How Compact Are Midsize Cities in Iran?

Abstract

Rapid population growth and population concentration in urban areas, especially in cities of developing countries, has brought about many problems, and the sustainable urban development paradigm has introduced compact cities as one of the solutions for future urban forms. Although discussions about compact form characteristics and its dimensions have a long history in the literature in developed countries, but they have not been considered much in developing countries such as Iran. Therefore, this research attempts to survey this phenomenon in Iran’s midsized cities, to identify compactness factors and to measure this concept using a quantifiable method that could be replicable in other cities in developing countries. Four factors are identified from the literature review to depict compactness: density, mixed land uses, accessibility, and centrality. Indicators depicting these components of urban compactness are extracted from the literature and adapted to local conditions and characteristics. National population and housing census and also local master as well as detailed plans are used, through commercially available software, to obtain the needed data for these indicators. Confirmatory factor analysis is used to measure the different components of urban compaction. Exploratory factors analysis is used to verify the significance of the preidentified compaction dimensions in showing the compactness of the three midsized cities in Iran. This issue is examined for the three midsized cities of Qazvin, Kashan, and Gorgan. The results show that density, mixed use, and centrality factors are statistically significant dimensions of urban compactness phenomena in all three cities studied.