Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
2
Ph.D. Student in Geography and Urban Planning, Faculty of Planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran.
10.22034/gp.2026.71997.3532
Abstract
Abstract
Informal settlements are one of the fundamental challenges facing urban planning systems in developing countries and require effective intervention policies such as “formalization.” However, reducing this policy to physical measures and administrative procedures for issuing property documents has, in many cases, hindered the achievement of sustainable urban development. This study aims to deeply investigate the challenges and opportunities of the formalization process and identify the explicit and implicit dimensions affecting the organization of informal settlements. The study adopted a qualitative approach using thematic analysis. To collect data, relevant articles and studies were identified through Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and SID and selected after content evaluation. The selected texts were then organized, coded, and analyzed thematically using MAXQDA 2020. In this process, 115 initial codes were extracted and classified into 14 organizing themes, comprising seven challenging and seven opportunity-oriented themes. The findings indicated that, among the major barriers, themes such as “structural and institutional gaps,” “economic barriers,” “incompatibility of laws and regulations,” and “weak social participation” were prominent. In contrast, the development drivers included “resident empowerment,” “strengthening social capital,” “economic resilience,” and “spatial justice.” The results indicate that the success of formalization requires a shift from exclusionary and project-oriented approaches toward a comprehensive, process-oriented, and community-based approach. Establishing a one-stop urban management system, employing microfinance models, strengthening local and civil institutions, and adopting a gradual upgrading strategy can facilitate the activation of local capacities, improvement of quality of life, and sustainability of the formalization process.
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