Journal of Urban Studies on Space and Place

Exploring Apartment Living in Contemporary Iranian Cities: Challenges and Opportunities

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Masoumeh Ayashm

Department of Urbanism, Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism, Tabriz Islamic Art University, Tabriz, Iran.

https://doi.org/10.22034/jspr.2025.2070222.1158
Abstract
 
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The trend of apartment living, as one of the consequences of contemporary urban development, while responding to the quantitative demand for housing, has led to challenges in the spatial, social, environmental, and spiritual dimensions of residential life in Iranian cities. Trends are patterns of change in things important to the observer that occur over time. In today's macro society, trends such as urbanization, cyberspace and the Internet, economic vulnerability, war, generational gaps, changing beliefs and convictions, environmental issues, etc., have affected the development of contemporary cities and are pushing the city towards an uncertain future. A trend is a phenomenon that repeats itself over a short period of time with a tendency and logic; in other words, it is a change or development towards something new and different. In other words, a trend shows that a social issue or a specific concept tends toward a position, and this tendency has persisted at a given point in time. This issue has become so worrying that it requires examination, foresight, and preparation to address.
Methodology
This article examines the dimensions and consequences of apartment living in contemporary Iranian cities through the lens of "Islamic Realism." The research's conceptual framework is based on four dimensions of rights—divine rights, rights of the self, rights of other human beings, and rights of environmental creation—derived from Islamic teachings on humanity, dignity, and habitation. The research methodology is founded on a descriptive, analytical, and comparative approach. Data were collected through document analysis, a review of Islamic texts and academic sources, and a comparative evaluation between traditional houses and contemporary apartment units.
Research Findings
In this study, alongside a review of theoretical literature and clarification of the features of the Islamic-Iranian housing model, the apartment-living trend in Iran has been analyzed. Using assessment tables, the differences and deficiencies of apartment buildings compared to traditional houses and Islamic values have been examined. The findings indicate that contemporary apartment living in Iran generally lacks compatibility with Islamic principles of living and suffers from significant weaknesses in privacy, neighborhood interactions, spatial justice, and the physical–spiritual integrity of the dwelling.
The trend of apartment living in Iran, especially in recent decades, although it has been a response to population needs and land limitations in cities, from the perspective of Islamic realism, it faces serious challenges in the field of observing the four rights (divine right, right of self, right of other human beings, and right to create the environment). An examination of the physical, functional, socio-cultural, and environmental dimensions of this phenomenon shows that many of the values ​​and principles inherent in the Islamic-Iranian residential model have been ignored during the construction and development of apartments. From the perspective of divine rights, the elimination of worship spaces, the deprivation of presence in spiritual spaces, and the inability to observe some religious rituals in many apartment complexes are evidence of the distance of today's residential model from Islamic values. On the other hand, examining the rights of the self and other human beings indicates that the closed, inefficient, and inflexible structure of apartment spaces is a serious obstacle to the protection of privacy, psychological security, comfort, and healthy human interactions.
Conclusion
Furthermore, from an environmental perspective, the trend of apartment living in Iran has challenged many aspects of the rights of creation by creating disproportionate densities, reducing green space per capita, excessive energy consumption, and threatening natural resources. A comparison between the characteristics of traditional houses and current apartments shows that traditional houses have been more successful in providing these rights, despite technological limitations. Finally, a review of urban policy and planning approaches focusing on the principles of Islamic realism seems necessary. Reviving indigenous patterns of residence, attending to the diversity of human needs, strengthening social bonds, and redesigning residential spaces grounded in spatial justice and human dignity can pave the way for sustainable urban development rooted in Islamic-Iranian values. In conclusion, recommendations are presented to reform the path of residential development in Iranian cities, based on revisions to design regulations, strengthening local institutions, and promoting the Islamic-Iranian culture of habitation. This approach can lay the groundwork for a human-centered, justice-oriented, and environmentally balanced urban model within the framework of Islamic Realism.

Keywords

Mega Trend and Trend
Place
Apartment Living
Islamic Realism
Iranian City

Subjects

 

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