A PLANNING STUDY OF INNER

CITY OF ESFAHAN

Submitted in the Faculty of Graduate Research, Victoria University of Wellington in

accordance with the requirements for the admission of PhD

By:
Fatemeh Hosseini

Guide:
Institute of Development Studies Dr. B. Shankar,
University of Mysore, Reader in Urban and Regional Planning
Manasagangothri
Mysore 570 006, INDIA
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Introduction

Traditional cities in Iran have become the subjects for urban development programmes of the
country, since the middle of the 60s. The establishment of industries wishing to take advantage of the
existing infrastructure was the beginning of a new development trend for them. In last half of the
century concentration of capital and accumulation of private and public investments in these cities
changed them to metropolitan urban areas. The aim behind this strategy was to give the large historic
cities of the country possibility to develop for future industrial expansion and reducing the inequality
between the regions of the country. The result of such planning policy, after a few decades, is
overpopulation, migration and accumulation of industries in or around these cities, but also the loss of
their identity.

At the beginning of 1980, the urban problems in these cities caught the attention of the State
Department and in 1983 the redistribution of population came under political consideration. As the
result of this policy, the establishment of new towns was suggested at the government level. Since
then many new towns and cities have been planned and built around major cities. Generally these new
towns have been able to accommodate mainly the immigrants of the major cities. But apart from a few
notable examples, their development pattern is far from the traditional methods and their quality of
life is strange to the socio cultural needs of the Iranian people.

Fast urbanization in Iran in the second half of the 20th century has mostly manifested itself in the
emergence of large cities without any specific elements of Iranian culture and disconnected from their
rich architectural and urban design past. And the old city centers, that are the only witness of the
glorious past, are slowly vanishing, caused by modern developments.
After half a century these cities represent modern life standards regardless to Iranian cultural
identity. The only linkage is their old city centers, which have helped them to keep their physiognomy
as historic cities, but in reality urban development problems has put the present life and the future
destiny of these cities in danger.

Need for Study

The need for Planning of Inner City of Esfahan has become necessary problem for Iranian planners
because Esfahan is one of the most attractive city in Iran and thousand of tourism visit Esfahan every
year.
Therefore protection of archaeological monuments, natural setting and environment of inner city of
Esfahan and historical places has being important.
Quantitative needs have tended to reduce the quality of the urban environment. This aspect of
architecture in general, and the design of dwellings in particular detail, has been under the
consideration of architects and urban planners in recent decades. Attention to the cultural aspects in
design of new towns plays important role with regard to social behavior and social atmosphere.
Before planning a new town for accommodating extra population, we should think about the impact of
environmental design on behavior and the morals of the people with a view to reducing the
psychological pressures of undesirable environmental design on human behavior.
The hypothesis of this thesis work is that the traditional aspects of design have a timeless nature,
which we can use today to recreate socio-cultural identity, and to meet the special social needs of
daily life in urban planning. Using timeless principles and traditional methods as design tools and
elements in development programmes of these new towns and cities not only provides them the

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necessary cultural and social identity, but also can join compatibly modern urban physical forms with
existing old fabrics of historic cities in a desirable way.

Context
Esfahan is also known as Isfahan, which is situated in a fertile and well-watered area, with a river, the
Zayandeh-Roud flowing through it. Under the name ‘Jay’ Isfahan appears as a garrison town of the
Sassanid period, and in early Islamic times it consisted of two big settlements: Yahudiyeh and
Shahrestan (Jay or Gaba), the site of which is marked today by a small village two miles downstream
of the city. According to historian, Balazari it seems that Yahudiyeh and Jey were two important
settlements in central Iran in 637.
An ancient and picturesque city, rich in history, Isfahan has long been known for its splendid historical
buildings and sites. The city holds an extremely distinguished place, originating in its emergence
during the Sasanid period before the birth of Islam. The city development, to the south of old city, was
the most important planned city in Iran and is still considered an outstanding example of urban
planning.

Figure 1.1: Esfahan in 10th A.C.(source: sense of unity, Nader Ardalan)

Aims and Objectives

The main aim of this study is to evolve measures for planning and development of inner city in
Esfahan.

Objectives:

1. To study the traditional cities and theirs urban structures in Iran.

2. To study the Inner City Structure of Esfahan.
3. To analyze the urban design and heritage elements in the inner city of Esfahan.
4. To workout the planning measures for renewing the inner city structure by applying the
principles of traditional cities.

Methodology

(Primary Sources)

The study was carried out by collecting literature on the topic and depends on the secondary data
and primary physical surveys were conducted. The data was collected from the municipality of
Esfahan, department of town planning in Esfahan, department of cultural heritage area of Esfahan.
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 Visual survey was carried out and information from the tourists and public were collected and the
same has been used. The visual analysis of inner city structure including the elements of urban
design and form was carried out.

Identification of the important areas and building

Based on their historical values, socio cultural values, architectural characteristics, such as
building style material and construction technology architectural features façade and decorative
features.

Study of the inner city structure of the city

Existing land use of the city, existing activity pattern, existing building by laws and legal frame
work, physical features and constraints, linkages were observed.

Identification of existing problem and prospects related to:

Conformity and non conformity land uses, religious activities and rituals, condition of identified
buildings.

Interviews of the resident’s perceptions and historians

Formulation of requirement based on the trends for permanent population and floating
population

Shops and business areas, pilgrims influx and tourist influx their season and duration.

(Secondary Sources)

Literature, descriptions of the place left by various visitors which gave an idea of place and enable
construction of a chronological development.

History of the area through old maps of the city from 16th century to the present era that gave an
idea how the place has changed physically.

The entire study is carried out in four stages i.e.

1. Study of the past through secondary source.

2. Primary survey of the study area.

3. Analysis and inferences of the data.

4. Conclusion and recommendations.

Based on the issues, conservation measures to rejuvenate the inner city.

Scope and Limitations

The techniques presented in the report will be a tool for planning of inner city of Esfahan city.

The study is limited to elements of inner city structure, transportation urban design elements,
heritage areas and monuments including energy conservation in the inner city area of Esfahan city.

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 The major constraint in the study is time and resources and therefore only urgent task towards the
planning measures was considered.

The present study will help understand the need for renewal within the jurisdiction of inner city of
Esfahan, with suitable planning measures towards harmonious development of inner city
structure in Esfahan.

Structure

CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER II – LITERATURE REVIEW

CHAPTER III – STRUCTURE OF TRADITIONAL CITIES IN IRAN

CHAPTER IV – ELEMENTS OF INNER CITIES STRUCTURE IN IRAN

CHAPTER V – INNER CITY OF ESFAHAN

CHAPTER VI – PROBLEM AREA OF INNER CITY

CHAPTER VII –PLANNING MEASURES

CHAPTER VIII – CONCLUSIONS

Conclusions:
Today architects and planners must become much more explicit about the skills, methods and knowledge
they can bring to bear in the new role they have chosen. They should not be trained merely in an abstract and
‘international’ ideology of design: they should pay equal if not greater attention to their own culture, not
only to the local history of architecture but also to religious, social and aesthetic values. Traditional building
materials and methods of construction should not be ignored or sacrificed in favors of prefabricated
buildings. There must be a political recognition of the importance of the cultural and aesthetic values
inherent in the physical environment, and the need for well-educated planners and designers should be
recognized.
Architects and planners should learn to be the true representatives of the user; society should be more aware
of his role in the development of the environment. In societies where a lack of cultural awareness prevails,
planners and designers should be subsidized by the government, thereby ensuring that precious resources are
channeled in a direction, which creates environments sympathetic to culture, tradition and humanity. As
long as architects are manipulated by big business and pushed around by government bureaucracies, there
will not be any aesthetic quality in urban environments.
The characteristics of the traditional Iranian cities have a special place in the social and cultural aspects of
development of Iran. Traditional cities are a physical demonstration of cultural values. This physical way of
demonstration cultural values has its roots in the design principles and methods of traditional urban
architecture. The example of the inner city of Esfahan, central part of Iran is an effort to demonstrate the
value of traditional design principles in the past as well as in modern time.
As this study indicates, Iran needs a new strategy for its urban planning system. The new system should
clarify the issues discuss in this work and give encouragement to the local authorities wishing to bring
appropriate modern designs in historic areas to help them develop along with the modern cities.

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There need not to be a conflict between preserving the past and building the future both can be used to
promote the image of a city, emphasizing simultaneously tradition, and progressed continuity. The public at
large appreciated modernity not in opposition to but together with the heritage of the past.
The indiscriminate creation of irrelevant and inappropriate architecture in the Islamic countries should be a
concern for anyone who has an interest in history and preservation of the Islamic architectural heritage,
which evolved over long periods of trial and error. Knowledge of urban history could be a guide to planners
by enabling them to understand better why a city has developed in the way it has. It is probably easier to
understand the principles of traditional cities than find an adequate and appropriate solution for planning
new towns and cities. The policy of connecting built heritage and urban identity is an important reason to
considering historical environment in planning new towns and cities.
For Iran as an Islamic society, the rich experiences of the past are necessary.

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