various stakeholders, including citizens, and transform the city into a suitable and desirable environment for a better life and away from various social harms. The findings of the present study, while in line with the results of previous research, are much more comprehensive and have been able to cover the existing research gap to a large extent. 
Conclusion
The results of the research showed that urban management macro policies in the realization of spatial justice face many damages in the stages of formulation, implementation, and evaluation. Also, the realization of spatial justice can create many valuable results in the field of urban management and in meeting the demands and expectations of stakeholders. The result of this research included the creation of a comprehensive model consisting of antecedents, spatial justice, and consequences that can create a comprehensive and deep understanding of the pathology of spatial justice in urban management policies. The findings of the present study, while increasing knowledge in the field of scientific foundations of spatial justice and policymaking in this field, can be used by managers and policymakers in the field of urban management in the Tehran metropolis to move more scientifically and appropriately towards the realization of spatial justice. Also, this research partially filled the existing research gap in the field of spatial justice issues and provided a path for broader research. Finally, the most important limitation of the present study is that the findings are related to the Tehran metropolis and cannot be generalized to other cities and regions.
Keywords
Pathology
Policy Making
Spatial Justice
Tehran Metropolis
Urban Management

Subjects

Adegeye, A., & Coetzee, J. (2018). Exploring the fragments of spatial justice and its relevance for the global south, Development Southern Africa, 36(3), 376–389. Doi: 10.1080/0376835X.2018.1495062.
Afsharnia, A., Zavarat, E., & Talachayan, M. (2021). Review and evaluation of urban development plans based on the spatial justice approach (case example: Farahzad organizational plan), Urban and Regional Development Planning, 4(9), 59-92. [In Persian] Doi: 10.22054/urdp.2021.54937.1245.
Ahmadi Mirabadi, Y., Montazer Al-Hajja, M., & Rafiian, M. (2023). Analysis of the concept of spatial justice in world literature, Ninth Annual International Congress on Civil Engineering, Architecture and Urban Development, Tehran, Iran. [In Persian] 
Badrag nejad, A., & Zand Salimi, M. (2024). Analysis of urban space sustainability indicators in Tehran metropolis with a spatial justice approach, Geographical Engineering of the Territory, 7(4), 751-766. [In Persian] Doi: 10.22034/JGET.2024.129963.
Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology, Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-10. Doi: 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa.
Bromberg, A., Gregory, M., & Deirdre, P. (2007). Editorial Note: Why Spatial Justice? Critical Planning, 13, 1-4. 
Buchholtz, N., Stuart, A., Frønes, T.S. (2020). Equity, Equality and Diversity—Putting Educational Justice in the Nordic Model to a Test. In: Frønes, T.S., Pettersen, A., Radišić, J., Buchholtz, N. (eds) Equity, Equality and Diversity in the Nordic Model of Education. Springer, Cham. Doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-61648-9_2.
Dadashpour, H., & Shojaei, D. (2022). Application of critical paradigm in understanding spatial justice in the outskirts of Tehran metropolis. Case study: Islamshahr and Qods city, Fine Arts: Architecture and Urban Planning, 27(1), 19-33. doi:  10.22059/JFAUP.2022.334565.672720. [In Persian]
Delshad Siyahkali, M., Ashourian, M., Mansourzadeh, M. (2024). Evaluating the efficiency of Tehran’s healthcare services in the Covid-19 pandemic with the approach of spatial justice, GeoJournal, 89, 200. Doi: 10.1007/s10708-024-11207-2.
Diksei, M. (2013). In Search of a Justice-Centered City; Debates in Urban Theory and Experience. Translated by: Saeedi Rezvani, H., & Kashmiri, M.), Tehran: Shahr Publishing. [In Persian]
Ebrahim Parvar, M., Majedi, H., & Zarabadi, Zahra S. (2024). Explaining the components of spatial-physical justice in a justice-oriented city with emphasis on the knowledge-power theory, a case study: the five regions of Rasht city, Urban planning knowledge, 8(11), 55-76. Doi: 10.22124/UPK.2024.25410.1883. [In Persian]
Ghaderi Hojjat, M., Ahmadipour, Z., & Malekshahi, M.R. (2022). Theoretical explanation of the relationship between political organization of space and spatial justice, Quarterly Journal of Political Organizing of Space, 4(4), 272-287. Doi: 20.1001.1.26455145.2022.4.4.6.2. [In Persian]
Ganjipour, A., Kalantari, M., Rezavian, M.T., & Tavakolinia, J. (2023). Spatial Justice in the Distribution of Public Services in the City (Case Study: District Eight of Tehran), Political Organizing of Space, 5(3), 311-335. Doi: 20.1001.1.26455145.2023.5.3.4.5. [In Persian]
Ghaderi Hajat, M., Hfeznia, M.R. (2020). Codification strategies for achieving spatial justice in Iran, Spat. Inf. Res. 28, 357–367. Doi: 10.1007/s41324-019-00300-1.
Harvey, D. (1973). Social justice and the city, John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD. 
Heydarian, S., & Rahimi, M. (2017). Development and assessment of integrated intervention criteria in organizing informal settlements with an urban governance approach (case study: Naysar district of Sanandaj city), Human Settlement Planning Studies, 12(41), 915-933. https://journals.iau.ir/article_538296.html . [In Persian]
Hopkins, P. (2021). Social geography III: Committing to social justice, Progress in Human Geography, 45(2), 382–393. Doi: 10.1177/0309132520913612. 
Ishtiaghi, M., & Sharepour, M. (2019). Investigating the concept of the right to the city in urban policy-making, Sustainable Urban and Regional Development Studies, 1(2), 67-84. URL: https://www.srds.ir/article_127600.html [In Persian]
Israel, E., & Frenkel, A. (2018). Social justice and spatial inequality: Toward a conceptual framework, Progress in Human Geography, 42(5), 647-665. Doi: 10.1177/0309132517702969.
Jian, I. Y., Luo, J., & Chan, E. H. W. (2020). Spatial justice in public open space planning: Accessibility and inclusivity, Habitat International, 97, 102122. Doi: 10.1016/j.habitatint.2020.102122.
Kalof, L., Dan, A., & Dietz, T. (2008). New tor grounded theory applications in urban design research, Essentials of social research, Open University press. http://redouan.larhzal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Essentials-of-Social-Research.pdf. 
Khaksari, A., Masoumifar, A., & Asayesh, M. (2021). Analysis of spatial justice research on the enjoyment of urban services in Iran, Human Geography Research, 53(3), 793-810. Doi: 10.22059/JHGR.2020.296238.1008074. [In Persian]
Kvale, S. (1996). Interviews: An Introduction to qualitative research interviewing, Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Doi: 10.1016/S1098-2140(99)80208-2.
Liu, Y. (2023). Spatial Justice: A Value Axis for Urban Spatial Governance in the New Era, Academic Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 5(1), 145-150. Doi: 10.54097/ajmss.v5i1.14068.
Manouchehri Miandoab, A., Ahar, H., & Anvari, A. (2019). An analysis of spatial justice and its impact on the political ecology of cities, case study: Tehran metropolis, Research and Urban Planning, 10(38), 89-100. doi: 20.1001.1.22285229.1398.10.38.8.4. [In Persian]
Marsousi, N., Ali Akbari, E., Safahen, A., & Boustan Ahmadi, V. (2021). Spatial analysis of physical housing indicators with emphasis on the just city (case study: 22 districts of Tehran metropolis), Research and Urban Planning, 12(45), 21-36. Doi: 10.30495/JUPM.2021.4064. [In Persian]
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative research: A guide to design and implementation. John Wiley & Sons. 
Mina Bassett, S. (2013). The Role of Spatial Justice in the Regeneration of Urban Spaces: Groningen, The Netherlands, Network of European-United States Regional and Urban Studies (NEURUS) Program and Master of Urban Planning Capstone Project, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. URL: https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/items/45104
Mohammadpour, A. (2010). Method within Method on the Construction of Knowledge in the Humanities, Tehran: Sociologists. [In Persian] 
Moroni, P. & Franco, A. (2024). Spatial justice: A fundamental or derivative notion? City, Culture and Society, 38, 100593. Doi: 10.1016/j.ccs.2024.100593.
Nyamai, D. N. (2023). Invoking spatial justice in urban mobility in Nairobi: A commuter’s perspective, European Journal of Spatial Development, 20(1), 70–93. Doi: 10.5281/zenodo.10185316.
Omer, I. (2005). Evaluating Accessibility Using House-Level Data: A Spatial Equity Perspective, Computers, Environment and Urban Systems, 30, 254–274. Doi: 10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2005.06.004.
Przybylinski, S. (2023). Spatial justice. J. Ohlsson, S. Przybylinski (Eds.), Theorising justice: A primer for social scientists, Bristol University Press, Bristol, 191-204. URL: https://bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/theorising-justice.
Qalandarian, I. (2022). Application of the data-based method in the emergence of an urban theory (recreation of the central part of Mashhad), Quarterly Journal of Research in Islamic Architecture, 35(10), 85-103. Doi: 10.52547/jria.10.2.5. [In Persian]
Rafiian, M., Ghasemi, I., & Nozari, K. (2019). Analysis of spatial justice discourse in urban management policy document (Case study: Tehran city), Urban Social Geography, 6(1), 71-89. [In Persian] Doi: 10.22103/JUSG.2019.1979. 
Rafiian, M., & Alvandipour, N. (2016). Conceptualization of the idea of the right to the city; In search of a conceptual model, Iranian Journal of Sociology, 16(2), 25-47. Doi: 20.1001.1.17351901.1394.16.2.2.8. [In Persian]
Rahimi, M., & Naqdi, M. (2017). Measuring and evaluating the effective components in citizen participation and its role in neighborhood sustainability. Case study: Evin and Zafaranieh neighborhoods, Geography and Environmental Studies, 6(24), 105-117. URL: https://journals.iau.ir/article_607400.html. [In Persian]
Rezaei, S., Arian, A., & Mohammadpour, S. (2025). An analysis of the distribution of urban services with emphasis on the spatial justice approach (case study: Mashhad city), Urban Economics and Planning, 8(1), 96-117. Doi: 10.22034/UEP.2025.499567.1586. [In Persian]
Rocco, R. (2022). Spatial Justice: A crucial dimension of sustainability. Spatial Planning and Strategy. TU Delft OPEN Publishing, Delft, 276-287.
Roshani, A., Parak, F., & Karimi, B. (2024). Analysis of the distribution of urban public uses from the perspective of spatial justice (case study: ten regions of Shiraz metropolis), Geography and Spatial Development, 1(1). Doi: 10.22098/GSD.2024.2983. [In Persian]
Safaralizadeh, E., & Hosseinzadeh, R. (2023). Spatial analysis of sustainable housing indicators in Tehran metropolis, Geography and Regional Development, 21(43), 257-286. Doi: 10.22067/jgrd.2023.82420.1278. [In Persian]
Safari, A., Abdullahzadeh Taraf, A., & Jafari, M. (2023). Evaluating spatial justice in urban development documents and its distributional effects, case study: Uromia city, Armanshahr Architecture and Urban Planning, 44, 143-162. Doi:  10.22034/AAUD.2023.337238.2649. [In Persian]
Soja, E. (2010). Seeking spatial justice, University of Minnesota Press. Doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9663.2011.00655.x.
Soja, E. (2009). The city and spatial justice. Justice spatiale/Spatial justice, 1(1), 1-5. 
Tabei, N., Movahed, A., Tolaei, S., & Kamanroudi Kajouri, M. (2016). Investigating the role of spatial justice in urban management (Scope of study: neighborhoods of Tehran’s District 6), Quarterly Journal of Spatial Planning, 6(2), 23-36. doi: 10.22108/SPPL.2016.21649. [In Persian]
Uwayezu, E., & Vries. (2018). Indicators for Measuring Spatial Justice and Land Tenure Security for Poor and Low Income Urban Dweller, Land, 7 (1), 84-90. Doi: 10.3390/land7030084.
Ziari, K., Maleki, R., & Khandan, E. (2022). Investigating economic, social, and physical indicators with a spatial justice approach using geographic information system (GIS) (case study: District 6 of Tehran metropolis), Researches in Earth Science, 13(1), 135-149. Doi: 10.48308/ESRJ.2022.101485. [In Persian]
Urban Economics and Planning
Volume 6, Issue 4
Winter 2026
Pages 110-125

  • Receive Date 09 June 2025
  • Revise Date 06 September 2025
  • Accept Date 07 September 2025