Covering about 12,000 hectares (46 square miles), District 22 is a fast-growing expansion to the Iranian capital. Already home to a large population, this northwestern Tehran district is being established as a major tourist and business district. Geographically, it is situated below Kan River, facing the tall Alborz Mountains to its north, and the hand-planted Vardavard Forest to its west. This unique locality is what initially led Tehran Municipality to hire contractors to develop the area.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a District 22 municipal official told Al-Monitor: “In the 1980s, half of the district was owned by the armed forces. In 2000, the bill for development of the district was adopted. The actual expansion, however, started in 2006 under Dr. [Mohammad Bagher] Qalibaf’s mayoralty."