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The Pennsylvania State University The Graduate School Department of Architecture REDUCING CAR USE THROUGH NEW URBAN DESIGN SCHEMES IN WESTERN TEHRAN A Thesis in Architecture by Hasti Khodabakhsh 2014 Hasti Khodabakhsh Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Architecture August 2014 ii The thesis of Hasti Khodabakhsh was reviewed and approved* by the following: Mehrdad Hadighi Professor and Department Head Advisor Jawaid Haider Professor Madis Pihlak Associate Professor *Signatures are on file in the Graduate School iii ABSTRACT The world has become progressively more modernized and urbanized during the past century, and the growth of megacities is now a worldwide phenomenon. Despite differences in the nature, level, and magnitude of urbanization in developed and less‐developed countries, all countries face similar problems in their urbanized areas. Current development patterns have become a major source of concern in developed countries due to the extent of environmental damages and health problems that they have caused. However, the need for new urban development paradigms and modern environmentally conscious patterns is not limited to developed countries. Addressing the development pattern of developing cities is also critical to meeting the dual challenges of climate change and urbanization. As the second‐largest city in the Middle East and one of the largest cities in the world, Tehran faces substantial challenges of which spatial and traffic congestion, air pollution, and inadequate infrastructure seem most prominent. This thesis is an attempt to identify problems associated with the current development pattern of Tehran. Municipal districts 21 and 22 in the west of Tehran are the focus of this study. In 1993, these districts were added to the city in an attempt to implement environmentally friendly principles and create a development pattern based on a logistic plan. However, the existing master plans for development of these districts primarily promote a private‐car‐dependent urban environment. The author proposes strategies, alternative plans, and design guidelines for reducing reliance on automobile transportation in these developing areas. This thesis provides an overview of Tehran’s growth and its problems with an emphasis on development patterns. Based on an analytical study of the developing sector of Tehran (municipal districts 21 and 22, which are the focus of this thesis) and their weaknesses and iv potentials, the study draws upon new urban development paradigms with an emphasis on sustainable transportation, including Peter Calthorpe’s Transit Oriented Development guidelines and Robert Cervero’s definition of a transit metropolis. The thesis encompasses proposals, design guidelines, and prototypes to be used for districts 21 and 22 consistent with all the studies and analyses in these rapidly developing districts of Tehran. Key words: Tehran, transit‐oriented development, pedestrian‐friendly environment v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................... VIII ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................................................................................ XII CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................... 1 1 PROLOGUE ....................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................................... 2 1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT ............................................................................................................ 3 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF INVESTIGATION ................................................................................................. 9 1.4 RESEARCH DESIGN ............................................................................................................... 10 1.5 LIMITATIONS ....................................................................................................................... 11 CHAPTER TWO ....................................................................................................................... 13 2 THE CITY’S OVERVIEW ..................................................................................................... 13 2.1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................... 14 2.2 THE GEOGRAPHY OF TEHRAN ................................................................................................. 14 2.3 THE HISTORY OF TEHRAN ...................................................................................................... 16 2.3.1 From a Mall Village to the Political and Economic Capital ........................................ 16 2.3.2 Population Growth and Economic Development ....................................................... 17 2.3.3 City’s Structural Development .................................................................................... 18 2.4 URBAN GOVERNANCE ........................................................................................................... 44 2.5 CURRENT POLICIES ............................................................................................................... 47 2.5.1 Transportation as a Focus .......................................................................................... 48 2.5.2 Transportation Modes and Services ........................................................................... 49 2.6 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 59 vi CHAPTER THREE ..................................................................................................................... 60 3 MUNICIPAL DISTRICTS 21 AND 22 .................................................................................... 60 3.1 HISTORY OF THE AREA .......................................................................................................... 61 3.2 DISTRICT 21 ....................................................................................................................... 62 3.3 DISTRICT 22 ....................................................................................................................... 69 CHAPTER FOUR ...................................................................................................................... 75 4 NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENT PARADIGMS ....................................................................... 75 4.1 PROBLEMS OF AUTO‐ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................ 76 4.2 NEW URBANISM THEORIES .................................................................................................... 79 4.3 DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................... 83 4.3.1 Planning Principles for Development around Transit ................................................. 90 CHAPTER FIVE ........................................................................................................................ 95 5 PROPOSALS AND DESIGN GUIDELINES ............................................................................. 95 5.1 NEW ZONING DESIGNATIONS ................................................................................................ 106 5.2 TRAFFIC CALMING .............................................................................................................. 107 5.3 TOD COMPLEXES .............................................................................................................. 108 5.3.1 Design Example ........................................................................................................ 111 5.4 RECREATIONAL GREEN STRUCTURE ....................................................................................... 118 5.4.1 Identity, Sense of Place and Legibility ...................................................................... 118 5.4.2 Bicycling and walking ............................................................................................... 124 5.5 THE GOALS OF PROPOSALS ................................................................................................... 124 CHAPTER SIX ........................................................................................................................ 127 CONCLUSIONS ...................................................................................................................... 127 vii BIBLIOGRAPHY ..................................................................................................................... 133 viii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1‐1 TEHRAN‐KARAJ HIGHWAY AND THE METRO LINE SEPARATING DISTRICTS 21 AND 22 ............... 8 FIGURE 2‐1 TEHRAN LOCATION ..................................................................................................................... 15 FIGURE 2‐2 TOPOGRAPHIC MAP OF TEHRAN ................................................................................................ 16 FIGURE 2‐3 SECTION B OF TEHRAN'S TOPOGRAPHIC MAP ........................................................................... 16 FIGURE 2‐4 TEHRAN FROM 1834 TO 1847 ...................................................................................................