فهرست مطالب pooya alaedini

The potentials of housing provision in deteriorated urban zones as part of the Iranian government’s national housing programs (e.g., national housing initiative and now national housing movement) has attracted the attention of policymakers. Yet, little action has been taken so for to realize such potentials. The Tehran Municipality has however implemented a “home exchange” initiative in the past as part of its renovation program in the city’s deteriorated zones—entailing the voluntary relocation of owners of dilapidated housing units to replacement homes. This activity appears to constitute the only experience of housing provision in deteriorated zones involving the local government. Its assessment against some adequate housing criteria could arguably benefit the formulation and implementation of future housing initiatives in deteriorated urban zones. In this study, the “home exchange” experiences associated with two of Tehran’s neighborhoods—Atabak and Minabi—are analyzed.

A qualitative approach was employed for the analysis and data were collected through observations and interviews with three groups of stakeholders—local residents, public sector, and private sector—as well as a review of documents. A total of 30 interviews were conducted. The investigation relied on a set of adequate housing criteria, which included construction quality, cultural compatibility, inclusiveness, affordability, and adequacy of access to infrastructure and services. Based on these, separate interview themes were prepared for different stakeholders.

Findings indicate that the housing initiatives carried out under the auspices of Tehran Municipality in the studied neighborhoods’ deteriorated zones have been successful in meeting some of the adequate housing criteria. These specifically include ensuring an acceptable level of construction quality and incorporating some cultural considerations in the initiatives. However, the activities have failed achieve any reasonable level of inclusiveness. Furthermore, providing quality housing for a section of the society has taken place at the expense of reduced levels of services/infrastructure or diminished housing affordability for vulnerable groups. Finally, public-private partnership between Tehran Municipality Renovation Organization and housing corporations for the purpose of carrying out large-scale projects has met failure due to their lack of economic justification. In contrast, many of the small-scale projects have done well in securing the needed investment and being completed in an acceptable manner.

Findings highlight the importance of participation by the local community and the private sector in the provision of adequate housing in deteriorated urban zones. To enhance the participation process, it is necessary to clearly identify the role of and the benefits accrued to each stakeholder and make maximum use of the potential resources of the responsible agency along with the housing corporations. There is also a need for public-sector investment in the provision of services/infrastructure and supervision over private-sector performance. Of further note is that the scarcity or inadequacy of housing finance, especially for low-income groups and current renters, is a major issue that precludes inclusiveness of the activities.

Over the past decades, a large number of migrants from Afghanistan have come to Iran in search of a better life or for work. They have been able to carve out a place as a minority group with some shared culture in the country’s urban and rural areas. Yet, despite their long presence in the country and their efforts to improve their lives, most migrants from Afghanistan continue to be among Iran’s marginalized or deprived groups. Leveraging such concepts as citizenship, multiple discrimination, exclusion, and integration, this paper analyzes the welfare and social status of Afghanistani migrant women in Iran. A qualitative approach was employed for field research targeting female migrants in Mahmudabad, Farahzad, and Bagh-e Azari neighborhoods of Tehran. Specifically, the investigation relied on 20 interviews conducted with Afghanistani women and another five carried out with active civil society stakeholders. The paper first describes and analyzes the migrants’ family structures, education, and employment. It then discusses the limited access of Afghanistani migrant women to formal services as well as their citizenship status. Finally, their coping mechanisms in relation to exclusion and integration are highlighted, which mainly consist of accessing services offered by non-governmental organizations and charities.

This paper probes the activities of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the affected areas of Kermanshah following the November 12, 2017 earthquake. A qualitative approach was employed with a single-site, descriptive, and exploratory case study design. Specifically, extended observations and focus group discussions were carried out in the Fuladi neighborhood of Sarpol-e Zahab.  Additional interviews were conducted with knowledgeable local informants and the management of NGOs. The main discussion themes were community trust in the activities, services provided for women and children, healthcare and psychological rehabilitation, employment and entrepreneurship, and empowerment and reconstruction. Familiarity with NGOs and level of trust placed in them as well as in other stakeholders (particularly, the public sector) were also scrutinized. Findings indicate that the affected community placed a low level of trust in public-sector agencies but an acceptable level of trust in the NGOs and community-based organizations. NGOs’ performance in the initial post-disaster phase, especially in providing basic necessities and services, as well as in activities concerning children and women, were well received by the community members. Yet, the opposite was true for NGO activities on employment and entrepreneurship, providing health-related infrastructure, and reconstruction.

This article analyzes some of the challenges of post-disaster reconstruction in the earthquake-stricken areas of Iran’s Kermanshah province. Its focus is on capturing the views of the affected populations as well as the authorities in charge of the reconstruction activities. Notwithstanding a review of the available reports, documents, and secondary data, the study leverages the results of field research carried out between February 2018 and March 2019. The activities included field observations, interviews, and focus group discussions in the selected urban districts and fourteen villages of Sarpol-e Zahab and Solas-e Babajani counties. Findings reveal the existence of a number of shortcomings with regard to coordination and planning informed by previous earthquake experiences. Some of the major issues include deficient communication between the authorities and the beneficiaries, insufficient community participation, lack of an equitable system to manage private donations, and rising beneficiary expectations alongside inadequate attention given to the needs for social, psychological, and economic empowerment. Additional challenges are associated with growing costs of home reconstruction, construction delays, inadequate supervision over the construction activities, rising rental costs, and reluctance to abandon temporary shelters. Dissatisfaction is thus observed among the beneficiaries despite significant public-sector efforts and expenses

The Iranian government has adopted upgrading and enabling approaches to informal settlements since the early 2000s. Furthermore, enhanced upgrading and enabling activities, dubbed “urban regeneration,” have been initiated in the country’s informal settlements over the past few years. This article assesses the pilot urban regeneration activities, carried out in the informal settlements of Sabzevar, from the perspective of the beneficiaries. Field work—including field observations and a quantitative survey (308 questionnaires administered to female residents) as well as interviews and focus group discussions—was carried out in two informal settlements of Sabzevar during two time periods. Findings reveal a number of positive effects associated the regeneration activities. Furthermore, convening the sessions of the Regeneration Taskforce with the presence of residents has enhanced local participation, sense of ownership vis-à-vis the projects, and trust in urban management. Yet, as a pilot for the new regeneration approach (that is, enhanced upgrading), the initiative cannot be said to have moved beyond those of the earlier upgrading and enabling projects. The activities have faced a number of shortcomings similar to the earlier initiatives, including failure to prepare the detailed physical plan of the target neighborhoods prior to the start of the regeneration initiatives, failure to secure the needed land for certain projects, inadequate attention given to local institution building, and limited scope of social and enabling activities. Also, measures to prevent further proliferation of informal settlements have been reduced to creating a protective green belt.

Due to persistent turmoil in their native country, a large number of Afghan migrants have found new homes in various parts of Iran. Several cities, including Tehran, have become important areas of Afghan residence. This article probes the housing, socioeconomic, cultural, and legal circumstances of Afghans in the Harandi neighborhood of Tehran. It also investigates host community attitudes to Afghan residents and the impact of service providers on the lives of the migrants. Field work was carried out through semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions conducted with NGOs, various migrant groups, Iranian residents, and local officials as well as observation and review of the available documents. Findings are indicative of a certain degree of integration observed among Afghan migrants. Furthermore, a particular structure of employment has been shaping among them in association with the neighborhood’s opportunities and especially its informal economy. Afghan presence in the neighborhood has been largely sustained due to these opportunities, services provided by NGOs, and relatively low housing costs as well as the generally positive attitude of other residents toward migrants. Yet, an inadequate sense of responsibility toward Afghans is discernible in urban management, with negative implications for the formulation of necessary service frameworks.

This article explores the participatory development potentials of Farahazad as a major recreational neighborhood and tourist destination of Tehran. It first describes settlement patterns/built environment, social characteristics, and the recent expansion of tourism-related businesses in Farahzad and identifies key stakeholders in the neighborhood. It then examines the context for and obstacles to developing tourism- and recreational-related activities in Farahzad by focusing on operational-structural and socio-cultural factors. Specifically, it analyzes all the existing public-sector plans prepared for Farahzad as well as the views of stakeholders expressed in a set of interviews conducted by the authors in the neighborhood. Results from interviews with public-sector officials and field observations augment the analysis. Findings indicate that public-sector plans prepared for Farahzad, which stress the residential-recreational characteristics of the neighborhood, have given little attention to social aspects of development, including community participation. Furthermore, low levels of awareness among residents about their assets and opportunities as well as underdeveloped sense of community, lack of coordination among various public-sector goals and initiatives, and problems of land tenure faced by many households have reduced the possibilities of community participation in the development of tourism and recreational activities.

In this article, we assess the Mehr Housing Project carried out in the new city of Parand near Tehran in terms of the right to the city. The required information was collected in two periods—once in 2012 at the time of the first settlements in the project’s housing units and another time in 2015 when most units were occupied. Field work for the study benefited from a qualitative approach—including observation, interviews with the project authorities, and interviews with residents, and a desk review of available documents. Findings indicate that provision of inexpensive shelter may not necessarily ensure equity, as housing ownership in this way may negatively impact residents’ right to the city. Among other things, employment opportunities may become scarce for the new communities. Iran’s new Comprehensive Housing Plan calls for the replacement of Mehr Housing Project with new low-income housing initiatives. Yet, this change of path requires better insights into earlier experiences with the Mehr Housing Plan. Indeed, it is necessary that policy-makers take into consideration the need for side services and opportunities— including employment, education, healthcare, and urban services.

Extended Abstract :By using an exploratory qualitative approach and purposive sampling, this article probes experiential learning and behavior change through ecotourism activities in Iran. A total of 24 participants in ecotourism activities, mostly organized by three of Iran’s largest tour operators, were interviewed. Participants’ ecotourism learning experiences as well as changes in their behaviors as a result of the activities were recorded and analyzed. A range of experiential learnings and behavior changes through participation in ecotourism activities were revealed. The article discusses these in terms of environmental ethics as well as personal and social development. The learning and educational aspects of travel in general and ecotourism trips in particular have been highlighted in the tourism literature. According to the findings of a growing body of studies on the subject, learning can take place both through direct exposure to educational material and indirectly as a result of the various activities and interactions of participants in ecotourism activities. Demand for nature tourism in Iran is most likely on the rise due to the country’s demographic and urbanization characteristics as well as its wide of range of natural resources. Much of the nature-based tourism activities in Iran probably lacks conservation ethics and should not be characterized as ecotourism. At the same time, the recent boost in the number of specialized eco tours as well as increased academic attention given to the subject and expanding environmental activism in Iran provide evidence for the growing importance of ecotourism in the country. Yet, nature-based recreational activities, including ecotourism, have not been immune to criticism by both social conservatives and professional competitors. It is thus necessary to probe the various effects of Iran’s ecotourism activities. This article highlights the positive aspects of ecotourism in Iran by focusing on participants’ experiential learning and behavior change in terms of environmental ethics as well as personal and social development. These effects have hitherto received inadequate attention in the Iranian tourism literature. Field research for this article benefited from an exploratory qualitative approach and purposive sampling to analyze experiential learning and behavior change though participation in ecotourism activities in Iran. At the outset, three agencies among all operators of eco tours in the country were sampled based on their reputation in terms of service quality, staff professionalism, and focus on ecotourism. Interviewees were selected either from the participants in ecotourism activities organized by one of these agencies or among their acquaintances who met the researchers’ selection criteria. The central selection criterion was participants’ length of experience in ecotourism activities. Since capturing the effects of ecotourism in this research relied on respondents’ recollections, those with either little experience or extensive experience were excluded. For it was assumed that the magnitude of effects would be too small for the former group and too complex for the latter. A total of 24 respondents were eventually interviewed during the spring and summer of 2013. Interview questions were posed in an open manner and sought to record learning and behavior change in terms of environmental ethics as well as personal and social development through gaining more ecotourism experience. Interview results were subsequently transcribed and coded. In an iterative process, the number of codes were then reduced through collapsing and omission of duplications. Discussion and Filed work results indicate significant learning and behavior change among the selected participants in ecotourism activities in terms of conservation attitudes and personal and social development. All respondents reported some form of learning and behavior change through gaining more ecotourism experience. Many of the respondents had joy-based expectations in their first ecotourism trips. Yet, they had eventually come to enjoy comprehending the natural environment and then respecting and appreciating the details of its characteristics. This new understanding had naturally led them to learn more about the environment and to eventually develop a sense of environmental responsibility. Respondents believed that their ecotourism learning experiences had further impacted their life styles and everyday attitudes in positive ways. They reported changes in their consumption behaviors—including inclination toward vegetarianism and refraining from use of animal hide and other products—as well as in the way they recycled and disposed their household trash or conserved water and energy. Some of the respondents had as a result engaged in environmental activism—e.g., volunteering to clean up the environment or starting websites/weblogs to promote environmental issues. Learning and behavior change were also found to have a number of social and personal development aspects among the interviewed participants in ecotourism activities. They had learned to respect their fellow travelers and local community members, engage them positively, and develop a sense of responsibility towards them. Following collective decisions and practicing team work were cited as other positive aspects of learning through ecotourism activities, which had been further encouraged by tour leaders. Personal growth was reported to have been facilitated though ecotourism experience in terms of gaining a sense of self-respect and responsibility, improving emotional and physical resilience as well problem-solving capabilities in the face of challenges, and identity or spiritual development. Findings of this study show significant similarity between the learning aspects ecotourism experiences in Iran and other studied cases. The sample of respondents selected for this research were mostly drawn from participants in the eco tours organized by the most professional operators in Iran. It is therefore quite likely that a great deal of nature-based tourism taking place in the country lacks comparable positive learning effects. Yet, as this study highlights the potential learning and behavior change effects of ecotourism activities, it also indicates the need for additional research on the subject across a wider range of nature-based tourism activities and by extension on possible ways to enhance their positive learning and behavior change impacts through facilitation and support.

A network of private-sector facilitators of rural tourism (called khushesar-e bumgardi or ecotourism clustering) has taken shape in Iran in recent years. Each of its members runs a rural lodge، hosts tourists according to local customs، and promotes local handicrafts and other local products with the participation of village residents. This article analyzes tourism development activities in the village of Garmeh (a highly successful example in the network) focusing on the facilitator’s role، impacts of the activities، and social، economic، and environmental sustainability. Fieldwork for this article was carried out through observation، 41 semi-structured interviews with village residents/stakeholders، and participatory rural appraisal (for 12 groups) targeting a set of socio-cultural، economic، and environmental sustainability indicators. Based on its results، the development of tourism in Garmeh is found to have both sustainable and unsustainable characteristics in social، economic، and environmental terms. As a result of private-sector facilitation، the village has gained access to a relatively large tourism market. At the same time، local participation has a top-down nature and tourism development activities have certain monopoly aspects. There is overall local satisfaction with tourism development in Garmeh، although cultural differences as well as conflicts between tourism and local development priorities and among different village clans have also resulted in some level of dissatisfaction with the presence of tourists and activities of the facilitator.

The Iranian government has placed new emphasis on urban renewal through participatory approaches in recent years. The main target areas are called deteriorated urban fabrics, characterized by micro-lots, impenetrability, and lack of sustainability. In Tehran, renovation of deteriorate urban fabrics has been initiated through dedicated neighborhood facilitation offices. This paper analyzes the activities and achievements of the Khazaneh Facilitation Office (KFO) in Tehran based on information obtained from office records and first-hand experiences of the initiative’s manager and facilitators. Findings indicate that contradictions between the city’s detailed plan and deteriorated fabric designations as well as unresolved tenure/title issues can act as major obstacles to renewal. Yet, carrying out enabling initiatives, upgrading the built environment, and providing residents with renovation-related legal, social, and financial services can prove successful in gaining the community’s trust and jump-starting renovation activities. Due to low prices of land in Khazaneh in the initial period of KFO’s activities, the offered incentive package had not been automatically attractive to investors/builders for entering renovation partnerships with home-owners. Additional strategies were thus required, including advocacy and knowledge dissemination, encouraging investors/builders to pool resources, and developing large-scale commercial side-projects to activate renewal. The actual number of renovations directly managed by KFO remained low due to shortages of trusted investors as well as bank loans. Yet, as a result of a subsequent rise in land prices as well as side services provided by KFO, Khazaneh is now experiencing significant renewal activities.

The purpose of this article is to probe the quality of Iranian websites providing tourism-related services. A set of preliminary indicators was developed after a literature review. These were subsequently tested and refined using a questionnaire-based survey of 100 users and a focus group study of experts. The finalized indicators were then used to evaluate 8 representative websites. Results indicate that these website are yet to become interactive and only provide basic information that is often deficient. Indeed, they need to improve their quality in order to satisfy their increasingly sophisticated audiences. Among the studied cases, the success of small-scale ventures offering tourism-related information and commercial services through the Internet is promising and points to existing potentials. A set of recommendations are provided in the last part of the article for the improvement of Iran’s web-based tourism services and the realization of these potentials.

With respect to the urban sustainable development ideal، during the last decades، implementation of the bike-sharing projects has attracted the attention of the planners of different cities including Tehran. Since the first bike-sharing projects were not successful، evaluating/assessing new tentative preparation at different stages is required. This article examines the short-term achievements and challenges of the bike-sharing pilot project implemented during the last two years in Tehran Municipality’s Region VIII. A set of indicators including access، awareness، safety، commuting effects، beneficiary satisfaction، sustainability، and cultural advocacy were probed through field observations، information obtained from key stakeholders، and a quantitative survey of direct beneficiaries (a sample of 250 among ~8000 registered beneficiaries). Our findings indicated that the project has been successful in attracting and satisfying (male) users. Meanwhile، a number of shortcomings with regard to information dissemination، traffic signals، and maintaining the quality of bicycles and bike paths as well as cultural advocacy (particularly to include women) still need to be addressed. Furthermore، project sustainability hinges upon availability of funds for the maintenance and geographic expansion of facilities as well as periodic renewal of the fleet through secure budget allocations and sales of advertisement rights.

The frequency and impacts of floods have increased in Iran in the past few decades. As flood events are in most instances associated with human activities, mitigating their impacts requires non-structural and community-based initiative alongside structural measures. In this connection, the concept of community resilience has been advanced in recent times, which attaches importance to interactions among the largest group of stakeholders, collective memory and thinking, vertical and horizontal networks of cooperation and coordination, and pluralistic and flexible structures. Focusing on the case of post-flood Neka in the Caspian coast, this article highlights the need for a community resilience approach to addressing disasters in Iran. After describing the resilience concept as well as the Neka flood, results of a set of group interviews conducted with key public-sector stakeholders in the Neka basin several years after the event are analyzed. The main question is to what extent the major flood event in Neka gave impetus to building a resilient community structure. Findings indicate that, due to the major flood event, the knowledge and willingness of both public-sector actors and community members were enhanced, resulting in a resettlement program as well as efforts to prevent flood zone encroachment and sand and gravel mining. Yet, these were only prerequisites for enhancing community resilience which would require coordinated activities initiated by the public sector with short-, medium-, and long-term resilience-enhancing goals and outcomes.

This article is a preliminary attempt to compile the available information on migration dynamics in Iran to shed light on its relationship with poverty. It argues that whereas the influx of Afghans and Iraqis to Iran as refugees and irregular workers has allowed them to escape the war and misery back home, it has also made a large number of them into the urban poor in Iran. It also discussed the migration trends among Iran highly skilled labor force and their effects on poverty levels in the country. It shows that whereas their absence from the Iranian economy has most likely resulted in increased poverty, their remittances are too small to offset the effect. The article concludes with a set of recommendations on public policy.

This paper discusses female labor force participation and employment in Iran. It shows that despite women's educational and social achievements over the last thirty years, their position in the labor force has not improved. Their rate of participation remains low, their unemployment rate has been on the rise in recent years, and their occupational choices are limited. Further, educated women have not faired well in the labor market. The war and revolutionary atmosphere in the 1980s resulted in a severe decline of women's participation and employment figures. Public policy was partly responsible for the decline but there were also cultural issues that tended to exacerbate the situation. The Paper examines the gender characteristics of recent developments in Iran's labor market. It analyses data from the most recent years, and reviews institutional and structural issues pertinent to women and work. The paper also provides a number of recommendations for future initiatives.