Pathology of Regional Development Policies in Iran: An Institutional Approach

Today، new approaches have set the stage for thorough and deep understanding of unsustainable and unbalanced development in a way to pave the way for balanced and sustainable development in the local and regional scale. Institutionalism is a novel approach to regional development that while criticizing the traditional paradigms، introduces new ways toward the local and regional development. Accordingly، this article tries to adequately answer the strategic question “What are the causes of unsuccessful policies of regional development in Iran?” A qualitative and documentary method was applied to answer the question.. The results of the study demonstrated that despite having enjoyed many decades of experience in the regional policy making، the regional development policies in Iran have failed to consider the environmental، social and economic capacities; moreover، they have disregarded boosting the regional leadership and devising the due policies based on the local conditions، local and regional management and the participation of regional elements. In addition، vague definition of region and regional development، centralized decision-making and administrative structures، along with neglecting new methods of regional development such as knowledge development، learning promotion، socio-economic development and entrepreneurship at the local level have all curbed the grounds for regional governance، leading to unsuccessful regional development.