Pathology of Urban Renovation in Iran

Urban fabric renewal in Iran is considered a national major planning and management priority due to the vast extent of the old fabric and its being prone to disasters. During a long period of time، lack of administrative and executive knowledge regarding the renewal practice and being unfamiliar to successful social and political modernization experiences has led to a continuing recession in renewal. This paper uses descriptive and analytical research methods، relying on field experiences، to review pathology and discuss restrictions on failure in renewal of old urban fabrics including systematic underdevelopment، project-oriented approach in urban renewal areas as well as having insignificant and limited approach to the current situation in the country. In seeking an escape strategy from the status quo and despite having vast areas of urban decay in the country، they are still considered a major “opportunity” by the government. Therefore، recognition and responding to “Renewal” as an “established and continuous value” is essential. Since it can definitely turn into an «anti-value» and will be considered «threats» if this so-called «great opportunity» does not communicate with the addressed audience due to an absence in recognition of the causes of delay in renewal and pathology or a favored management. The discoveries of this study indicate that decay in the city is resulted from conditions، governing organization and unfit distribution of equal opportunities in getting an appropriate environment in each of urban development centers and stopping its «progressive and effective renewal” depends on macro changes in these approaches and all relevant sectors. In renovating the old urban fabric، if a taken action is not necessarily based on the creative use of reasonable and prudent strategies، it may result in continuous outcomes in the city. Undoubtedly، achieving such enormous success as a mean for end of urban decay requires innovative and dynamic thinking. Thoughts with non-aged mechanisms which is able to firstly renovate and mold the definition and notion of renewal into residents’ minds and secondly grant them with renewals، new eras، new views، new thoughts and new beginnings. That’s how they can establish a new urban development and a new economy، a new culture، a new society and a new security relying on what» renewal «has offered. Renewal is a natural process that is an integral part of the time، in the same way as the nature itself is a process defined within time. With this view،» renewal «is not a» service” process، but a fundamental one different from «construction» since it is always in the context of the time and does not belong to any particular period.