Understanding the Concept of Public Interest in Iran`s Planning System

Public interest is one of the most basic and significant issues in urban planning discipline.  Action in urban planning would seem futile if the public interest is ignored. The problem shows itself when there are different understandings of the concept of public interest and when there are disagreements on how one can achieve it. In such a diversity of opinions, it would be difficult to identify which urban actions or plans are in the interest of the public and which ones are not.

By reviewing available literature in Iran`s planning journals, we could not find a common definition or a theoretical explanation of public interest in Iran`s planning system. Therefore, it is crucial to have a common understanding of what this concept is all about among the planning professionals. Accordingly, this paper aims to understand the concept of public interest in Iran`s planning by finding planners' common understanding of this concept.

This paper first looks at the importance of public interest in the planning literature as well as the changes in approaches to this concept from the mid-twentieth century.  Next, using content analysis as a qualitative method, we attempt to find a common understanding of public interest in Iran’s urban planning sphere.  In our analysis, three different datasets including 15 interviews and 12 sets of regulations and codes regarding two different projects were used.

The results of our analysis points to a shared understanding of public interest in Iran`s planning system. We have concluded that public interest in Iran`s planning system has an objective character and is similar to the unitary concept of public interest.  It is a substantive as well as a procedural notion that is determined and defined through official institutions of urban planning.

While an official explanation of public interest in Iran`s planning cannot be found directly through planning rules and regulations, a common understanding of this concept can be understood among planners.