Interactional approach in scales and levels of urban design in urban planning process*

The aim of this paper is to integrate processes of urban design and urban planning with ambition to increase urban environment qualities via comparing those differences of urban design tendencies and styles in strategic planning framework. Also this paper examines of urban design implementation in urban planning process by urban management system of Iran. Review and evaluation of urban planning process and assessment of development plans in past five decades in Iran confirms that these processes are not responding properly to the quality aspects of urban areas. The current situation stems from numerous reasons which could be found in rational nature or scheming process، survey، approval and implementation of plans. To confront these problems and in order to learn experiences and provide a new process which could encompass both city planning and design the traditions of city planning process has been studied. This approach would link both urban planning and design tendencies. In practice this approach can have positive outcomes at all levels of new strategic planning hierarchy and policy oriented urban design. In urban development plans، enhancing the urban environment qualities are significance challenge of planners and designers. Status quo of Iran show those plan have less been succeed in creating qualitative urban environment so in recent years experts and professional support qualitative approach to design and plan of urban environments in different scale including macro and micro scales plans. There is an essential need to analyze the application of urban design by management system in Iran critically، in terms of development plans process as distinct from other land use planning techniques. The research question intends to understand how urban design is utilized and operationalized in development plans process in Iran. The literature review published on urban design provides not only an acceptable model for further research [Wolff 1970، Shirvani 1981،Varkki 1977، Punter 1999،Carmona 1997] but also operational definitions of the components of this process. The study uncovered a wide of literature pertaining to urban design، the literature however، was in many respects confusing and contradictory in regards to the nature of implementing urban design by public officials. The literature review revealed many different approaches to define the tools for urban design. These tools yielding a wide variety of terminology and jargon used to describe implementation procedures. Methodology of this research is applied the qualitative method and especially content analysis technique to extract the essence of plans also their objective. This thesis makes use of this literature to examine this process on a recently completed development plans in Mashhad city in Iran. This thesis examines the tools of urban design utilized by planners in development plans. The thesis identifies the lack of agreement within academic writing defining the role، practice and function ofurban design as a source of confusion for the study of professional practice. Findings of paper identify that there are four important factors to enhance quality of urban environment including: cooperating of urban design in whole scale of planning، cooperating of different professions in development plans، cooperating of stakeholders، clients، and laypeople in whole process of planning، and adaptability in planning and change management. Result of this paper show that interaction between planning and designing process is necessary and also significance factor to guaranty success of planning and designing program in country. Results of this paper could apply in urban planning and designing framework as a guideline to harmony urban development plans، additionally، it could illustrate environments of planning system of country to recognize other challenges and problems in that also this study، thus confirms Varkki`s argument and advocates for increased attention of scholarly research to be focused on the procedure elements of urban design.