Evaluation of Urban Intervention in Imam Hussain Square (Tehran) with Emphasis on Urban Reminders

Subject Areas : architecture

Mehdi Yazdi ¹ (دانشجوی دکتری، دانشکده برنامه‌ریزی شهری، دانشکده هنرهای زیبا، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران.)
Behnaz Aminzadeh ² (دانشیار دانشکدۀ شهرسازی پردیس هنرهای زیبا، دانشگاه تهران، تهران، ایران.)

Received: 2016-06-11 Accepted : 2017-08-30 Published : 2018-02-20

Keywords: Urban Reminders, Collective Memories, Urban Places, Qualitative Analysis, Imam Hussain Square,

Abstract :

Human settlements are filled with memories. Sometimes these memories are personal and sometimes they havecollective nature. Collective memory is a memory shared between group members and is formed in a socialframework, a place context, and through the time. These memories would fill the space with meanings and throughthem, a space would become a place and a place would become a meaningful, memorable and valuable place.Today, many place-based researches have been emphasized on the importance of narration and memory in cities.In this approach the city is considered as a diary of place collective memories. These memories which are rootedin the context of urban places and can form affective bonds between people and places, Furthermore have animportant role in formation of people’s place-identity and sense of belonging to place. Having regard for orignoring these memories (and memorable elements tied to them) in urban interventions, can strengthen or weakenpeople’s sense of belonging to place and their place identity. This can lead to numerous consequences and results.Vanishing of memories may cause identity crisis and mental-psychological disease.Most of researches with the subject of place collective memory are focused on the formation of collective memoriesin the city and its effective criteria. But the recording and transition of those memories for the future and posterityare given less consideration. Confrontation of people with urban reminders help them to remember memoriesof the past events. These reminders as forms, functions and meanings would help people to remember urbanmemories and narrate (tell the story of) the city's past. These reminders are considered as mnemonic aids. Butsome urban interventions regardless of these memory reference points, would remove city narration consciouslyor unconsciously over time. Interventions which would make our cities generic, without any memory, history orimportant feature.Imam Hussain square intervention plan has been accomplished in 2012 with the approach of maximum changes andtoday after four years its results could be analyzed. Current research is pursuing the analysis of urban interventionin the Imam Hussain Square to see how it pays attention to place collective memories through protection andstrengthening of urban reminders. This research combines existential and First-person phenomenologicalapproaches. With a qualitative Analysis method, it uses content analysis combined with expert analysis. Throughthe research various gathering information techniques are employed, such as deep interviews, structural interviewswith open questions, and expert observations.The results show that the new design has not succeeded in attention to urban reminders and has failed in usingnumerous capacities, available in this historic place. Except a few cases, this intervention not only has no attentionto forgotten place-memories and urban reminders, but it also has weakened and destroyed the existing reminders.Even new urban reminders which are erected in this design have not bonded properly with place history and memories. Current research emphasizes the importance of place collective memories and reminding thesememories. A pattern for analyzing different types of urban reminders (through analytical map) is introduced.

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