Nightscape of Tehran Assessing Capacities and Necessities

The cityscape is closely related to mentalities and realities of a city. Thus, management of urban nightscape should be done under two main themes. On the one hand, physical and functional expressions of city must be considered, but on the other hand, perceptual concepts derived from identity and old traditions are also to be strictly emphasized. An appropriate model for organizing night scenes of city is one that represents physical beauty of the city and indicates, moreover, physiological needs of citizens. The continuity of urban night life is required by making the space more inviting. Achieving such characteristics in night urban spaces needs qualitative and quantitative promotion of space, in turn, is matter of paying attention to subjectivity and objectivity of urban environment and consequently of providing appropriate lighting, a wide variety of activities, a sustainable economy at night, and security and legibility of space. Megacity of Tehran as Iran capital and also as one of important cities in Middle East needs to produce or revitalize night urban spaces. Realizing potentials available in its public spaces and places, city of Tehran can fulfill dream of nightlife for its citizens, provided that physical, perceptual, and cultural requirements could be incorporated. Additionally, it is good to mention that new comprehensive plan of Tehran (2008) has provided a strong valid and legitimate support for doing it. Among statements of vision of this plan, keywords such as global, safe, lively, and vibrant put a strict emphasis on necessity of turning Tehran to a 24 hours city. Hence, an exhaustive planning for continuing urban nightlife in City of Tehran should be considered by both urban management and experts of urban affairs. With a concise literature review and a reasoned documentation, this paper tries to explain significance of realization of urban nightscape management potentials in city of Tehran, to express its requirements, and finally, to offer added economic and social values obtained from suitable organization of Tehran urban spaces at night time.