Elevated Highways in Residential Layouts: The Imposed Negative Impacts (Case Study: Sadr Elevated Highway)

Fast growing population, excessive expansion of cities, and dominance of automobile in urban life have troubled cities with complicated traffic problems. In many parts of the world, transport network development has always been considered as a solution for this problem. Apparently, one-dimensional ‘traffic solutions’ would never thoroughly bring best results as the city and its problems are complicated and interconnected. However, adding one floor to the existing networks would not necessarily solve traffic congestion. Therefore the aim of this paper is to identify the challenges elevated highways especially Sadr highway imposed on adjacent residential neighborhoods, and to provide recommendations mitigating the negative impacts of these challenges in favor of neighbor residents. Among the different challenges, this paper focuses on those which have instant effects on the potential neighborhoods including environmental, safety, and social challenges which affect nearby residents the most. Accordingly, this study provides policies to reduce noise, air and visual pollution, safety and security issues.