The Revitalization and Improvement of Gorgan's Historical Monuments with Tourism Approach

Challenges in improving monuments are one of the most controversial issues in architecture. Today, due to the high cost of construction and the economic inability of owners of worn-out structures, one of the ways to improve and rebuild such areas is to partner with public and private sectors. Gorgan, a city that plays a central role in attracting tourism due to its special position in the northern tourist belt of Iran. Therefore, the statistical population for this research consists of 1040 houses equivalent to 280 households to participate in remodeling and refurbishment of worn-out structures in partnership with private or public sectors. The research method of this study is descriptive-analytical following a practical and developmental method and data collection is gathered via documentary and field survey. Also, statistical analysis is accomplished through GIS, SPSS, Excel software and AHP hierarchical analysis. The results show that if there are legal infrastructures for public and private partnerships, compliance with urban planning criteria in line with the major goals of urban renewal and remediation, adequacy of incentives and packages, co-ownership and participation of stakeholders, increased involvement of relevant institutions in participation; in addition, the use of specialist, wealthy and indigenous investors in the region can create a successful partnership in the sustainable revitalization and improvement of the city of Gorgan and further attraction of tourism.

Research aims:

1. Investigating the impact of public-private partnerships on renovating the worn-out structures of Gorgan. 2. Analyzing the effect of Gorgan's revitalization and improvement strategies on tourism attraction.

Research questions:

1. How can public-private partnerships play an important role in refurbishing the worn-out structures of central Gorgan? 2. What are the ways to revitalize and improve the city of Gorgan in attracting tourism?