eva‎luation of the Impacts of the Azadegan Beltway (Highway) Development Project on the Accessibility of Surrounding Areas (A Case Study of Ahmadabad-e Mostowfi District, Eslamshahr County)

10/21/2026 12:00:00 AM

The present research aims to eva‎luate the impacts of the Azadegan beltway (highway) expansion project on accessibility in peripheral areas, focusing on the case study of Ahmadabad Mostofi section in Islamshahr County. In the contemporary world, with rapid population growth an‎d economic transformations, accessibility serves as a key indicator of quality of life, spatial justice, an‎d sustainable development. Infrastructure projects like the Azadegan beltway, while facilitating traffic an‎d inter-urban connectivity, have multifaceted consequences on the spatial, social, an‎d economic structures of adjacent areas. The main issue of the research is to examine these impacts on spatial-functional accessibility in peripheral regions, which often face inequality an‎d limitations. The research objectives include identifying key factors affecting accessibility, analyzing their interrelationships, prioritizing indicators, an‎d providing a comprehensive analysis of the projectʹs developmental consequences. The methodology is hybrid an‎d multi-stage: first, indicators were identified through expert consensus using the fuzzy Delphi method; then, causal relationships were analyzed with fuzzy DEMATEL; an‎d finally, indicators were ranked using the Analytic Network Process (ANP). The study population consists of experts in urban planning an‎d transportation, sampled via snowball sampling (15 individuals), with data collected through fuzzy questionnaires. The findings indicate that the Azadegan beltway expansion, while improving overall accessibility, has increased competition for opportunities an‎d exacerbated inequality among low-income groups. Key factors such as traffic density, lan‎d use changes, an‎d temporal constraints have the greatest impact. Recommendations include equity-oriented policymaking, integration of public transportation, an‎d environmental assessment. This research provides a localized framework for eva‎luating similar projects an‎d emphasizes the need for an accessibility-oriented approach in urban planning.

دسترس‌پذيري، كمربندي آزادگان، عدالت فضايي، توسعه پايدار، روش دلفي فازي، ديمتل فازي، ANP.

Accessibility, Azadegan Beltway, Spatial Justice, Sustainable Development, Fuzzy Delphi Method, Fuzzy DEMATEL, ANP

Maziyar Asgari

Dr.Ahmad Khalili