A framework for time studies in urban planning: Assessment of comprehensive planning in the case of Tehran

Abstract

The contemporary comprehensive urban planning in Iran suffers from lack of mechanisms for accountability and monitoring, as well as weak implementation. In response, in the Comprehensive Plan of Tehran, developed in 2007, evaluation and monitoring gained new significance, however, a gap remaining about temporal aspects. This article proposes some criteria of so-called time-oriented policies for evaluating planning practices, through a specific analytical framework. Despite development of theory on time-oriented approach in Europe, such an evaluative framework for plans had not been developed yet. The proposed ‘urban temporal studies framework’ consists of two main groups of attributes: surveying ‘time orders’ such as urban rhythms under descriptive part and considering major normative principles of ‘ordering time’ such as temporal equity, efficiency and institutionalisation. Using a content-analysis methodology, we have applied the proposed framework evaluating the recent Comprehensive Plan of Tehran. The results of the analysis indicate that the planning system in Tehran has mostly considered normative temporal aspects and they are mainly implicit in the plan. The frequent considerations of temporal organisation in our case clarify the strength of ‘planning in time’, occurred implicitly in this plan. On the other hand, the absence of descriptive elements in the plan notices a lack in awareness or a weak interest of planners and decision makers in Tehran about social structure of time of the city.

Timescapes beyond the Metropolises

“…Relational temporality illustrates the urban via daily and weekly usage patterns. Urban rhythms, whether natural, cultural or spatial (Charbgoo & Mareggi 2018)…”

“…While flagship buildings and big events stress visibility, in relational temporality, everyday life builds a basis for urban transformations. Relational culture-led urban regeneration encompasses leisure time via acknowledged elements such as evening economy, third places and consumption possibilities (Montgomery 1994(Montgomery , 2003Charbgoo & Mareggi 2018, Lidegaard et al 2018 and weekday work-life patterns through minor cultural activities, education providers and cultural production (Montgomery 2003, Gainza 2017, Rahbarianyazd & Doratli 2017. The activity of cultural quarters comprises the patterns in opening hours and existing local amenities, public space and land uses, variety of uses and temporal reach as well as festivals and events (Montgomery 2003).…”

“…Relational culture-led urban regeneration process Relational culture-led urban regeneration concerns leisure time on the one hand, and weekday time patterns on the other hand. Academic discourse recognises several elements that relate to leisure time, such as evening economy, third places and consumption possibilities (Montgomery 1994(Montgomery , 2003Charbgoo & Mareggi 2018, Lidegaard et al 2018; whereas minor activities, education providers and cultural production (Montgomery 2003, Gainza 2017, Rahbarianyazd & Doratli 2017 relate to weekday work-life patterns. The actor networks of relational urban regeneration are heterogenous and varying, depending on the time of the day and year.…”

“…The actor networks of relational urban regeneration are heterogenous and varying, depending on the time of the day and year. Here, environmental temporalities (Degen 2018), such as natural rhythms (Charbgoo & Mareggi 2018), play a significant role.…”

Continuous Production and New Forms of Labour: A Case for Reclaiming Public Time

“…A number of disciplines and perspectives are represented in existing literature. These include (among many others) studies on the urban hardware of information and communication technologies (ICTs) (Graham, 2001), the night-time city (Eldridge, 2019; Dimmer, Solomon, & Morris, 2017; Shaw, 2015, 2018; Tadié & Permanadeli, 2015; Thomas & Bromley, 2000; Lovatt & O’Connor, 1995), social impacts of mobile technologies (Hampton, Goulet, & Albanesius, 2015; Paiva, Cachinho, & Barata-Salgueiro, 2017; Hatuka & Toch, 2016; Green, 2002; Townsend, 2000), the relationship between time, space and community (Stephens, 2010; McCann, 2003; Calhoun, 1998) and spatial effects of temporal politics (Kitchin, 2019; Charbgoo & Mareggi, 2018; Moore-Cherry & Bonnin, 2018; Mulíček and Osman, 2018; Simone & Fauzan, 2013; Stavrides, 2013). These scholars have examined in great depth the processes through which social and political forces contest the meaning of time and act upon it—causing it to be compressed, sped up, broken, divided into fractions, reorganized as rhythms, appropriated, revalourized and invoked strategically.…”