Motaleate Shahri

Urban Management

Evaluation of Mehr Housing Policies in Iran and Presentation of Solutions for their Improvement

h n; n r; m r

Volume 4, Issue 13 , February 2015, , Pages 83-92

Abstract

Housing is a basic need and a major problem for most countries, especially in countries with rapidly growing urbanization like Iran. This factor along with the lack of a comprehensive housing plan and deficiencies in economic management have brought housing to the forefront of planning issues in this ... Read More Housing is a basic need and a major problem for most countries, especially in countries with rapidly growing urbanization like Iran. This factor along with the lack of a comprehensive housing plan and deficiencies in economic management have brought housing to the forefront of planning issues in this country as a complex and multi-dimensional issue. Up to now many programs have been put forward by the government regarding the state of housing in different parts of the country. Mehr Housing which is a country wide social housing program has recently been the main subject of governmental actions for housing improvements. As stated by the government, this program seeks to provide affordable houses for the low-income, improve the quality and quantity of housing production, improve the environmental conditions specifically in metropolitan areas, attract individual and small capital to the housing sector, control the rapid fluctuations in land value, manage the growth of peripheries and in general improve the social justice status regarding housing. This program aims to achieve the mentioned goals by omitting the price of land for low-income groups of society and give them housing units using a 99-year lease. These units which have different conditions and characteristics with an average area of 75 square meters have been given to applicants in metropolises, big cities and medium ones. Due to lack of vacant lands within metropolises and big cities, these housing complexes are regulated to be located in new towns surrounding urban regions and their construction is only possible through the formation of cooperatives consisting of low-income members. This article attempts to discern the deficiencies of this program and consequently propose solutions for suitable housing through evaluation of Mehr housing policies in Iran. In order to do so, first the existing literature concerning the characteristics of housing in Iran and other countries were reviewed and 36 housing indicators were extracted which were then grouped into 9 criteria using factor analysis. Then, the indicators’ degree of freedom regarding Mehr Housing policies were measured. This was followed by regression analysis which was used to measure the effect of the factors and their degree of significance. Next, the priority rank of the factors was calculated. This ranking shows the priorities regarding the modification of policies. Results indicate that the “scheme and construction of the house and the surrounding environment” factor is the first priority followed by “placement and position”, “facilities and services”, “size of the housing unit”, “coverage of the in-need groups”, “economic justifiability”, “density”, “infrastructure” and “urban space” in order mentioned. Finally, solutions for improving Mehr housing projects were proposed based on the indicators in each of these 9 criteria. For example, in the case of scheme and construction of the house and the surrounding environment, the strategies and solutions should deal with the following indicators: relationships between neighbors, quality of design and construction, the quality of materials, seismic resistance, design of pedestrian corridors, green spaces and environmentally safe waste disposal sites.

Analysis the Urban Sprawl in the Peripheral Metropolitan Areas (Case Study: Northern Peripheral Areas of Isfahan, Iran)

H P; B F

Volume 3, Issue 10 , May 2014, , Pages 49-62

Abstract

Urban sprawl is a physical-spatial phenomenon. It is a kind of scattered, leapfrog, and low density horizontal urban growth far from urban centers and is usually followed by non mixed-use development. It can demonstrate resource and capital waste, threat to citizens’ health, environmental degradation, ... Read More Urban sprawl is a physical-spatial phenomenon. It is a kind of scattered, leapfrog, and low density horizontal urban growth far from urban centers and is usually followed by non mixed-use development. It can demonstrate resource and capital waste, threat to citizens’ health, environmental degradation, change city centers to deteriorated urban areas due to peripheral suburban growth pattern. The causes, patterns, consequences, costs and benefits of urban growth and sprawl, have been discussed by several researchers. However, these experts have not operated in the same way in regards the causes, patterns, costs and mechanism in this case. Most of the literature concerning urban sprawl often confuses causes, consequences, the many conditions, and spatial patterns. The theoretical question of this research is as follows: what the dimensions of urban sprawl in the historical evolution of the metropolis are; what causes urban sprawl and by what mechanism does it work. In that regard, Isfahan was chosen as a case study due to its unbridled horizontal growth in the last few decades which has had social, economic, and environmental impacts such as dissipated agricultural lands, increased air pollution and its risks to citizen’s health, increased costs of transportation, social segregation, injured historical heritages because of increasing pollutions. Moreover, Isfahan plays a prominent role in the economy of Iran. On the one hand, it has a great economic potential in tourism and mass industries, and plays a leading role in regional agricultural economics due to its fertile lands and soil. Pathology of these suburban areas, process of urban sprawl, and its mechanism in Isfahan is the purpose of this research. It seems that the highest amount of urban sprawl has occurred at the outskirts of Isfahan municipality, in regions 7 and 14. The process of this sprawl can be determined by ecological-social processes of industrial establishment in the northern peripheral areas, formation of residential settlements for laborers, impact of cooperative housing activities, natural factors (water shortage), transportation network, rural to urban migration, and formation of Isfahan’s spatial pattern by industrial-agricultural-residential function. Urban Sprawl in Isfahan has challenged spatial policy-making. The greatest degree of urban sprawl has occurred in peripheral lands along the “Dolat-Abad” road; numerous villages that are near northern Isfahan villages like “Younart”, have become neighborhoods of the city. Car dependency has increased along with the duration of daily trips within the cit. Social segregation has developed as an informal settlement of “Hadi-Gol”. This is a challenge for the whole of Isfahan city and its metropolitan areas, not just for the north of it. In terms of economic and social policy making, segregation patterns, physical separation, structural-spatial order, the urban sprawl of Isfahan affects all further spatial policy making and planning. Systemic-historical analysis was used as a method of proving the aforementioned hypothesis and exploratory factor analysis was used to distinguish the suburban areas where the most sprawl has occurred.

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Keywords = Factor Analysis

Evaluation of Mehr Housing Policies in Iran and Presentation of Solutions for their Improvement

Abstract

Analysis the Urban Sprawl in the Peripheral Metropolitan Areas (Case Study: Northern Peripheral Areas of Isfahan, Iran)

Abstract