Evaluation of Implementing Urban Design Projects in Iran, Case Study: Implemented Projects in Tehran

Urban design approach to prepare and implemente an urban general planning scheme leads to uncoordinated city form and pattern in terms of packaging spontaneously a series of detailed planning schemes of various and diverse environmental neighborhoods such as residential, industrial, commercial, institutional and etc. Urban design involves the arrangement and design of buildings, public spaces, transport systems, services, and amenities. Urban design is the process of giving form, shape, and character to groups of buildings, to whole neighborhoods, and the city. Urban design is about making connections between people and places, movement and urban form, nature and the built fabric. Urban design draws together the many trends of place-making, environmental stewardship, social equity and economic viability into the creation of places with distinct beauty and identity. On the other hand, Implementation tools offer different mechanisms for the delivery of proper quality in urban design outcomes whileare used by a range of professionals to manage, motivate and organise urban design projects. Unlikly, the implementation tools focus on the means of making good quality for urban design projects. Implementation tools can be considered through all stages of an urban design project. A number of the tools focus on discussing and resolving design issues before the construction of a project. Implementation tools can help clear roadblocks in the design process, provide collaborative management structures, and develop creative design solutions. Also, Project implementation (or project execution) is the phase where visions and plans become reality. This is the logical conclusion, after evaluating, deciding, visioning, planning, applying for funds and finding the financial resources of a project. After you have carefully planned your project, you will be ready to start the project implementation phase, the third phase of the project management is life cycle. The implementation phase involves putting the project plan into action. In this phase the project manager will coordinate and direct project resources to meet the objectives of the project plan. As the project unfolds, it’s the project manager’s job to direct and manage each activity, every step of the way. That’s what happens in the implementation phase of the project life cycle: you follow the plan you’ve put together and handle any problems that come up. The implementation phase is where you and your project team actually do the project work to produce the deliverables. The word “deliverable” means anything your project delivers. The deliverables for your project include all of the products or services that you and your team are performing for the client, customer, or sponsor, including all the project management documents that you put together.The steps undertaken to build each deliverable will vary depending on the type of project you are undertaking, and cannot therefore be described here in any real detail. For instance engineering projects will focus on using equipment, resources, and materials to construct each project deliverable, whereas computer software projects may require the development and implementation of software code routines to produce each project deliverable. The activities required to build each deliverable will be clearly specified within the project requirements document and project plan. Project implementation must be carefully planned, managed and monitored if activities are to be successfully implemented on schedule and produce the intended outputs and outcomes. Along with the movement in the world, recently, some projects are called “urban design projects” which are running in different parts of Iran, especially in Tehran. These projects aim to improve the quality of our urban environment and urban spaces. Urban design projects with the aim of improving the quality of urban spaces have been considered as Iran’s urban development plans since the early 80s of Hejri Shamsi and different experiences have been passed. However, no assessment has been made for their conditions. The present study aimed to evaluate implementation of urban design projects as one of the urban development plans. For this purpose, we reviewed several documents and relevant literature to initially develop an evaluation framework and then, identify primary criteria and indicators using analytical- comparative methods, review of documents and similar opinions of other scholars. These criteria and indicators were elaborated and fulfilled through an interview with experts so as to localize and conform to Iran’ context. Finally, the significance and contribution of each criterion and indicator was determined via a questionnaire for the main actors of urban design projects in Iran (especially Tehran) and then evaluation was performed. The findings of the present study indicated that under the current circumstance of urban design projects in Iran, the degree of implementation is semi-appropriate to poor.