Transit-Oriented Development Typology in Middle East's Metropolitan Context: Iran as a Case Study

Abstract

Abstract Recently, there has been a growing global interest in typology as an effective mechanism for streamlining contextual complexities and facilitating the implementation of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD), particularly in the vicinity of rail transportation systems. However, despite the precedence set by early adopters in the field of TOD, countries in the Middle East as newcomers lack comprehensive typological studies. Addressing this research gap, this paper endeavors to devise a TOD typology tailored to the geographical area encompassing a 400-meter radius around 33 active metro stations in Mashhad, Iran. Employing a systematic approach, the study constructs a spatial model integrating the 6D model (encompassing destination, distance, density, diversity, design, and demand management) alongside the k-means cluster analysis technique, thus contributing methodologically to the advancement of TOD typological methodologies. The findings delineate five discernible TOD archetypes, namely “urban neighborhoods,” “city commercial centers,” “specialized healthcare activity centers,” “recreational-educational activity centers,” and “transit centers.” Notably, the station areas categorized as “city commercial centers” exhibit the highest prevalence rate (78.78%). Nonetheless, the identification of the remaining four types bears significance, with the study notably introducing two novel typologies to the extant literature, namely the “specialized healthcare activity center” and the “recreational-educational activity center”, which hold applicability beyond the Iranian context. This research underscores the relevance of TOD typologies in informing urban development strategies and offers insights pertinent to transit-oriented planning endeavors.