Provision of urban public facilities through the development of public commercial land in Iran

In the context of rapid urban growth and expansion, the provision of key infrastructure elements and public facilities has been a major concern in Iran. The post-revolutionary urban land policies provided a large amount of public land in which distribution of commercial land was one of the problematic issues. In 1986, a new instrumentality was initiated towards efficient use of public commercial land. This paper aims to provide a picture of the policy and to illustrate and assess its outcomes. Using the economic potential of public commercial land, monetary contributions were made towards the provision of public facilities such as schools and clinics in new settlements.