Urban Regeneration, City Image of Tehran and Alienation

Abstract

In city planning, a fundamental point is to evaluate the city image. The concept of city image is multidimensional. This study evaluate the city image of Tehran and its consequences. Tehran regenerates for many years. This modernization process creates new city image, urban identity and new relationship between residents. This study has qualitative approach. Interview and thematic analysis used for collective and analyses data from 20 citizens. This sample selected equally from north and south of Tehran as developed and undeveloped urban region. Conceptual framework consist Blasé outlook of Simmel, meaning of memory and city of Benjamin and concepts of alienation and spaces of representation in Lefebvre theory. Findings reveal that process of regeneration destroys memories of citizens. They can’t relate with new urban spaces. Regeneration makes separation image from north and south of Tehran. Residents of south feel sense of deprivation, exclusion and inequality. Interviewees miss their human relationship like neighbors, so they feel loneliness. Totally, elements of city image of residents show alienated sense of place in Tehran.

Keywords

• city image
• segregation
• inequality
• memory
• alienation