New towns in Iran have been planned and constructed on the basis of the theoretical framework of {Garden Cities} and on the basis of their development process. During the last fifty years certain changes have taken place in their objectives and roles. The new towns of Iran can be classified in the pre-and post-revolution periods.
The planning for new towns during the pre-revolution period was based on political and military objectives and especially on providing the industrial workers and particularly the workers of the oil industry with housing and shelter facilities. With the exception of two towns, namely, Fouladshahr and Shahinshahr, none of the newly constructed towns conform to the theoretical framework of new towns. In the post-revolution period, new towns are being constructed in view of the objectives of spatial organization of metropolitan cities, for absorbing the surplus populations of big cities and in view of providing housing and shelter facilties. In this period, a detailed and comprehensive planning for 18 new towns has been worked out within the framework of a systematic process of site allocation along with surveys for the preparation of land, but the manner of work progress and settlement in the above towns is lagging far behind the objectives and time schedule of the work plan
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