Mojtaba Rafieian
Biographic Data
| ID | 3564662 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Mojtaba Rafieian |
| GIVEN NAMES | Mojtaba |
| FAMILY NAME | Rafieian |
| SIGNATURE | RAFIEIAN M |
| AFFILIATIONS | Tarbiat Modares University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-7371-7617 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 21 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 11 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 21 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2012 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Regional polycentricity and spatial disparities
This study challenges the conventional assumption that polycentric urban development inherently reduces spatial inequalities. Focusing on the Tehran Metropolitan Region between 2010 and 2020, it demonstrates that housing affordability crises can actively generate—rather than mitigate—polycentric structures. Using satellite-derived built-up data (GHSL) and 572,198 housing transactions, the analysis reveals a marked increase in morphological polyce…
Genealogy of the gray spaces discourse in contemporary urban planning
The concept of gray spaces-often referred to as urban informal spaces-has remained ambiguous in urban planning discourse due to its complex socio-political, economic, and ethical dimensions. This paper employs a genealogical approach, drawing on Foucault's discourse analysis, to trace how gray spaces have been theorized across six distinct discourses: aestheticization of poverty, urban competition, participation, inclusion, democracy, and the glo…
Women's recreational walking preferences in urban streets
Women's walkability in urban spaces is increasingly recognized as vital to urban livability and social sustainability, ensuring equitable access to public space and fostering everyday interaction. Despite growing attention to walking behaviors, few studies comprehensively examine how perceptual-visual, sociocultural, and built environment factors shape women's walking preferences, especially in contexts with strong traditions and patriarchal norm…
Planning in the face of diversity
Guiding public policy in gray spaces
Urban design strategies for summer and winter outdoor thermal comfort in arid regions
Gaps in urban planning
Socio-spatial transformation of neighbourhoods around rail transit stations
While increasing evidence suggests that rail infrastructure plays a structuring role in shaping and transforming cities and regions over time, empirical studies on the simultaneous development of rail infrastructure and socio-spatial transformation of surrounding neighbourhoods, especially at a local scale, are scarce. The main aim of the article is to evaluate the transformation of neighbourhoods around rail transit stations, as well as provide …
Is affordable housing a pro‐poor policy? Evidence from a prominent housing policy in Iran
This paper examines if affordable housing as a representative of planning serves the pro‐poor policies or is used as a means against the poor. To this aim, Mehr housing, as the most significant and costly affordable housing planning practice in Iran, is studied by conducting a comprehensive review of 65 different related studies and using data‐driven coding, with results compared with other contexts. Findings are classified into four main categor…
Developing a comprehensive conceptual framework for city branding based on urban planning theory
Making the invisible segregation of diverse neighbourhoods visible
Developing a conceptual model for the relationship between rituals and the city based on the Theory of Sense of Place
The aim of this study is to investigate how the city is influenced by the ritual of Muharram. The main research question is: what is the relationship between the city and the ritual of Muharram? To answer this question, we examined different intangible layers of this ritual heritage. This study is based on the three components of the sense of place. The research method is qualitative and a context-oriented approach is adopted. The context of the …
From the kingdom lash to participation
This article discusses the duality of centralized/plural power in the urban planning of Iran. It takes centralized power (traditional) as the instrumental rationality and vertical planning, and multiplied power (Foucauldian) as the participative planning and communicative rationality. According to this notional framework, the article surveys urban planning in Iran since 1930, from its first activity regarding urban development to the utilization …
Urban development as a marionette? Oil income and urban development in post-revolutionary Iran
The effects of natural resource extraction profits on the economic growth of countries are extensively debated. Some argue that such proceeds are a curse, often referred to as ‘Dutch disease’. Others identify a relationship between natural resource income, specifically oil, and urban development or urbanism. The present research explores the relationship between oil proceeds and urban investment in Iran – an oil-based economy – after the Islamic …
If Foucault were an urban planner
Power has always been an obvious presumption in planning theory. At times it has been considered as a one-way, top-down, instrumental and rational dominance while at other times, planning theory, in more fortunate moments, has tried to divide concepts of power between different actors through a communicative rationality-based process. This article locates Foucault’s theory of power in relation to recent planning theories as a magnifier in order t…
The Urban Heat Island in an Urban Context
In this study, the spatio-temporal changes of urban heat island (UHI) in a mega city located in a semi-arid region and the relationships with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) are appraised using Landsat TM/OLI images with the help of ENVI and ArcGIS software. The results reveal that the relationships between NDBI, NDVI and land surface temperature (LST) varied by year in the study area …
What did urban studies do for women? A systematic review of 40 years of research
Using information and communication technologies to create learning urban public space. (Case study
Megaprojects and community participation
The recent generation of megaprojects – defined as extremely large-scale investment projects includes mixed-use developments based on public–private partnership. Despite the benefits estimated as the result of megaprojects, many of the projects lead to social and economic challenges resulting from the missed and unanswered conflicts with their stakeholders. As power structure affect fundamentally on the definition and formation of megaprojects, t…
Impacts of temporary housing on housing reconstruction after the Bam earthquake
Purpose – This study aims to examine the impacts of temporary housing on housing reconstruction after disasters using data collected after the December 2003 Bam earthquake. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed and completed by 281 disaster-impacted households living in small and large campsites and on site of damaged properties provided by government and non-government agencies. Cross tabulation analyses were carried out to…
An investigation of the reasons for non-compliance with FAR regulations in Tehran
An investigation of the reasons for non-compliance with FAR regulations in Tehran
Making the invisible segregation of diverse neighbourhoods visible
Is affordable housing a pro‐poor policy? Evidence from a prominent housing policy in Iran
This paper examines if affordable housing as a representative of planning serves the pro‐poor policies or is used as a means against the poor. To this aim, Mehr housing, as the most significant and costly affordable housing planning practice in Iran, is studied by conducting a comprehensive review of 65 different related studies and using data‐driven coding, with results compared with other contexts. Findings are classified into four main categor…
Using information and communication technologies to create learning urban public space. (Case study
An investigation of the reasons for non-compliance with FAR regulations in Tehran
Impacts of temporary housing on housing reconstruction after the Bam earthquake
Purpose – This study aims to examine the impacts of temporary housing on housing reconstruction after disasters using data collected after the December 2003 Bam earthquake. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire was developed and completed by 281 disaster-impacted households living in small and large campsites and on site of damaged properties provided by government and non-government agencies. Cross tabulation analyses were carried out to…
Megaprojects and community participation
The recent generation of megaprojects – defined as extremely large-scale investment projects includes mixed-use developments based on public–private partnership. Despite the benefits estimated as the result of megaprojects, many of the projects lead to social and economic challenges resulting from the missed and unanswered conflicts with their stakeholders. As power structure affect fundamentally on the definition and formation of megaprojects, t…
If Foucault were an urban planner
Power has always been an obvious presumption in planning theory. At times it has been considered as a one-way, top-down, instrumental and rational dominance while at other times, planning theory, in more fortunate moments, has tried to divide concepts of power between different actors through a communicative rationality-based process. This article locates Foucault’s theory of power in relation to recent planning theories as a magnifier in order t…
The Urban Heat Island in an Urban Context
In this study, the spatio-temporal changes of urban heat island (UHI) in a mega city located in a semi-arid region and the relationships with normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference built-up index (NDBI) are appraised using Landsat TM/OLI images with the help of ENVI and ArcGIS software. The results reveal that the relationships between NDBI, NDVI and land surface temperature (LST) varied by year in the study area …
What did urban studies do for women? A systematic review of 40 years of research
Using information and communication technologies to create learning urban public space. (Case study
From the kingdom lash to participation
This article discusses the duality of centralized/plural power in the urban planning of Iran. It takes centralized power (traditional) as the instrumental rationality and vertical planning, and multiplied power (Foucauldian) as the participative planning and communicative rationality. According to this notional framework, the article surveys urban planning in Iran since 1930, from its first activity regarding urban development to the utilization …
Urban development as a marionette? Oil income and urban development in post-revolutionary Iran
The effects of natural resource extraction profits on the economic growth of countries are extensively debated. Some argue that such proceeds are a curse, often referred to as ‘Dutch disease’. Others identify a relationship between natural resource income, specifically oil, and urban development or urbanism. The present research explores the relationship between oil proceeds and urban investment in Iran – an oil-based economy – after the Islamic …
Making the invisible segregation of diverse neighbourhoods visible
Developing a conceptual model for the relationship between rituals and the city based on the Theory of Sense of Place
The aim of this study is to investigate how the city is influenced by the ritual of Muharram. The main research question is: what is the relationship between the city and the ritual of Muharram? To answer this question, we examined different intangible layers of this ritual heritage. This study is based on the three components of the sense of place. The research method is qualitative and a context-oriented approach is adopted. The context of the …
Socio-spatial transformation of neighbourhoods around rail transit stations
While increasing evidence suggests that rail infrastructure plays a structuring role in shaping and transforming cities and regions over time, empirical studies on the simultaneous development of rail infrastructure and socio-spatial transformation of surrounding neighbourhoods, especially at a local scale, are scarce. The main aim of the article is to evaluate the transformation of neighbourhoods around rail transit stations, as well as provide …
Is affordable housing a pro‐poor policy? Evidence from a prominent housing policy in Iran
This paper examines if affordable housing as a representative of planning serves the pro‐poor policies or is used as a means against the poor. To this aim, Mehr housing, as the most significant and costly affordable housing planning practice in Iran, is studied by conducting a comprehensive review of 65 different related studies and using data‐driven coding, with results compared with other contexts. Findings are classified into four main categor…
Developing a comprehensive conceptual framework for city branding based on urban planning theory
Urban design strategies for summer and winter outdoor thermal comfort in arid regions
Gaps in urban planning
Planning in the face of diversity
Guiding public policy in gray spaces
Genealogy of the gray spaces discourse in contemporary urban planning
The concept of gray spaces-often referred to as urban informal spaces-has remained ambiguous in urban planning discourse due to its complex socio-political, economic, and ethical dimensions. This paper employs a genealogical approach, drawing on Foucault's discourse analysis, to trace how gray spaces have been theorized across six distinct discourses: aestheticization of poverty, urban competition, participation, inclusion, democracy, and the glo…
Women's recreational walking preferences in urban streets
Women's walkability in urban spaces is increasingly recognized as vital to urban livability and social sustainability, ensuring equitable access to public space and fostering everyday interaction. Despite growing attention to walking behaviors, few studies comprehensively examine how perceptual-visual, sociocultural, and built environment factors shape women's walking preferences, especially in contexts with strong traditions and patriarchal norm…
Regional polycentricity and spatial disparities
This study challenges the conventional assumption that polycentric urban development inherently reduces spatial inequalities. Focusing on the Tehran Metropolitan Region between 2010 and 2020, it demonstrates that housing affordability crises can actively generate—rather than mitigate—polycentric structures. Using satellite-derived built-up data (GHSL) and 572,198 housing transactions, the analysis reveals a marked increase in morphological polyce…
Geography (11 works) · Sociology (11 works) · Urban Planning and Governance (10 works) · Engineering (9 works) · Civil engineering (8 works) · Economics (8 works) · Business (6 works) · Political science (6 works) · Computer Science (4 works) · Urban planning (4 works)