Empowering NGOs in Urban Planning: Halting a Highway Project in Mashhad, Iran

Urban management in developing countries like Iran faces significant challenges due to rapid urbanization. Public participation is crucial to addressing these issues, and NGOs, with their voluntary nature and independence from government institutions, can effectively facilitate organized citizen involvement in urban affairs. A notable example is the recent experience in Mashhad, Iran’s second-largest city with over 3 million inhabitants. Local NGOs mobilized over 100 national experts and professionals to halt the construction of the South Highway. Instead, the project was transformed into Kooh-Park (Mountain Park), a public pedestrian and cycling space now widely enjoyed by residents, especially on holidays.