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Why did high-rise construction expand in Tehran at the end of the 20th century?
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Tehran
Mosque with cupola in the bazaar, Tehran.
At the end of the 20th century, the expansion of high-rise construction in Tehran was primarily driven by the municipal government's efforts to achieve financial independence.1
Following the end of the Iran-Iraq War in 1988, the city underwent a period of normalization and infrastructure development under the leadership of mayor Gholamhussein Karbaschi. To support these urban improvements and manage the city's significant overcrowding, the municipality implemented a policy of relaxing urban planning regulations and introducing incentive zoning. These measures encouraged higher population densities and triggered a boom in high-rise development, which served as a critical source of revenue for the city's administration.1