The Challenge of Dominated Urban Planning Intervention in Blighted Areas in Iran and Promoting the Institutional Approach in Facing the ChallengeCase Study: the Pioneer Housing Plan in Tehran

The objective of this paper is to discuss the challenges of dominated urban planning intervention (DUPI) in achieving urban planning goals for blighted areas in Iran. Based on theoretical review on considering public services as one of the major goals of urban planning, it is clear that in the profession, the government failure as well as the market failure make planners to adopt new approaches in solving the problem. In this regards, the lack of public services has always been one of the major problems in Tehran, especially in the blighted areas. In spite of large-scale urban reconstruction efforts since the beginning of 2000’s, there is still a significant shortage of public services in the neighborhoods, although the situation has become more critical due to population growth and increased number of residential units. The main point here is that debates on providing public services is an important discussion nowadays, and it is not just about Iran. Since 1990s, by promoting the ideas of ecological and social sustainability and doctrines of responsive planning (after postmodernism), especially after global financial crisis of 2008 and its economic recession, and exploring ideas of energy saving and usage of information technologies in planning, approaches for development of human settlements have extremely transformed. All dimensions of urban planning intervention are affected by these changes. Facing new causes of uncertainty and a sense of failure in such intervention lead researchers to question consolidated planning methodologies. In this regards collaborations in public interest, values, public participation, equity, and environmental sustainability have become major issues and concerns in urban planning and design. The methodology of this research is based on mixed research method. Through sixteen deep conversations with main stockholders, the six challenges of DUPI of Iran were identified. Therefore, the reasons for impossibility of providing public services in dominated urban planning in Iran were analysed and discussed. The paper consists of a short review on various theories of planning purposes and intends to elaborate the institutional approach as one of the innovative solutions for urban planning discipline which acts desirablely in local conditions and promotes its usage for solving of DUPI challenges. It seems that this approach is significant in urban planning procedurally and substantively for three reasons: as a means (that is, as means of analysis); as and end (that is, as objects of analysis); and as design (that is, as phenomenon to be reformed). Promoting the institutional approach requires a change in the structure of Iran’s urban planning and recognition of development institutions (such as developers) and defining developmental ethics, based on the recognition of development agencies. The research tries to describe the arrangements of institutional approach as an optimal approach consistent with new trends in Iran urban development. The case study, which was discussed in this paper, was an important statement of government for intervention in Tehran blighted areas. This pioneer project was considered to be implement by a developer (the private sector) under government supervision. Finally, based on theoretical debates of this paper, the case study was critically assessed and suggestions were made to strengthen its institutional approach.