The Study of Affecting Indicators in Urban Identity, Case Study Jolfa Neighborhood in Isfahan City

City is the greatest symbol of human civilization that human built that for its security
and comfort. City is not just a settlement, but it is a place in which spirit of society is
blown and takes identity from that. Urban identity is the identity of a group that finds
meaning by objective emergence in body and concept of the city and leads citizens
toward urbanization via creating recall of common memories in citizens, belongingness
and dependence. Although, the city's identity is depending on culture of its citizens, it
influences the process of citizenship creation and may cause to composition of relative
criteria with cooperation and judgment of residents and viewers.
Since "identity" is a complex of attributes and specifications that cause "distinguish" of
an individual or society from other people and societies; the city is also characterized
and becomes independent following this criterion. The issue of identity in general and
urban identity in particular is among issues being important due to its role in cognition
of individuals, things, societies and places.
Despite importance of this case in recent periods, the crisis of urban identity is
worryingly felt; because in the past, cities and urban spaces have been having
independence, character and a specific identity. While what is formed in public minds is
nothing but a complex of tall buildings, streets, offices and parks that as a result of that
sense of belonging to these spaces becomes low and lower. In fact, it should be said that
in contemporary period and especially in recent years building for construction not for
living has not left any space for considering important and deep issues like identity in
urbanization and architecture. Urban planners and managers are seriously trying to
supervise human-made body of the city by composing regulations and on the other
hand, the citizens who are following culture and cultural elements of their society are
insisting to lead the city's body based on their understanding of urban identity. This
issue has created major problems in process of formation of cities' body and practically
has created large voids in existing situation from the "Utopia".
Today, due to lack of necessary educations and non-thought following of western
approaches and modern patterns, many cities are forming and developing against
original identity of Iranian city. Beyond this, urban spaces and especially historical
urban spaces have great importance due to their role in formation of mental image and
cognitive plan of cities in giving identity to them.
At the present paper, effective indicatives on urban and neighboring identity in Jolfa
neighborhood, located in district 5 of Isfahan Municipality that its formation goes back
to Safavi era is introduced. These indicatives are studied in different environmental,
social, economic, physical and spatial dimensions and their effects on formation and
sustainability of the identity of this neighborhood were analyzed. Information gathering
and analysis done in this regard has been based on case study and adjustment
researches. At the end strategies are provided along with more promotion of these
indicatives in this neighborhood.