Citizen Participation; The Key to Social Sustainable Development in Urban Communities

Urban communities Revitalizing and strengthen of the three dimensions of sustainability, is one of the main strategies to achieve urban sustainability. A sustainable neighborhood need its users to achieve vitality and life quality. So far the main focus of the organization, improvement or reconstruction urban areas plans in Iran, were mostly concentrated around the physical renewal of the urban patterns and residents of this communities, as the main targets, have been completely ignored. Actualizing of the Sustainable Development can also be possible in the form of neighborhood development when we talk about the neighborhood as a live cell. Consequently, having a sustainable city requires the sustainable internal particles, i.e. sustainable urban zones whose general principles are foresight, environment, equality, and cooperation and complementary features are its consequence such as balance, density and optimized compression, combination of uses and social classes, public transportation, access to green space, locality, and cooperation between city and neighborhood. Due to citizens disregarding role, their culture and social customs, the plans which are not adapted to life style of residents will be prepared, even if the plans were applicable,they will leed to widespread residents discontent . Now the question is " Why public spaces does not design concerning with people participations to diminish such feedbacks? What is the administrative problems of such projects, especially in Iran? In this regard, Baghshah community as a case study in Shiraz has been chosen. Research methods is descriptive – analytic by field survey and asking people by filling the questionnaire and concentrate on social, demographic, physical surveying and analyzing the communities resident's image. Considering the theoretical framework and criteria; an important point became clear that several factors causes to the unwillingness of residents participations in the urban fabric plans. The results shows that Only 30 percent of residents has a willingness to participate in the urban project and participate in the team work plans . 2% to 30% of these enthusiastic participation, report that they will participate in financial participation and the rest of them, agree to physical participation. So the Results shows the unwillingness of residents to participation in the plans. Factors that led to unwillingness to participation in the development and organization of communities residents is as follows: 1) the lack of successful experience in this field in Iran 2) failure to provide necessary training to participation in matters before any local action by relevant organizations 3) lack of trust of residents to plans and programs set by those involved in urban issues 4) failure to ensure people that the participation of residents and between residents and municipal projects in the same proportion of the profits to be divided. Generally The purpose of this research is study on the interested of Baghshah community residents in the preparation and implementation of improvements and upgrading the quality of life of residents in this context to suggesting guidelines to attracting citizen participation, as one of the most important requirements for achieving a sustainable neighborhood and social sustainability of neighborhoods in each city.