The Effects of Urban Transportation Infrastructures on the Spatio-temporal Growth of Tehran Metropolitan Area

Urban transportation infrastructure and land use system have reciprocal impacts on one another. However, extant research emphasizes the role of land use in the development of the urban transportation system, while the influence of transportation infrastructures on urban expansion has been predominantly neglected. Hence, the objective of the present investigation was to examine the role of urban transportation infrastructure on the constituents of urban growth in the city of Tehran, employing time-space trends with a particular focus on intra-city highways.

The current "explanatory-evaluation" study was carried out using transportation and traffic data from Tehran city spanning the period of 1995-2020. Through the establishment of a quantitative analysis methodology based on shared indicators between transportation and urban growth, data collection and analysis were conducted in four sequential stages.

The impact of highways on the urban expansion of Tehran has been identified across various significant dimensions. These include the establishment of a center-periphery configuration of population density, the controlled development of transportation infrastructure, extensive functional transformations in peripheral regions, the emergence of secondary functional nuclei on the outskirts of the city, and simultaneously, increased centralization in the core of Tehran's Central Business District. Additionally, there are indirect repercussions on land prices and real estate. These collective tendencies have ultimately culminated in the formation of an integrated metropolitan area.

To effectively manage and regulate urban growth, it is imperative to strike a balance in the role of the urban transportation system. This entails the amalgamation and harmonization of urban transportation policies with land use policies. This integration should be embedded within the framework of urban development plans, including comprehensive and detailed urban plans, as well as other management strategies. Furthermore, the control of urban growth must be given due consideration.