Improving the Preparation of Iranian Urban Development Plans: Lessons Learned from Other Experiences

The rapid urbanization process all over the world has raised the need to employ more satisfactory urban development approaches; these are especially recognized and declared in developing countries. This paper attempts to indicate what achievable ways may improve the current urban development plans based on the comprehensive planning method in Iran. In order to achieve this objective, this paper reviews qualitatively the urban planning in Iran and assesses its urban development plans. Ultimately, appropriate measures are presented in order to suggest how the defects found in the current Iranian urban development plans may be corrected by employing the lessons learned from practical examples recorded in other selected countries. The primary data was collected by means of semi-structured interviews from decision making and decision taking processes in Iran. In conclusion, this article suggests that the identified defects of urban development plans in Iran may be improved by adapting to the most recent universal concepts of urban planning. In other words, Iranian urban planning should be distanced from political decisions and instead motivated as a technical process in the government structure