Historical Development and Transformation of Vali-Asr Street, Tehran

Aynaz Lotfata,Yasin Lotfata,Musa Panahandehkhah

doi:10.5539/jsd.v11n5p249

Abstract

Urban spaces throughout history have played a significant role in the socio-economic life of the inhabitants and have served as the center for communication and transformation in the cities. Study of historical periods and the development of urban space lead to our understanding of human perception toward life in different periods. The historically confluence of sociopolitical and economic changes shapes urban setting. The historical development of Vali Asr Street investigated to examine sociopolitical dynamics in development and transformation of urban space in the center of Tehran metropolitan. This paper contributes in identification of opportunities, threats, weaknesses and strengths in the three approaches for Vali-Asr street that might be used as assessment indicators for future development of urban space.

Highlights

Any physical space created to engage users in a particular activity and to meet the needs and desires of individuals
Since embarking modernization thoughts in the first Pahlavi period of Iran, Tehran as a capital of country had been the center of modernization and its appearances in form of buildings, streets and other elements of the city
In the second and third master plans, the street had the nodal role in the physical growth of the Tehran city through transporting the huge number of inhabitants and connecting urban cores from south to north of the city

Summary

Introduction

Any physical space created to engage users in a particular activity and to meet the needs and desires of individuals. Social and political developments in the twentieth century have been the most influential factors in the extent and development of Iran’s urban space. The political divisions, land reforms and economic development contribute these changes (Lotfata, 2008). From dependency to agriculture and livestock productions to the oil-centered economic development in 1907 caused the sociospatial change. Oil incomes contributed the physical growth, development and urban spatial transformation (Pilehvar, 2007). The socialism– capitalism system of the Pahlavi government aimed to transform Iran’s society. Conducting land reforms in 1962 and connecting to global network attempted to drive Iran’s society towards a consumption society (Lotfata, 2015). Urban development plans in Iran are based on a comprehensive planning system where attention is paid to programs of land usage.

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