Recognition of urban unsustainability in Iran (case study: Sanandaj city)

• No study exists that considers unsustainability factors in the city.
• The urban planning system exists in Iran not goals of urban sustainability.
• It is possible to apply global sustainable development indicators to Iranian cities by recognizing unsustainability factors.
• Urban sustainability can be achieved with pay attention to urban governance.

Rapid urban growth and urbanization in recent decades have caused changes in the structure of human habitations such as social and economic changes that would further clarify the importance of sustainable development and urban sustainability. Urban sustainability should create a balance between different aspects of economic, environmental, and social development. Therefore, this study aimed to determine various aspects of unsustainability in Iranian middle-large cities in order to provide strategies to improve the indicators and to achieve sustainability by finding the causes of failure to develop these indicators. Accordingly, first, urban sustainability indicators in four social, economic, physical and environmental aspects were presented. Then, the process of changing was determined through the study of these indicators in Sanandaj during two different periods; and indicators such as jobs, green urban economics, housing, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), social participation, culture, public services and facilities, transportation, leisure, and medical care and health services were specified as unsustainability indicators in Sanandaj and other similar cities. Then, the following strategies are provided to improve urban sustainability in order to analyze the reasons for the decline or stagnation of these indicators: (1) strategies to revise the urban planning system in Iran; (2) strategies to improve the city’s economy; and (3) strategies to improve the condition and status of poor people. The declining trend of unsustainability indicators could be reversed by applying these strategies. Furthermore, with the promotion of indicators, sustainable cities could be achievable.