Associate Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University.
Abstract: (36 Views)
Twenty years ago, the challenge of deteriorated and dysfunctional urban fabrics was predominantly conceptualized as an issue of physical decay. Buildings had degraded, infrastructures had exceeded their operational lifespans, public spaces had deteriorated in quality, and urban environments were progressively losing their capacity to sustain the socioeconomic vitality of their inhabitants. Consequently, the prevailing response appeared relatively straightforward: identifying these deteriorated and dysfunctional areas, formulating renewal plans, mobilizing public and private resources, reconstructing the physical environment, and restoring the affected zones to a state aligned with contemporary urban planning standards.
Nevertheless, the experience of the past two decades demonstrates that urban decay and dysfunction are not exclusively physical conditions, just as urban renewal transcends mere construction processes. The persistence of deteriorated and dysfunctional urban fabrics—despite a multitude of plans, policies, projects, and investments—necessitates a critical reassessment of the theoretical foundations underpinning urban renewal. The fundamental question is no longer merely how to renew these areas, but rather: when the drivers of decay and dysfunction are concurrently physical, social, economic, institutional, cultural, and spatial, what does renewal fundamentally mean?
Nevertheless, the experience of the past two decades demonstrates that urban decay and dysfunction are not exclusively physical conditions, just as urban renewal transcends mere construction processes. The persistence of deteriorated and dysfunctional urban fabrics—despite a multitude of plans, policies, projects, and investments—necessitates a critical reassessment of the theoretical foundations underpinning urban renewal. The fundamental question is no longer merely how to renew these areas, but rather: when the drivers of decay and dysfunction are concurrently physical, social, economic, institutional, cultural, and spatial, what does renewal fundamentally mean?
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Received: 2026/07/11 | Accepted: 2026/07/25 | Published: 2026/08/23
Received: 2026/07/11 | Accepted: 2026/07/25 | Published: 2026/08/23
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