Strategic Approach of Culture-led Urban Regeneration

The necessity of flexible responsiveness to impacts of globalization process on economic structure of cities of the world, accompanied by the need to resolve concentrated urban problems, through maximum utilization of local potentials, has culminated in regarding “culture” as a new tool for urban regeneration and deal with all dimensions of urban decline. Interventions in declined urban areas in Iran are made with inadequate attention to cultural identity and cultural potentials of these areas and in many cases lead to weakening their identity. The main purpose of this article is to create and introduce an integrated framework for optimized exploitation of cultural potentials of urban areas to deal with all dimensions of urban decline. To achieve this purpose, theoretical framework underlying culture- led urban regeneration approach is considered and after selecting case study by use of “factor analysis”, significance of relationships between culture and urban regeneration aspects in selected areas is proved using Chi-square test. Then alternative courses of action are generated using “the analysis of interconnected decision areas” technique. By evaluating the alternatives, one course of action is selected and introduced. The main achievement of this article is to devise and application of a framework to integrate culture into strategic planning of urban regeneration in the case study, with emphasis on interests of local residents and dealing with all dimensions of urban decline. This framework is designed such that makes it possible to create a self-sustaining circle in which regeneration tools and local communities reinforce each other mutually.