A system dynamics modeling for urban air pollution: A case study of Tehran, Iran

• A system dynamics model is proposed to estimate the behavior of parameters affecting air pollution.
• Several policies are proposed to mitigate air pollution.
• Historical data of transportation and industrial sectors in Tehran have been used.
• The model includes two subsystems: (1) urban transportation, (2) air polluting industries.
• Road construction did not have remarkable effect on air pollution in Tehran.

Development of strategies to control urban air pollution is a complex process involving a wide range of sciences. In this study a system dynamics model is proposed in order to estimate the behavior of parameters affecting air pollution in Tehran. The proposed model includes two subsystems: (1) urban transportation, (2) air polluting industries. In this paper, several policies are proposed to mitigate air pollution. The proposed model is simulated under several scenarios using historical data of transportation and industrial sectors in Tehran. Policies are categorized as: (1) road construction, (2) technology improvement in fuel and automotive industries, (3) traffic control plans, (4) development of public transportation infrastructures. The results show effectiveness of the proposed policies. In this case, technology improvement in fuel and automotive industries and development of public transportation infrastructures are more effective policies in order to reduce air pollution.