Introduction
The city, as a complex and dynamic living ecosystem, has long played a significant role in shaping the individual and collective identities of humans. This socio-spatial institution, beyond meeting material and physical needs, provides a context for cultural, social, and economic interactions, thereby profoundly influencing lifestyles and family relationships. However, amidst rapid and extensive social, economic, and cultural transformations—particularly in the modern era of globalization—the focus of urban policymakers and planners has increasingly shifted toward macro and infrastructural issues, leading to a decline in attention to the fundamental institution of the family in policymaking processes. The family, as the most basic social and cultural unit of society, plays a central role in stabilizing identity, transmitting values, and providing psychological and social support to its members. Yet, due to urbanization trends and structural changes, it now faces numerous challenges, including diminished family cohesion, economic pressures, a lack of suitable spaces for family interactions, and the inadequacy of urban policies in addressing the diverse and evolving needs of families.
Methodology
This study, within the framework of the critical realist paradigm and utilizing Causal Layered Analysis (CLA), seeks to examine the prerequisites and contexts for enhancing the position of the family in urban policymaking and planning in Iran. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with experts in family policy, focus
groups comprising urban specialists and activists, and analysis of relevant official and strategic documents, in order to provide a multi-level and multi-dimensional
analysis of the concept of the family and its position in urban policymaking systems.
Findings
The findings indicate that despite explicit recognition of the valued position of the family in national high-level and macro documents, at the objective and operational levels of urban policies, practical attention to the diverse and changing needs of families in physical, service-related, and cultural domains has been seriously neglected. Modern urban trends, such as population decentralization, increased rural-to-urban migration, shifts in family structures toward nuclear families, and the diminishing role of traditional family functions, have reduced the quality of family life in contemporary cities. Meanwhile, urban spaces are often not designed to accommodate the needs of extended or intergenerational families, and the lack of specific policymaking in this area has led to dissatisfaction and decreased family efficacy. The research emphasizes the necessity of transforming the concept of "Family-centered" from a broad and abstract slogan into an operational and effective strategy in urban policymaking. To achieve this, two fundamental points are proposed: first, aligning with and leveraging national macro social, cultural, and economic policies in a manner that aims to strengthen the role of the family in the city; second, formulating and implementing implicit and targeted policies at various levels of urban management, explicitly aimed at improving the quality of family life in physical (e.g., designing family-friendly residential and public spaces), service- related (such as access to educational, health, and welfare services), and cultural (opportunities for interaction and strengthening family social bonds) domains.
Conclusion
Developing and expanding specialized vocabulary and concepts related to the needs of families as primary consumers of urban spaces will be key to creating responsive spatial structures and more precise policymaking. A family-friendly city is not solely reliant on the will of governmental institutions and urban planners, it also requires a shift in societal and cultural attitudes and values regarding the position of the family in urban space. Otherwise, families will remain marginalized in decision-making and policymaking processes, posing a serious threat to the social, cultural, and even economic sustainability of contemporary cities. Ultimately, this study underscores that preserving and strengthening the position of the family in modern cities requires an interdisciplinary, balanced, and realistic approach. Such an approach must consider Iran's specific cultural and social conditions while utilizing modern policymaking tools to transform cities into humane, diverse, and sustainable ecosystems where families can fully fulfill their roles and improve their quality of life.