Spatial planning refers to the optimal allocation of human settlements and activities across geographic space and plays a fundamental role in promoting sustainable and integrated development. Despite its inherently multidimensional and interdisciplinary nature, comprehensive studies exploring the structural dimensions and key components of spatial planning remain limited. This study aims to systematically identify, conceptualize, and categorize the main components and dimensions of spatial planning using a qualitative content analysis approach, supported by coding and thematic classification techniques. Drawing on a wide range of relevant literature—particularly academic books and peer-reviewed articles—a total of 224 initial themes were extracted. Following a process of validation, redundancy elimination, and thematic consolidation, 171 final codes were identified. These codes were subsequently grouped into 29 intermediate categories and organized under seven overarching dimensions: socio-cultural, economic, political-security, geographic-spatial, natural-environmental, geopolitical-geo-economic, and planning-management. The findings indicate that the dimensions of economy, planning and management, and natural-environmental considerations receive predominant attention in the existing literature, whereas the geopolitical-geo-economic and political-security aspects are relatively underexplored. The main contribution of this study lies in proposing a comprehensive conceptual model that integrates these seven key dimensions and their respective components. This model can serve as a robust theoretical and practical foundation for future spatial policymaking, strategic planning, and integrated territorial governance, particularly in the context of national and regional development initiatives.
hajipanah,N , Zarghani,S H and Kharazmi,O A . (2026). Explaining the dimensions and components of Spatial planning in Iran. (e11756). Majlis and Rahbord, (), e11756 doi: 10.22034/mr.2026.18269.6123
MLA
hajipanah,N , , Zarghani,S H , and Kharazmi,O A . "Explaining the dimensions and components of Spatial planning in Iran" .e11756 , Majlis and Rahbord, , , 2026, e11756. doi: 10.22034/mr.2026.18269.6123
HARVARD
hajipanah N, Zarghani S H, Kharazmi O A. (2026). 'Explaining the dimensions and components of Spatial planning in Iran', Majlis and Rahbord, (), e11756. doi: 10.22034/mr.2026.18269.6123
CHICAGO
N hajipanah, S H Zarghani and O A Kharazmi, "Explaining the dimensions and components of Spatial planning in Iran," Majlis and Rahbord, (2026): e11756, doi: 10.22034/mr.2026.18269.6123
VANCOUVER
hajipanah N, Zarghani S H, Kharazmi O A. Explaining the dimensions and components of Spatial planning in Iran. Majlis and Rahbord. 2026;():e11756 (In Persian). doi: 10.22034/mr.2026.18269.6123