1. Planning to fail, failing to plan?
A most different systems comparison
of urban planning in Portugal and Iran
Mona Jabbari (U. Minho)
Carlos Jalali (U. Aveiro)
Frederico Moura e Sá (U. Aveiro)

2. 1. TERRITORY: FUNCTIONS AND USES
• LAND FUNCTIONS (ANTHROPOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE):
• ENVIRONMENTAL (ECOLOGICAL BALANCE)
• PRODUCTIVE (PRIMARY SECTOR)
• SUPPORT (INFRASTRUCTURE, BUILDING, …)
• EVOLUTION OF LAND USE
DOMINANT BEHAVIOR AND SOCIAL ORDER
CONFLICT / CLASH
REFLECTION / MIRROR
E.G. IN PORTUGAL MUCH OF THE LAND IS PRIVATE PROPERTY BASIC RIGHT (LIBERAL FRAMEWORK)
EACH OWNER LEGITIMATELY DEMANDS THE MAXIMUM ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE OF THEIR "GOOD"
CARVALHO, J. (2010). MERCADO, IDEOLOGIA E ORDENAMENTO DO TERRITÓRIO. AVEIRO, UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO.

3. 2. LAND USE: CURRENT DYNAMICS
URBAN
(CITY)
RURAL
(FIELD)
VS.
CLASSICAL DICHOTOMY
(CONCENTRATED OCCUPATION)
STEAM ENGINE, AUTOMOBILE AND INFRASTRUCTURE EXPANSION
SCATTERED / FRAGMENTED OCCUPATION (URBAN SPRAWL)
MODEL (BASED ON CAR USE AND UNTIL NOW IN CHEAP ENERGY) THAT MULTIPLIES ITSELF BY:
• THE PERMANENT EXTENSION OF INFRASTRUCTURES
(IRRATIONALITY WITHOUT ASSESSING LEVELS OF SERVICE)
• LAND OWNERS ACTION:
• ENVIRONMENTAL FUNCTION
• PRODUCTIVE FUNCTION
• SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
(WITHOUT ECONOMIC RETURN)
RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF BUILDING ON HIS PROPERTY
CARVALHO, J. (2010). MERCADO, IDEOLOGIA E ORDENAMENTO DO TERRITÓRIO. AVEIRO, UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO.
DOMINGUES, Á. (2008). URBANIZAÇÃO EXTENSIVA – UMA NOVA ESCALA PARA O PLANEAMENTO. CITTA 1ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON PLANNING RESEARCH. PORTO, FEUP.

4. 4. SPRAWL IN PORTUGAL…
Tehran province: Different Grain size of heterogeneous tissue
GROWTH RATES OF HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES IN PORTUGAL,
1970-81, 1981-91 AND 1991-2001
GROWTH OF HOUSING HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY ABOVE 20%, ALWAYS WELL ABOVE
THE INCREASE OF THE FAMILY NUMBERS.
A EVOLUÇÃO DO PARQUE HABITACIONAL PORTUGUÊS: REFLEXÕES PARA O FUTURO

5. 4. SPRAWL IN PORTUGAL… THREE DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
CONTINUOUS LINEAR BUILDING (EX: CARVALHEIRA – AVEIRO)

6. 4. SPRAWL IN PORTUGAL… THREE DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
OCCASIONAL PATCHES OF URBANIZATIONS (EX: SÃO JOSÉ DA PONTE – ÉVORA)

7. 4. SPRAWL IN PORTUGAL… THREE DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
UNIFORM PUNCTUAL BUILDING (EX: AZURVA – AVEIRO)

8. 3. SPRAWL IN IRAN…
Tehran is the economic and political centre of
the country. This helps explain sprawling
settlements in the Tehran province. The
province has a population of around 11
million.
Statistical Center of Iran(2013) at : www.amar.org.ir
Iran
Tehran province

9. 3. SPRAWL IN IRAN… TWO DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
TEHRAN PROVINCE: PUNCTUAL BUILDING, HETEROGENEOUS PLOT SIZES

10. 3. SPRAWL IN IRAN… TWO DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
North of Iran
Statistical Center of Iran(2013) at : www.amar.org.ir

11. 3. SPRAWL IN IRAN… TWO DIFFERENT TYPOLOGIES
NORTH OF IRAN: CONTINUOUS LINEAR SPRAWL, HOMOGENEOUS PLOT SIZES

12. 3. SPRAWL IN IRAN…
GROWTH RATES OF HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES IN IRAN,
1996-2000, 2001-2005 AND 2006-2010
Statistical Center of Iran(2013) at : www.amar.org.ir
GROWTH OF FAMILIES HAS BEEN CONTINUOUSLY ABOVE DOUBLE AND HALF, ALWAYS
WELL ABOVE THE INCREASE OF THE RATE HOUSE NUMBERS.

13. 5. THE RESEARCH QUESTION
WHY?
WHAT FACTORS EXPLAIN
INEFFICIENT LAND USE AND
SPRAWL?
EXPLANATIONS OF INEFFICIENT LAND USE AND SPRAWL
GENERALLY BASED ON CASE STUDIES. E.G.:
CARVALHO, J. (COORDENAÇÃO GERAL) (NO PRELO). CUSTOS E BENEFÍCIOS, À ESCALA LOCAL, DE UMA OCUPAÇÃO
DISPERSA. UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO, UNIVERSIDADE DE ÉVORA, DGOTDU. (CASOS DE AVEIRO E ÉVORA).
GRAHAM, S., MARVIN, S. (2001). SPLINTERING URBANISM: NETWORKED INFRASTRUCTURE, TECHNOLOGICAL MOBILITIES AND
THE URBAN CONDITION. LONDON, NEW YORK, ROUTLEDGE.
SIEVERTS, T. (2003). CITIES WITHOUT CITIES: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE ZWISCHENSTADT. LONDON, NEW YORK, SPON
PRESS.
SOARES, L. B. (2002). A REALIDADE INCONTORNÁVEL DA DISPERSÃO. SOCIEDADE E TERRITÓRIO, N. 33, FEVEREIRO, P. 123-
129.

14. 6. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
LIJPHART (1971): SCIENTIFIC EXPLANATION CONSISTS OF TWO BASIC
ELEMENTS:
(1) THE ESTABLISHMENT OF GENERAL EMPIRICAL RELATIONSHIPS
AMONG TWO OR MORE VARIABLES,
WHILE (2) ALL OTHER VARIABLES ARE CONTROLLED THAT IS, HELD
CONSTANT
COMPARATIVE METHOD: “METHOD OF DISCOVERING EMPIRICAL
RELATIONSHIP AMONG VARIABLES” (LIJPHART, 1971: 683)
SYSTEMATIC COMPARISON OF SMALL N; DELIBERATE AND CAREFUL
SELECTION OF CASES; IDENTIFYING CAUSAL RELATIONSHIPS BY
ANALYSING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CASES
TWO MAIN STRATEGIES:
1. MOST SIMILAR SYSTEMS DESIGN (MSSD): minimise variance in the
independent (control) variables and maximise difference in the dependent
variable
2. MOST DIFFERENT SYSTEMS DESIGN (MDSD): maximise variance in the
independent variables and minimise difference in the dependent variable

15. 6. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
THE LOGIC OF MDSD

16. 6. COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
PORTUGAL IRAN
DEMOCRACY NOT DEMOCRACY
MARKET ECONOMY TRANSITION ECONOMY
10 MILLION POP’N; HIGH
DENSITY (115/KM2); LOW
GROWTH (0.18%)
76 MILLION POP’N; LOW
DENSITY (47/KM2); FAST
GROWTH (1.25%)
PIECEMEAL PLANNING
SYSTEM
CENTRALISED PLANNING
PREPONDERANCE OF
PRIVATE INITIATIVE
PUBLIC CONTROL OF
CONSTRUCTION
BUT BOTH WITH INEFFICIENT
LAND USE (SPRAWL)
PORTUGAL AND IRAN AS A MOST DIFFERENT SYSTEMS DESIGN COMPARISON

17. 7. THE PORTUGUESE CASE: FACTORS
REASONS FOR DISORGANIZED OCCUPATION OF THE TERRITORY:
PUBLIC ACTION ONLY USES PLANS (GENERALLY TOO PERMISSIVE) AND LICENSING (WITH
CASE BY CASE APPROACH AND DEPENDENT ON THE INITIATIVE OF EACH OWNER - EVEN IF THE
LICENSEE COMPLIES WITH THE PLAN, DISORDER REMAINS)
WHAT IS MISSING:
• ANOTHER REAL ESTATE TAX SYSTEM (THE PRESENT ONE REWARDS INACTION AND
INHIBITS OPERATION OF THE MARKET)
• AND ABOVE ALL, MORE PUBLIC INITIATIVE (DIRECT ACTIONS OR PROMOTION OF
EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS - IN STRATEGIC TERRITORIALLY INTERVENTIONS)
CARVALHO, J. (2010). MERCADO, IDEOLOGIA E ORDENAMENTO DO TERRITÓRIO. AVEIRO, UNIVERSIDADE DE AVEIRO.

18. 8. THE IRANIAN CASE: FACTORS
REASONS FOR DISORGANIZED OCCUPATION OF THE TERRITORY:
1990s-2000s: CONSTRUCTION AS THE ONLY LUCRATIVE USE OF LAND, AND
PARTICULARLY PROFITABLE IN THE ECONOMY AS A WHOLE, GIVEN HIGH DEMAND.
PRIVATE CAPITAL CHANNELLED TO CONSTRUCTION.
Since 2000s: DIRECT GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION TO INCREASE HOUSING.
HOWEVER, HAS SERVED TO FURTHER INCREASE VALUE OF LAND (PRIVATE) FOR
CONSTRUCTION, AND LITTLE PLANNING STRUCTURE.
WHAT IS MISSING:
• ANOTHER REAL ESTATE TAX SYSTEM (NO TAXATION ON CONSTRUCTION PROFITS)
• AND ABOVE ALL, MORE PUBLIC INITIATIVE (DIRECT ACTIONS OR PROMOTION OF
EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS - IN STRATEGIC TERRITORIALLY INTERVENTIONS)

19. 8. THE COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
WHAT FACTORS EXPLAIN INEFFICIENT LAND
USE AND SPRAWL?
DESPITE DIFFERENT URBAN PLANNING REGULATIONS AND CONTEXTUAL
FACTORS, IRAN AND PORTUGAL WITH SIMILAR OUTCOMES.
THE COMMON FACTOR:
ABUNDANCE OF CHEAP CREDIT FOR
CONSTRUCTION
IN PORTUGAL, CREDIT PROVIDED BY FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
IN IRAN, CREDIT PROVIDED GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION
IN BOTH CASES, SIMILAR IMPACT:
ECONOMIC LOGIC OVERRIDES SOCIAL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL LOGICS

20. THANK
YOU