[1] Abbas Abad was originally conceived in the 1950s and 60's as a housing and residential center for members of various branches of the military,[2] especially for the ground forces (although on a non-exclusive basis; for instance, in the 1970s the district also became home to a number of Armenian-Iranians).

[3] By the early 70's, the district was experiencing exceptional growth, partly due to its location and the availability of land on still-barren Abbas Abad Hills, which eventually became the site for the never-materialized mega project of Shahestan Pahlavi (see Interesting Facts below).

To fund further growth, the government in 1971 issued the largest urban development bond-offering to that date, worth approximately $110 million, with 9% annual interest rate and a 7-year maturity.

[2] In late 1980s and especially in the 1990s, Abbas Abad saw rapid redevelopment as construction codes were relaxed (similar to most other districts in Tehran) so to raise taxes and fees, allowing for the development of many apartment and even high-rise complexes (mainly due to a 1989 decree that required different parts of the government, including each municipality, to become financially self-sufficient).

In the mid-seventies and by the order of the government, a group of renowned planners and architects designed the multibillion-dollar Grand Abbas Abad Development Plan (to be called Shahestan-e Pahlavi - not unlike La Défense in Paris) to house embassies, government ministries, residential and commercial high rises over 550 hectares of open space (the first of its kind in the Middle East and the largest in Asia).