Planning Sustainable Urban Development with an Approach to Core Planning (A Proposal for Planning Sustainable Urban Development in Tehran)

The main objective of this paper is to introduce core planning as a form of applied planning for urban managers. It also aims to emphasize that urban development planners should choose a series of core programs within framework of a systematic strategic thinking for every aspect of sustainable urban development in order to realize this kind of development. Sustainable development consists of economic efficiency, social equality, ecological sustainability and a new form of governance which will encourage social participation of all stakeholders in the society in the decision-making process. Planning is a sort of innovation in management system which is meant for informed regulation of economic relations in order to avoid arbitrary management of the urban affairs. It also aims to realize those goals which will help humans to achieve an optimal level of material or spiritual welfare. Since comprehensive development planning has been practically unsuccessful, because all problems cannot be solved in a given period of time, instead of focusing on comprehensive development planning, core planning is strongly advised. Core planning is the main axis of development and is based on guiding nuclei as well as executive programs. This form of planning is advised for the achievement of sustainable urban development. In view of the development outlook envisaged for Tehran and the need for a more comprehensive and strategic approach based on core planning, key nuclei in various areas of sustainable urban development should be defined first and relevant executive programs should be drawn up. In other words, this paper underlines the need for choosing core programs according to both “subject” (like a special program for the empowerment of the poor in Tehran) and “location” (such as selecting Milad Tower as a tourism nucleus and turning it into an urban brand and a national symbol so that jobs and revenue can be created by introducing it at international level through selling its tourist products such as logos…) to achieve the proposed outlook of urban development for Tehran.