Barriers to ensuring continuity in urban facades identity, legal tools-based analysis: The case of Iran

With the increase in construction activities under the effects of neo-liberal policies, especially in metropolitan cities, the urban management system faces the critical issue of striving for an urban identity. This study seeks to reveal the awareness of national urban laws and regulations regarding the urban identity concept in the scope of urban facades and silhouettes. On the other hand, the problems experienced and visible in urban silhouettes and identity are indicators of awareness regarding the legislation and the deficiencies and obstacles arising from its implementation. Iran, a developing country with different layers of identity such as culture and religion, is selected for this research. The research focuses on the case of Iran in two essential components. Firstly, it aims to demonstrate the awareness of legal tools in the scope of the necessity for the continuity of urban identity and silhouettes. Then, it reveals the real implementations in urban areas, which show the loss of identity and continuity in the urban facade and silhouette.
The most reliable way to reveal this is through urban silhouettes and facade visuals. In this case, the visuals of the buildings built during the Pahlavi period, the buildings from the first years of the revolution, and those being built today as city and architecture interfaces show the lack of identity and the loss of continuity of the facade in their most distinctive features. Since architectural development and urban areas are always subject to social and political development, the era after the Islamic Revolution of Iran, as one of the most important political, social, and cultural events, was chosen to evaluate city facades and identity. In this study, a comprehensive literature review was conducted, in which the legislation, including legal sources, laws, and regulations, as well as historical periods, maps, and visual sources, were examined. The requirements of the legislation and real practices were compared with the support of visuals.