Urban Development Projects and production of rent in Tehran Metropolis

Urban development projects as a powerful and innovative political process is a result of the global neoliberalism project, which matures under unequal geographical development by covering up real social relations. This project infiltrates opposing but mutually beneficial groups, none of which are willing to withdraw from their interests. The purpose of this article is to make clear how rent appropriation continues through changes in urban development policies and projects in the last three decades in Tehran metropolis. The methodology of this article is based on the philosophy of critical realism and with a rethinking approach, it pays attention to the power and its consequences in urban planning and the class nature of urban development projects. The findings showed that there is a structural relationship between "urban development projects" and polarization in Tehran metropolis. Urban development projects, as a new way of producing the artificial environment, give priority to special economic interests compatible with the rent accumulation strategy and to a large extent ignore the interests and priorities of powerless social groups, including the urban poor and low-income classes. In addition, the urban development projects implemented in Tehran metropolis create a high level of rent gap, rent and land price increase, which lead to gentrification with a speculative and rent-seeking character.