Urban Regeneration in Tehran. A case study of Dolatkhah.

Over the past century, Tehran’s rapid and uneven modernization has led to major social and spatial inequalities, especially in the city’s southern districts. This thesis explores how post-industrial brownfields can be transformed, using the Dolatkhah neighborhood in District 19 as a main example. Once a key area for Tehran’s growth, Dolatkhah is now marked by abandoned brick kilns and large empty pits. These old industrial sites have caused breaks in the urban fabric, environmental problems, and a lack of public infrastructure, leaving the local community cut off and without services. Instead of following traditional top-down urban clearance policies, this research introduces "Echoes of the Kilns," a master plan for urban regeneration grounded in spatial equity and an integrated set of strategies, ranging from adaptive reuse to the construction of new buildings. The plan has three main strategies: first, Civic Injection and Ecological Remediation, which turns polluted clay pits into functional services and adds important healthcare and education facilities; second, Restoring Mobility, which removes barriers to create a walkable, 15-minute neighborhood; and third, Architectural Adaptive Reuse, which transforms kiln sites into cultural centers, libraries, and public plazas. This thesis shows how former industrial sites can be reimagined to build social ties, create inclusive public spaces, and support sustainable urban growth, offering a model for similar projects in the Global South.