Urban planning and metaverse technologies for sustainable cities: Reducing environmental footprints and enhancing social equity (A case study of Tehran, Iran)

This study investigates metaverse technology use in urban planning as a new response to sustainability and social equity challenges in rapid urbanization spaces, illustrated within a case application across Tehran, Iran. Through digital twins, virtual reality (VR) use, and augmented reality (AR) use applications, the Metaverse has new possibilities to maximize resource utilization, minimize environmental effects, and maximize civic engagement. Through a qualitative research methodology involving expert interviews, focus groups, and document studies, this study identifies key opportunities that incorporate real-time urban systemimulation applications, virtual spaces architected to achieve inclusive engagement, and scalable solutions to maximize green spaces. However, key barriers such as high implementation costs, infrastructural limitations, and unequal digital connectivity must be addressed to facilitate inclusive uptake. A conceptual model architected across three key pillars: Environmental Optimization, Inclusive Engagement, and Scalable Implementation outlines a strategic template to integrate metaverse applications within urban planning processes. Through findings, this study identifies Metaverse's transformative possibilities in reshaping urban places while making a call for localized methodologies, sound legal foundations, and inclusive policy foundations. This research contributes to an emerging debate on smart and sustainable cities and makes actionable recommendations to policy practitioners, urban planners, and technology experts. • Metaverse tools (digital twins, VR/AR) enable sustainable urban planning via resource efficiency. • Immersive spaces democratize participation, empowering marginalized groups in decisions. • Addresses gaps: infrastructure, digital divides, costs via scalable deployment & policies.