An Analysis of the Revival of Tehran Qanats: A Critical Reading from the Perspective of Urban Political Ecology

Document Type : Original

Authors

1 Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Urban Planning and Design, St.C.Branch, Islamic Azad University

2 Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, St.C.Branch, Islamic Azad University

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning and Design, St.C.Branch, Islamic Azad University

Abstract

The revitalization of Tehran’s qanats in the context of water scarcity is a multidimensional phenomenon that has shifted from a purely technical endeavor into a complex arena of power relations. In addition, insufficient attention to the socio-urban dimensions of revitalization has contributed to the failure of rehabilitation projects and deepened stakeholders’ distrust. This qualitative study analyzes the perceptions and experiences of key stakeholders in the revitalization of selected qanats in Tehran, using the theoretical framework of Urban Political Ecology (UPE). The UPE approach allows the study to examine the intersection of politics, economics, and the environment in the formation of urban space. Data were gathered through content analysis of 15 authoritative sources, including speeches, articles, and documents, from experts in qanat systems, urban planning, and academic scholars. The data were analyzed using MAXQDA software, following the systematic methodology of Strauss and Corbin. The findings led to the extraction of three main themes: (1) the governance gap, indicating a disconnection between institutional strategies and local knowledge, community needs, and genuine participation in project implementation; (2) morphological resistance, referring to the passive and structural response of the city’s physical and social fabric to the symbolic revitalization of qanats, reflected in mechanisms such as the destruction of physical boundaries and land-use changes; and (3) the commodification of qanats, denoting their functional shift toward tourism-oriented and symbolic purposes. These three themes show that qanat revitalization in Tehran is not merely a technical or physical issue, but a means of representing spatial contestations and a domain in which tensions within the geography of power, urban policy, and social relations become visible. Therefore, sustainable and effective outcomes in these projects require moving beyond approaches limited to physical restoration toward a comprehensive, participatory, and power-sensitive framework. This approach must place the re-establishment of a living, reciprocal relationship among ecology, community, and the city at its center, while stressing collaboration among all stakeholders.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Iranian Architecture Studies
Volume 14, Issue 28
March 2026
Pages 239-260

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