The role of prison in limiting the spatial development of Even neighborhood in Tehran

  Land uses are divided into two "compatible" and "incompatible" types in terms of function and spatial effects. This division is done because each user has the most positive and synergistic relationship with other uses in urban development. Therefore, one of the objectives of land use planning is to locate appropriately and isolate compatible and incompatible land uses from each other (Jankowski, 1995). Incompatible uses in residential textures often include a variety of factories, barracks, slaughterhouses, and prisons (Afradi, 2013). Prisons in Iran are considered one of the administrative and police uses with a transurban scale and have incompatible uses (Supreme Council of Urbanism and Architecture of Iran, 2010). The creation or development of this land use is prohibited within the inner limits of cities (Ziari, 2002: 177).    The Evin Prison, located in the Evin neighborhood in Tehran's District 1, has many positive and negative effects on its adjacent spaces. This study aimed to identify the effect of incompatible use of the Evin prison on spatial development (physical, social, and economic) of the Evin neighborhood. The main question of this article is what effect has the incompatible use of the prison on the spatial development of the Evin neighborhood?

The Evin Neighborhood Development Plan information was collected from the comprehensive and detailed plan, the strategic document for the development of the neighborhood, and the municipality of District 1. Other data and information were collected by the questioning method. The statistical population of this study was 1158 families living in the Evin neighborhood, and the sample size was 288 families, which was calculated using Cochrane's formula. Six real estates with a history located in the Evin neighborhood were also interviewed purposefully about the impact of the prison on the price of lands and properties in this neighborhood. T-test and the correlation coefficient were used to process the data. The criteria and variables of this research are: A. Physical development (area, ratio, and per capita land use, occupancy level, density percentage, and the number of building floors). B. Social development (percentage of feeling safe and percentage of citizen participation in neighborhood affairs). C. Economic development (the amount of housing prices, the amount of housing rent, and the amount of private-public investment).

The role of the prison in physical development: By reducing the density and height of the building through urban development plans, the prison has imposed and institutionalized restrictions on the physical development of the Evin neighborhood (officially formal). This restriction was more in the adjacent and immediate contexts of the prison. According to the terms and conditions of the detailed plan (2012) and the map of the land use zones of the Evin neighborhood, the neighborhood is located in the residence (R), activity (S), Protection (G), and mixed (M) zones. The number of authorized building floors in the residential area is at least two and maximum of four stories with an occupancy level of 30-60%.The role of the prison in social development: 43.8% of 126 families in the first zone, 30.9% of 89 households in the second zone, and 25.3% of 73 households in the Evin neighborhood felt safe in this study. Accordingly, the law enforcement-security function of the prison has increased the sense of public safety in the Evin neighborhood, especially in its immediate area. On the other hand, urban development plans limit the density of buildings and reduce the transactional value of land and housing in the first zone of the Evin neighborhood, which negatively impact the motivation and demand for living and activity in this neighborhood and play a role in the migration of residents out of it. In addition to changing the proportion of indigenous and immigrant residents in the neighborhood, this trend has also reduced their participation in the Public Affairs Department (cooperation with the council).The role of the prison in economic development: Urban development plans play a role in reducing the transactional value of land and housing, especially in its immediate zone, by limiting land use and building density to ensure prison security. This trend has reduced the participation and investment of citizens and private investors in the neighborhood.

 Through comprehensive and detailed plans, the prison influenced physical development (area, ratio, and per capita usage and density, the number of floors, and the level of building occupancy) and informally affected social development (sense of public safety and citizen participation in neighborhood affairs) and economic development (price and rent of land and housing and public investment of citizens and private sector) in the Evin neighborhood. To secure the prison, the density and number of floors and the height of the building in the Evin neighborhood in the vicinity of the prison are lower than the medium and farther zones. These restrictions play a role in reducing the trading value of the neighborhood's land and housing. These physical constraints and the consequences of the land and housing economy have had a negative impact on reducing motivation and demand for housing and activity as well as willingness to participate and invest by citizens and the private sector in the Evin neighborhood.