Pattern of Urban Services Concentration and Its Environmental Impacts on Tehran City

One of the indicators of sustainable urban growth is the balance of development between different regions of the city, quality of the environment, equality in job opportunities, housing, basic services, social infrastructures, and transportation in urban areas. Urban sprawl has some negative consequences. Some of the consequences that are frequently mentioned are destroying green spaces, high cost of infrastructure, private car dependency and consequently, increasing level of traffic, use of energy, pollution and higher temperature and decreasing water quality. This article examines the relation between urban sprawl, concentration of urban facilities and environmental quality variables. Using satellites images, and other data, indicator of accessibility to urban services, indicators of quality of environment including air pollution, land cover vegetation, temperature, sounds pollution have been obtained. The spatial analysis of the distribution of urban services shows concentration of urban services in center of city and its significant correlation with environmental indicators. The results of study show that urban sprawl, concentration of urban facilities in central parts of city, use of private car to commute to urban facilities, and pattern of infrastructure investments have had numerous environmental impacts. The results of study can help policy makers and decision makers to establish and implement policies to prevent the negative impacts of urban sprawl.