Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1 Center for Development and Foresight Research
2 Assistant Professor at the Center for Development and Futures Studies
10.30473/psp.2026.76151.2790
Abstract
National Spatial Planning, as one of the fundamental pillars of the national planning system, has undergone semantic fragmentation and conceptual ambiguity over time. This study aims to reconsider the concept of National Spatial Planning from an ontological perspective and through the lens of temporal–spatial considerations, seeking to identify the roots of its conceptual crisis and propose a theoretical framework for its redefinition within Iran’s planning system. Due to its transdisciplinary nature, spatial planning emerges at the intersection of geography, economics, sociology, environmental science, and political science. This multidimensionality has resulted in diverse and sometimes contradictory interpretations of its essence. The research adopts a qualitative and analytical–conceptual methodology, combining content analysis of institutional and academic documents, comparative studies of international experiences, and semi-structured interviews with experts and policy practitioners. Findings reveal that in Iran, the absence of a shared theoretical foundation and the dominance of sectoral and administrative approaches have led to conceptual fragmentation and weak spatial governance. In contrast, comparative analysis demonstrates that at the global level, the concept of spatial planning has evolved from a centralized, physical–planning approach toward spatial governance, sustainability, spatial justice, local participation, and future-oriented perspectives. The study concludes that reconstructing the conceptual foundation of spatial planning in Iran requires a renewed ontological understanding of space, recognition of temporal–spatial dynamics in development processes, and the establishment of an integrated, systemic, and interactive planning framework. Without such conceptual reconsideration, spatial planning will remain rhetorical and fail to play its guiding role in achieving balanced national development.
Keywords
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