The Effects of Post - modernist Urban Planning as an Interdisciplinary Order

From the late 1960s، a fundamental shift took place from Modernism to Post-Modernism in art and aesthetic fields: «post-modernism as a movement against the simple functional art and design styles of modernism». Some described this movement as a «conservative reaction of modernism to itself». Basically، post-modernism as a «part of modernism» is considered as an outcome and result of modernism which stood against modernistic beliefs and thoughts. From the fundamental tenets of post-modernism which shape its other branches، one can mention to: belief in difference، diversity and pluralism، criticism of common scientific methods and rationalism، negation of any meta-narrative and any all-encompassing universal theory. Post-modernism، as to other fields of social science، has also affected urban planning from the late 1980s and caused change in the commonly applied views، processes، results، principles and methods and، in short، in the thinking and practice of planning. Post-modernist planning is depicted as a severance from modernist intellectual tradition. Such a view insists on two significant distinctions between modernist paradigm of urban planning and post-modernist paradigm: first، epistemological basis of planning، and، second، application of normative values and theory in planning. Today، post-modernist approach is prevailing in all levels of plans، even unconsciously، and often as a part of them، and forms their strategic visions، goals، priorities and their outlines. The present research aims to examine post-modernist approach in planning from different aspects.