Comparative Analysis of Urban Contexts around Subway Stations Based on Indicators of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), Case Study: Mirza Shirazi and Namazi Subway Stations

Transportation issue has always been considered as one of the major urban problems. The rapid economic and demographic growth of cities, the increase of private car ownership, the limitation of urban transportation infrastructure, the increase of intra-city travel and the disproportionate development of urban spaces will increase the traffic problems in cities. Today, to get rid of these problems and increase the quality of life in cities, urban spaces are developed based on the transit system. The benefits of TOD have been widely demonstrated, from reducing carbon emissions to achieving a range of other inherent socio-economic benefits in sustainable cities. The increase in car ownership in Shiraz, whose population has overgrown in the years after the revolution and the intensification of the use of private cars in this city, caused many problems such as heavy traffic, air pollution, and noise pollution. This revealed the necessity of attention to transit in this city, and as a result, the urban train was considered an efficient transit method. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate and analyze the urban areas around the public transportation stations in Shiraz based on the TOD criteria. The case study is two selected stations from Shiraz metro, Mirzai Shirazi and Namazi stations. In this study, first, the principles of TOD have been identified. After that, the characteristics of the case study have been evaluated with the TOD criteria and the ITDP standards. Then, the stations were analyzed using SWOT. This study shows that Mirzai Shirazi station is in a bronze condition, but the Namazi station is not even in this condition. Access to local services, proper non-residential density, and transit options at the stations are the strengths of this approach. Housing density in stations is low and needs to be increased. The findings of this study can be used to assist planners in evaluating actions taken in intra-city rail development.