Investigating the Role of Urban Spaces in Creating the Identity of New Towns

Cities, as the largest collection of human traces, contain different elements, components, spaces, functions. Nowadays with the population increase in large cities and problems caused by limited space in those cities, urban engineers and experts have decided to build new towns to settle population overflow and decrease problems. Yet unfortunately, these urban engineers have ignored a crucial issue which is the city inhabitants and their need to create an identity, to feel survival and attachment. Imitating “aesthetic principles” of others, they have constructed an artificial environment and resulted in alienation and identity crisis. This has caused some problems for the settlement in new towns. Specifically in Iran, population settlement plans in new towns have not been successful and people do not show any tendency for living in these towns unless they do not have any other choice. Today, these cities have turned into a sort of dormitory without any functional and social interaction. New towns not only failed in attracting population overflow of metropolis, but also they failed in attracting emigrants due to lack of a defined identity and function. The present article seeks to provide solutions for dynamizing the environment of new towns, attracting larger population, creating an environment in which people feel comfortable, safe and emotionally attached. Descriptive-analytic method is used and data collection is performed in the form of documentary, secondary research. The findings of the research includes the physical structure of city and creating an identity in new towns, changing urban plans with the aim of bringing people closer and increasing their interactions and encounter.