Urban Economics and Planning

Urban Economics and Planning

Spatial justice and infill development: towards a more balanced urban growth model for Mashhad in informal settlements

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 PhD researcher in geography and urban planning, Department of Geography, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
2 Associate professor of geography and urban planning, Department of Geography, Ma.C., Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran
Abstract
The spatial-physical growth pattern of Mashhad in recent decades has been based on dispersed, horizontal expansion on the peripheries, neglecting inner-city potentials. This pattern has exacerbated spatial inequalities and residents’ deprivation in informal settlements. This article critically re-examines this growth pattern and elucidates the role of infill development as a strategy for realizing spatial justice in these areas.
The present research is descriptive-analytical in nature and has been conducted using a library-documentary method and secondary data analysis. The research methodology was mixed, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative analysis. In the quantitative section, indicators of spatial justice were weighted using the analytic network process (ANP) model, and then the neighborhood composite index was calculated using the arithmetic integration method. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 urban experts and 12 local leaders.
The findings indicate that Mashhad’s urban growth pattern, with its one-sided emphasis on “outward expansion,” has reinforced three major structural deficiencies: (1) a deep spatial divide between affluent and deprived neighborhoods (spatial justice index range: 3.42 units), (2) ignoring inner-city capacities, such as vacant and underutilized lands, and (3) weakening social capital and limiting participation in informal contexts (high correlation of spatial justice with willingness to participate: 0.76–0.82).
The article concludes that integrating the two concepts of spatial justice and infill development can form the core of a major shift in Mashhad’s urban planning, which, instead of unregulated outward expansion, focuses on revitalizing and rebalancing within the city and reducing the gap between formal and informal areas.
Keywords

Subjects


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Volume 7, Issue 5
August 2026
Pages 106-131

  • Receive Date 09 December 2025
  • Revise Date 28 December 2025
  • Accept Date 29 December 2025