Innovations in new community planning:

Mr. Ghaffari’s new community planning innovations are hallmarks of Valencia, McCormick Ranch, Waterwood, Rancho California, among other new town planning projects.

Mr. Ghaffari applied the novel concept of paseos to interconnect residences at the terminus of cul de sacs with a continuous pedestrian open space spine so that children could walk to schools and parks without crossing any street. Residents of Valencia value this innovation so highly that the homeowners’ association continues to self-fund and maintain this community asset even in these difficult financial times, forty years later.

His creative designs, ensuring support community services and environmental preservation (such as retention of 200 year old trees integrated into complementary open space and recreational facilities at a Chinese industrial complex) were recognized for their sustainability by municipal authorities five times in as many years.

Comprehensive planning:

Through his leadership of an international team of planning professionals and experts from a range of technical disciplines, Mr. Ghaffari guided the development of a comprehensive plan and capital improvement program for a city of almost 3 million, introducing modern planning concepts into the lexicon of international planners. It was "a pioneering effort in Urban and Regional Planning in Iran and became a model and a guide for subsequent Comprehensive Planning efforts in other major cities in the country." (A.A. Farmanfarmaian).

In May 2004, the Comprehensive Plan for Tehran was the focus of an international panel of scholars, architects and planners discussing the cultural, social and political evolution of the city – an event organized by the Islamic Cities Project within the Library of Congress.

His comprehensive design work -- spanning the U.S., the Middle East, Indonesia and China -- "[has] had a great impact on subsequent planning, and … set the bar higher for the planning studies that followed. He has also been responsible for … fostering the design expertise of many young planners who have gone on to have their own special imprint on the planning profession around the globe." (Ki Suh Park, FAIA, FAICP, Hon FKIA)

Mr. Ghaffari’s comprehensive approach to planning projects, large-scale and small, together with his design of integrated and interdependent support services, are noteworthy in projects such as the Comprehensive Plan for Tehran, Iran; the new community master plans for Toseh Lavizan and Kan; the Tejon Ranch Master Plan; and the Multi-Service Centers Concept for the State of Maryland.

Educating next generation planners

Throughout his professional career, Mr. Ghaffari advanced opportunities for development of planning talent throughout the international community in his recruitment, training and education of planners on four continents. Not only did he open doors for a diverse cadre of emerging professional planners and architects, but he continues to respond affirmatively to requests to mentor today’s contemporary generation of sons and daughters of those whom he guided decades earlier.

Mr. Ghaffari built a formal structure to "pay forward" the knowledge and insight of experienced professionals from all land-related professions through creation of the LAI Lecture Series at California State University, Northridge and through his organization of, and involvement in, educational panels at area universities.