Pathology of Public Participation in Renovation and Improvement of Urban Structure in Abkouh Neighborhood in Mashhad

The passage of time and the experience gained from various measures of renovation and reconstruction in different cities and countries have shown that these processes, without the participation of the people and their involvement, cannot lead to a desirable outcome, and it is essential that public participation and their role in the relevant processes is considered. In this research, SWOT technique and identification of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of popular participation were used to study the issue of public participation in refurbishing and renovating the fabric of the Abkouh metropolitan area of Mashhad, and realizing the status quo. The information was collected through open questions and interviews by 20 experts and specialists. The results of the survey showed that, although in this neighborhood, there are many opportunities such as "agreeing to implement the plan in the neighborhood in the case of popular participation", "high unofficial participation in the neighborhood (community council activity, high level of participation in religious affairs, charity etc.), "the existence of a sense of participation within the neighborhood," "the dedication of the population and their desire to continue living in the neighborhood" and "attention to people's participation approach in the design plan". However, along with that, the various disadvantages of the neighborhood, such as "the lack of organization of mechanisms and appropriate methods and participatory institutions,", "the multiplicity of organizations responsible for the issue (Astan Quds, Endowment Organization, Municipality, etc.) and the lack of integrated management in the implementation of the plan "," Household financial problems in the area and low income levels"," Lack of trust in authorities and fear of official participation "and" Lack of state and legal support of local councils and organizations " and other reasons have led to a desirable outcome in this regard. In this regard, various strategies have been proposed to increase the participation of people in the plan. It is necessary that the project managers and planners pay more attention to the actual participation of the residents and provide the mechanisms and requirements for the participation of the people in the implementation of the plan, in accordance with the conditions and characteristics of the residents.