Spatial Justice Analysis by Integrating the 15-Minute City Approach (Case Study: Urmia City)

Document Type : Scientific-Research

Authors

1 PhD student in Urban Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Iran University of Science and Technology, Tehran, Iran

2 Urmia University, Faculty of Architecture, Urban Planning and Art, Department of Urban Planning, Urmia, Iran

3 PhD student in Urban Planning, Imam Khomeini International University, Faculty of Architecture and Urban Planning, Department of Urban Planning, Qazvin, Iran

Abstract
With increasing urbanization, spatial inequalities in access to urban services have become one of the challenges of urban planning. In the city of Urmia, the unfair distribution of urban services such as health centers, education centers, and green spaces has limited residents access to facilities and affected the quality of life. These inequalities are in conflict with the principles of sustainable development and urban justice. Therefore, the present study seeks to assess spatial justice in the 15 districts of Urmia city by integrating the 15-minute city approach and also to provide suggestions for promoting equality and access in these areas. Spatial justice as a framework for analyzing spatial inequalities in access to urban services and resources and the 15-minute city approach as an approach to local access to essential services within a 15-minute walking or cycling radius are combined in this study. The research method is analytical-spatial, and spatial-spatial analyses based on data were conducted along with statistical and library analyses, and finally, the SECA multi-criteria decision-making method was used to analyze the obtained data. The results indicate spatial inequalities in the distribution of urban services that have disrupted equitable access to facilities in the areas of Urmia city. Areas with old and central city textures, including area N11 with a final score of 0.7862, have better access to healthcare, educational, cultural services, and green spaces, while areas with new and peripheral textures, including area N4 with a final score of 0.5324, face a lack of access due to insufficient attention to the equal distribution of services. Also, key criteria such as distance to medical centers (0.0862), distance to educational centers (0.0788), and access to public transportation (0.0771) had the greatest weight in the assessment of spatial justice.

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  • Receive Date 22 August 2025
  • Revise Date 17 October 2025
  • Accept Date 10 May 2026