Analysis of the spatial planning and urban development pattern in Iran

This article aims to examine Iran’s urbanization routes, spatial patterns and its changes over time. Research method is analytical and statistical basis is the results of population and housing censuses for the recent 7 times. In this article, we analyzed the temporal and spatial urbanization in Iran over the past 55 years, and also by analyzing elements such as population growth, migration and economic development, we identified the spatial pattern of the country's urbanization development process. Based on our forecast of population and rate of urbanization for 2026, the country’s population will be approximately 89.9 million and the urbanization rate will be as high as 80.4%. Other results can be enumerated as follows; reduce workers employed in agriculture in favor of the service sector over the past 55 years, the changing pattern of migration from rural to urban migration patterns from city to city, from late 1961 to 1991 has dominated previous pattern. Also the migration in interprovince, urban areas of Tehran province, accounted for most immigrants and reverse migration (from cities to villages) is also growing. Regarding to the failure of Growth pole theory and separately plotted plans such as comprehensive urban plan and rural guidance plan and by considering the direct relation between agriculture, villages and small cities, we suggest that special strategies entitled “Complex urban plan” for strategic development of urbanization should be considered.