2026 Reports

The Legal Implications of Urban Governance Approaches for Mitigating Climate Change

Mohammadnejad, Ali

Climate change is one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century, driven primarily by greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. In urban areas, the most important source of GHG emissions is the consumption of fossil fuels. The Tehran metropolis is the largest center of population and economic activity in Iran. Its dispersed spatial structure, urban sprawl, and car-oriented mobility patterns, combined with high fossil fuel consumption, have led to increased greenhouse gas emissions. Urban governance in Tehran is dominated by approaches characterized as elitist, technocratic, mandatory, regulatory, and top-down, with limited consideration of target groups, shaping the policies, laws, regulations, and plans governing the metropolis.