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In recent years, the ineffectiveness of urban development plans—particularly in marginalized areas—has largely stemmed from the absence of meaningful stakeholder participation and unilateral decision-making by dominant authorities. The development project for Camp B (Sabaghan neighborhood) in Bandar Imam Khomeini serves as a clear example of a top-down policy approach. Designed by the Housing Foundation to organize informal settlements in the area, the project ultimately failed to improve the residents’ quality of life.
This research aims to analyze the role and position of stakeholders in the policy-making and planning process of this project. It employs the five-stage public policy cycle framework and the power–interest matrix to categorize and evaluate the actor groups, assessing the extent of their involvement at each stage, identifying the factors influencing their shifting roles, and examining the consequences of changes in actor interactions.
The study adopts a qualitative methodology based on content analysis and a case study approach, with data collected through interviews with key actors, analysis of official documents, and field observations.
Findings reveal that the Housing Foundation—operating under the supervision of higher-level authorities—functioned as a dominant and exclusive actor. By marginalizing or weakening the roles of other stakeholders, such as the municipality, local institutions, academic bodies, and residents, the process led to various institutional, economic, socio-psychological, and spatial-physical damages. These consequences included power centralization, distrust and lack of a sense of belonging, a shift from social justice toward profit-driven goals, and inconsistencies between design and implementation.
The power–interest matrix further illustrates a deep disconnect between formal authority and the actual needs of the local community. Overall, the absence of multilevel governance structures and effective intersectoral collaboration was among the primary causes of the project's failure.

Keywords: Urban Policy-Making, Participatory Governance, Stakeholders, Power, Camp B

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