Urbanology Group

STEERING COMMITTEE (in Alphabetical Order)

·        Mr. Kamal Athari

·        Mr. Mohammad Reza Haeri         

·        Mr. Ali Fallahpasand                     

·        Mr. Sohrab Mashoudi                   

·        Mr. Parviz Piran

·        Mr. Massoud Shafiq

      Acting Chair   Mr. Mohammad Reza Haeri 

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.

Re-established in Spring 2004, the goal of this department is to develop a better understanding of contemporary issues related to the city and urbanism in Iran. The main activities of the Group are coordinated through a steering committee and an acting chair.

The department supports multi-disciplinary research on urban issues and prepares suitable forums of debate and exchange aiming to increase expert and public awareness of those issues. The activities of the group aim to contribute to both (1) a better understanding of the intellectual field of urban science in Iran so as to provide a critical informed analysis of contemporary urban development and policy, and (2) realizable, practical, strategic recommendations, advice, and where possible courses of action for improving the urban condition in Iran.

 ·       Sponsored Research

• ·       Influencing community of specialists and policymakers

• ·       Influencing Public Awareness

• ·       Collaboration with Civil Society Organizations

• ·       Influencing pedagogy of urban studies in Iran

• ·       Providing Policy Recommendations

• ·       Consulting

• ·       Publishing a Journal

• ·       Publishing a Book Series

• ·       Working Paper Series

• ·       Library and Database related to Urban Issues

CURRENT ACTIVITIES

The Group’s activities are currently organized through four main activities.

1.   Weekly meeting of editors, steering committee and invited guests for discussion of current topics and future issues of the journal. We welcome anyone to join us to discuss topics of current importance, suggestions for collaboration, or to comment on the Group’s activities.

2.    Public Lectures are organized on a monthly basis and held at the Khaneye Honarmandane Iran, House of Artists, a public arts and meeting space in Iranshahr Park, Tehran. Lectures are open to the public. Lectures treat all topics related to urban studies in Iran. (See below for list of past lectures)

3.    Workshops on issues related to urban problems.

The material and conclusions of these three activities form the basis of articles in…

4.    Andisheh Iranshahr a Quarterly Journal of Urbenology.  First issue to be published till in 2005. Special Issue: Development process of Urbanism in Iran. Guest Editor: Sohrab Mashhoodi. Editor: M. R. Haeri.

PAST PUBLIC LECTURES

In 2003-4 [1382-83] Andisheh Iranshahr held the following Public Lectures (dates are in Persian Calendar)

·        Urban Space and City Planning – Towards an Understanding of Tehran. (M. R. Haeri) 9/2/1382

·        The Formation of Urban Studies. (K. Tajbakhsh). 8/4/1382

·        Transformation of City Planning in Iran (S. Mashoudi) 6/5/82

·        Introduction to the Relationship between Space and Society. (K. Athari) 10/6/82

·        The Future City with focus on transformations in electronic technology (M. Helfurush) 24/6/82

·        Workshop 27/7/82

·        Financial Management in Tehran Metropolitan Area (A. Fallahpasand) 28/7/82

·        Chaos in City Planning and Design in Iran (M. Safiq) 24/9/82

·        Public Sphere and Urban Public Space (A. Khatam) 14/10/82

·        Misunderstanding of the role of urban planning and design

·        Urban Studies in Iran – A review of the past one year’s experience of the Andisheh Iranshahr Group 4/12/82

·        From Internet to “Weblog-estan”. (M. Amir-Ebrahimi) 31/3/83

·        The Neglect of Space and Architecture in Iran (M.R. Haeri, S. Shafaie, Mr. Mirmiran, Mr. Majadi, K. Athari) 28/4/83

·        Architecture, Space and Cinema (Shahdmehr Rastin). 25/5/83

·        Tehran Spatial Issues - Alain Bertaud Report (E. Zebardast). 29/6/83

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The articles published in the journal, as well as the activities undertaken by the Andisheh Iranshahr Project, are informed by five key principals or themes.

1.    The challenges facing cities and citizens in Iran in the 21^st Century, such as sustainability, democracy and social justice, globalization and identity.

2.    The processes involved in the transformation of being a city resident (shahrnesheen) to a citizen (shahrvand).

3.    The production of urban knowledge – articles or research projects should be grounded in the historical, cultural and spatial context of Iranian cities and settlement spaces and add to the current stock of knowledge about urban issues in Iran.

4.    The approach should be multi-disciplinary and critical.

5.    Effective in influencing the nature of Iranian cities. The group aims to influence decision makers in government, educational and cultural institutions, professions associated with urban planning, management and research, as well as the wider society.

For more information please contact Andisheh Iranshahr at Tehran 840 5122, 844 3005 (phone and fax) or e-mail to any one of the committee members.

M. R. Haeri (mrhareim@yahoo.com)