Analysis of Dimensions and Factors Affecting the Process of Formulating Professional Ethics Guidelines for Urban Planning in Iran

The commitment to ethical frameworks is accepted in all groups and professional communities to improve the conditions for achieving common goals and values. In developed countries, professional ethics codes of urban planning have been developed and are constantly being revised and reformed, including the United States (AICP), Australia (PIA), the United Kingdom (RTPI), Canada (CIP), and others. These codes are accompanied by compulsory programs for implementation, and various courses are held to train and promote the professional behavior of planners.Despite the attention of various professions in Iran to the preparation of professional ethics guidelines, in urban planning, given the history of planning and development programs, this issue has been neglected and no effort has been made to develop professional ethics guidelines for Iran’s urban planning. None of the upstream documents of urban planning address the issue of preparing professional ethics guidelines for urban planning. In urban planning and urban development projects, the sensitivity and impact of decisions will be on a large part of the society due to the dependence of projects on the components of communication, purposefulness, and manpower. This study aims to analyze the dimensions of the process of preparing professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran and discovering the dimensions and process, formulating patterns and relationships between dimensions, achieving a perspective and explanatory narrative to the preparation of professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran. The questions on which this research is based are as follows: How is the process of preparing a professional ethics guideline for urban planning in Iran analyzed? What are the dimensions and factors influencing the preparation of professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran? How can the patterns and relationships between dimensions be formulated in the preparation of professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran? What are the perspective and explanatory narrative of the dimensions of preparing professional ethics guidelines for urban planning in Iran?

Among the most popular research paradigms, including Positivist Approaches, Interpretive Approaches, and Critical Approaches, the approach of this research is interpretive, and its method is the grounded theory. In addition to understanding the phenomenon under study, this method also emphasizes the development of a theory appropriate to it. According to the main question and aim, the selected version of grounded theory for this research is dimensional analysis provided by Leonard Schatzman. The dimensional analysis provides a good opportunity for research in this field by paying attention to the ‘whole’ of what is involved in the phenomenon or situation under consideration. According to the subject and aim of the research, the interviewees were defined into three general categories, including those who had experienced the process of preparing and approving urban plans, those who were involved and experienced in the implementation and monitoring of plans, and the academic community of urban planning. A number of the most experienced people from each category were selected based on availability. In this study, in-depth interviews were selected as the data gathering tool because the participant gained experience by being in the position and in this process, the researcher discovers the meanings.In the present study, nine interviews were conducted. According to the dimensions that emerged from each interview, new people were selected for the next interview. After nine interviews and dimensionalizing as a step-by-step process, two hundred initial dimensions emerged. At this stage, according to the common features and by examining and comparing them, nine main dimensions emerged, and other dimensions were included as a subset and characteristics of these dimensions.

Based on the findings of applying dimensional analysis and based on the evidence gathered in this research, the critical mass was identified in five main dimensions: attitude towards the public culture of the society, attitude towards the administrative and organizational culture, attitude towards the laws and plans, attitude towards the change and attitude towards the religion, ethics, history and civilization of Iran. An explanatory narrative was presented following this central dimension and perspective and its relation to other dimensions.

According to the final perspective and explanatory narrative, it seems that if there is to be any change in Iran's urban planning system, including the development of guidelines for professional ethics in urban planning, the perspective and central dimension is paying attention to the prevailing attitude towards Iran’s urban planning system, as well as the existing attitude and belief in the effectiveness of guidelines and laws in Iran. Other dimensions and factors must be analyzed considering this perspective and the central dimension.