Urban Ghetto Settlement Solutions in Tehran

Today, the increasing trend of urbanization and concentration of population in cities in all countries of the world is indisputable. But this phenomenon has not have the same results everywhere. In industrial societies, due to balanced economic, political and social growth, the mobilization of human forces in cities has been utilized in the best way and toward a comprehensive development, while in the third world countries, due to lack of appropriate infrastructure, heterogeneous growth and the invasion of population to the cities has caused many social problems and has involved governments with a serious and deep challenge. The creation of irregular homes and Ghettos in large cities and metropolitan areas in backward communities, which have been formed due to lack of proper absorption of work-seeking and mostly rural migrant population to these areas, are among the biggest and most important issues that have occupied the planners and decision-makers minds in such communities. It has been proved through experience that this phenomenon, if dealt with improperly and without careful and in-depth study, will be the source of many other social irregularities. This article is an attempt to understand the spatial-social separation phenomenon in urban neighborhoods (Ghettos) and its effect on the fabric and structure of cities and finally, the study of this problem in Tehran as the capital of Iran - a city that any intervention and planning in it directly and indirectly affects other cities of the country - and to propose appropriate solutions in relation to native and national culture to deal with this issue. The results of this study show that the policies of neglect and elimination of Ghetto neighborhoods have been not only ineffective, but, on the contrary, have resulted in many negative outcomes such as an increase in abnormalities and social problems. The provision of facilities and the establishment of laws and encouraging policies by the government and, in other words, changing the attitude of looking down on these neighborhoods and paying them and their inhabitants respect and attention will make the Ghetto-residents themselves to provide conditions for improvement of their homes and their residential textures, and will help improve their economic and livelihood so that they leave their self-made houses and be absorbed into other urban neighborhoods and developed urban areas.