The Role of Urban Space in Strengthening the Identity of Deteriorated Urban Space

The Tehran City Revitalization Organization (TCRO) has conducted comprehensive studies on the deprived areas and divided their problems into several categories such as spatial, social, environmental, and economic problems. The TCRO believes that although the problems of the deprived areas in Tehran have been categorized, they are strongly interrelated and should be studied in relate to each other. In spited of the efforts the TCRO puts to show that the approach toward the deprived areas is changed, it can be seen that in fact it has not been changed dramatically in practice. In this regard, the policy of thoroughfares widening is highly sponsored as the first priority in taking an action in regenerating the deprived areas. In this article the role of public open spaces in facilitating the socio-economic relations in people’s daily life and identifying their identity is highlighted. First, definitions, expectations, and classifications of public open spaces are presented. At the next step different types of public spaces within the integrated public open space system is presented. Then a discussion is brought in regard to the relationship between the potential role of public open spaces and preserving the social identity in the city of Tehran. Moreover, different activities in public open spaces are highlighted in three main classes including social activities, optional activities and necessary activities, according to Jan Gehl’s point of view and the relationship between these activities and the quality of public open spaces is discussed. Also the life style of Iranian people in public open spaces is pointed out to show how streets and public open spaces can support this life style and enrich the social identity. Then the importance of city streets in this regard is presented since streets are the main public open spaces can be found in the deprived areas of Tehran and is the focus of the TCRO action plans. It is said that in order to enhance the social identity, streets and thoroughfares should be classified in two different classes with two different expectations. It is also discussed that in the regeneration plans of the deprived areas the streets should integrate social activities, and assembles different urban land uses rather that segregate them.   Finally it is highlighted that if the TCRO does not change its approach towards public open spaces, especially the streets, and fail to see them beyond thoroughfares, the public open spaces and its function will vanish as well as our social identity. Also in the conclusion several strategies are presented as the contribution of the article to the existing literature.