Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Where does National Urban Policy (NUP) stand in urban planning systems? : An introduction to the framework and content of NUP in Iran

Mirsafa, Masoumeh LU orcid and Habibi, Sara (2025) In International Journal of Architectural Engineering & Urban Planning 35(1).
Abstract
Despite decades of experience in urban planning, Iran lacks a robust urban policy framework to guide its rapid urbanization toward sustainable and resilient development. Moreover, its existing sectoral policies have failed to operate within an integrated framework. The formulation of a National Urban Policy (NUP), as proposed by UN-Habitat, offers a unified structure to facilitate the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of urban policies nationwide. However, there is no single approach to developing NUP, and urban policymaking in each country needs to be sensitive to its socio-economic and political context. This research employs a qualitative method to define Iran’s NUP framework and develop its content based on the... (More)
Despite decades of experience in urban planning, Iran lacks a robust urban policy framework to guide its rapid urbanization toward sustainable and resilient development. Moreover, its existing sectoral policies have failed to operate within an integrated framework. The formulation of a National Urban Policy (NUP), as proposed by UN-Habitat, offers a unified structure to facilitate the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of urban policies nationwide. However, there is no single approach to developing NUP, and urban policymaking in each country needs to be sensitive to its socio-economic and political context. This research employs a qualitative method to define Iran’s NUP framework and develop its content based on the specific circumstances of urbanization in Iran. Drawing on 32 national and international documents, the analysis identifies key themes for creating a sustainable urban future. The findings advocate for a contextualized and localized approach to formulating the NUP, incorporating six building blocks and twenty themes. The study emphasizes the necessity of a forward-thinking approach to urban planning, addressing critical issues such as climate change, internal migrations, aging populations, and the environmental impact of urbanization. The study also introduces a participatory, data-driven, and integrated approach to ensure the effectiveness of proposed policies and stresses the importance of periodic policy evaluation and adaptation to address future uncertainties.
(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
National urban policy, Urban planning, Policy making, Sustainable urban development,, Iran
in
International Journal of Architectural Engineering & Urban Planning
volume
35
issue
1
pages
15 pages
DOI
10.22068/ijaup.819
language
English
LU publication?
no
id
6a9b0f6d-4892-42ab-977d-94e3e7b03358
date added to LUP
2025-11-28 19:21:49
date last changed
2025-12-09 15:00:51
@article{6a9b0f6d-4892-42ab-977d-94e3e7b03358,
  abstract     = {{Despite decades of experience in urban planning, Iran lacks a robust urban policy framework to guide its rapid urbanization toward sustainable and resilient development. Moreover, its existing sectoral policies have failed to operate within an integrated framework. The formulation of a National Urban Policy (NUP), as proposed by UN-Habitat, offers a unified structure to facilitate the preparation, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of urban policies nationwide. However, there is no single approach to developing NUP, and urban policymaking in each country needs to be sensitive to its socio-economic and political context. This research employs a qualitative method to define Iran’s NUP framework and develop its content based on the specific circumstances of urbanization in Iran. Drawing on 32 national and international documents, the analysis identifies key themes for creating a sustainable urban future. The findings advocate for a contextualized and localized approach to formulating the NUP, incorporating six building blocks and twenty themes. The study emphasizes the necessity of a forward-thinking approach to urban planning, addressing critical issues such as climate change, internal migrations, aging populations, and the environmental impact of urbanization. The study also introduces a participatory, data-driven, and integrated approach to ensure the effectiveness of proposed policies and stresses the importance of periodic policy evaluation and adaptation to address future uncertainties.<br/>}},
  author       = {{Mirsafa, Masoumeh and Habibi, Sara}},
  keywords     = {{National urban policy; Urban planning; Policy making; Sustainable urban development,; Iran}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{03}},
  number       = {{1}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Architectural Engineering & Urban Planning}},
  title        = {{Where does National Urban Policy (NUP) stand in urban planning systems? : An introduction to the framework and content of NUP in Iran}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.22068/ijaup.819}},
  doi          = {{10.22068/ijaup.819}},
  volume       = {{35}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}