New Cities Trapped in Becoming Dormitory Towns | Warning from a Roads Ministry Official

The acting deputy for housing and urban development at the New Towns Development Company says that building housing units without creating job opportunities or providing urban services cannot lead to the formation of desirable settlements.

Housing and urban development: Building more houses alone cannot solve the problems of new cities. Amin Masoudi, the deputy head of housing development and urban development of Omran Shahrehi New Development Company, emphasized the need to create job opportunities and complete the infrastructure, and said that cities that are only inhabited by the population will face problems in achieving the goals of urban development.

According to the report of the Ministry of Roads and Urban Development news site, Masoudi, on the occasion of World Human Settlements Day, pointed out the need to change the perspective on housing policies and emphasized that the success of new cities should not be measured only by the number of units built. According to him, residents' access to public services, job opportunities and daily life facilities should also be taken into consideration in evaluating the performance of these cities.

Pointing to the importance of creating economic activities in new cities, he said: "Settlements that are only a place for the population to settle and do not have adequate opportunities for employment and economic activity will face challenges in realizing the desired pattern of urban development."

This responsible official considered the development of business spaces, supporting knowledge-based activities and attracting private sector investment as ways to strengthen the economy of new cities. According to him, creating economic opportunities within these cities can reduce the dependence of residents on other cities.

Mehr Housing and the National Housing Movement need more services

Masoudi also mentioned the completion of neighborhood services in Mehr housing projects and the National Housing Movement as one of the priorities of Imran Shahrehi New Development Company.

According to him, unused lands and spaces in residential neighborhoods should be used to build daily service centers, business units, educational and cultural facilities and public spaces.

He emphasized that the increase in population and the development of residential projects should be accompanied by the completion of infrastructure and public services; Because the provision of housing without proper access to urban facilities does not necessarily lead to an improvement in the quality of life.

The deputy director of housing development and urban development of Omran Shahrehi New Development Company also called for more attention to the needs of children, the elderly, people with disabilities and low-income households in the design of new neighborhoods.

In another part of his speech, Masoudi emphasized the necessity of managing water resources, energy efficiency and paying attention to the climatic conditions of new cities and said that urban development policies should be in harmony with the real capacities of each region.

In the end, he emphasized that the goal of building a city should not be limited to creating buildings and providing shelter, but it is necessary to provide living conditions, employment and access to services for residents.