Feasibility of moving the capital in Iran

Dissertation for Master Degree (MA)

Trend: Regional Planning

Dissertation Abstract:

The studies conducted in this research were examined based on the problem of Tehran's problems and dilemmas, which some had proposed as a way out of the current situation of the metropolis of Tehran. This research was written with the aim of identifying the consequences of moving the capital on a national scale, and the preliminary questions of the research were answered through the qualitative analysis and the use of library resources and the collection of information, that the examination of other countries' experiences regarding the transfer of the capital cannot be compared with Iran, because in most countries the main cause of this was not the urban problems of the capital, and also the political, economic and social system and the planning system are among the things that should be investigated first, in which type of planning system such as the transfer of the capital can be carried out In recent years, the introduction of the transfer of the capital in Iran has only been investigated with the attitude of getting rid of Tehran's problems, and the impact on the spatial planning of the country has been neglected. In this research, the plan to transfer the capital is considered rejected, and alternative plans for decentralization and the creation of electronic government infrastructure, devolution to the provinces, and the creation of economic hubs in other parts of the country were presented.

Generalities of the research

1-1-Introduction:

In the early 1930s, 75% of the country's population lived in rural areas and 25% lived in cities; But since 1985, this statistic has been reversed and currently 75% of the population is urban and 25% is rural, and this trend has caused a population balance between big cities such as Isfahan, Shiraz, Tehran, etc. It has collapsed and the concentration of industrial, service and academic activities will be lost. And these megacities, especially the capital, have been plagued by many problems. The main reason for this is the immigration of metropolises. And Tehran with its many attractions, including: 35% of the higher education centers in the country and 50% of the educational activities of the entire country. which is going on in Tehran along with the largest amount of public transportation and construction.

One of the plans proposed to solve Tehran's problems is the relocation of the capital, and various aspects of this plan are examined in this research. Industrial, service and administrative is envisioned. On the one hand, this concentration has turned Tehran into a superior political and economic center, and on the other hand, it has caused serious damage to its development. There are two general thoughts and strategies in the dream text with these abnormalities:

1. Reformism and restoration

2. Relocation and decentralization

Among these ideas, according to many, the best option and approach is the transfer of administrative, political and economic centers to other geographical areas of the country. Therefore, in spite of the existing limitations, the question is raised, how and to what extent is the realization of this strategy necessary?

1-3- The importance of the research topic and the reasons for its selection:

A serious discussion related to the transfer of the capital was raised in 1364, coinciding with the 200th year of Tehran's centralization, and in 1367, study works were carried out by the urban planning consultant at the order of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development. The capital was only discussed by experts and officials and no serious action was taken.

The transfer of the capital is a solution that the officials have proposed, but the implementation of this plan for Iran requires a long time and very high implementation costs, as well as study and written planning.

1-4- Research objectives:

Main objective:

           Investigate the degree of realization of the transfer of the capital

Sub-objectives:

Identify the effects of the transfer of the capital in solving the urban problems of Tehran

Identify alternative plans for the transfer of the capital

1-5- Questions:

Scientific research based on The questions that arise in the researcher's mind are formed. In this research, we also aim to answer questions such as:

What is the purpose of moving the capital city?

What level of execution capability does the plan of moving the capital city have?

How can Tehran's problems be overcome without moving the capital city?

1-6- Theoretical framework and research background:

In the past, security was the main factor in choosing or moving the capital city, but today, due to the advancement of techniques, especially in Security arenas and changes in war methods, as well as the importance of information and communication circulation in this arena, the mentioned factor has become less prominent and has gained importance against the centrality of economic gravity. Today, if a capital is chosen or moved, it is mainly for non-security reasons. Decentralization is solving the problems in a capital city, controlling the economy of the country, or choosing the right top for the urban hierarchy pyramid. The practical experiences of moving the capital of Germany, Pakistan and Brazil and the theoretical debates raised in Iran in the current century all testify to the claim that the transfer of the capital of any of these countries was not for military reasons. The manner and process of moving the capital and the reasons for this in the mentioned countries are described in detail in chapter 2. 1-7- Research method: The research method of this research is qualitative. "Qualitative research is multi-method at its point of focus and implies an interpretive-naturalistic approach to the subject under study. This means that qualitative researchers study things in their natural environments and try to make meaningful and interpret the phenomena according to the meaning that people give them. Qualitative research requires the application and collection of a range of experimental materials - case studies, personal experience, introspection, life stories, interviews, historical and visual observation texts - that describe normal and challenging moments and meanings in people's lives. (Mohammed Pour, 1389: 94 quoted by: Denzen and Lincoln, 1994: 2; Croswell, 1998: 15) Although several definitions have been provided regarding qualitative research.  "Qualitative research method, contrary to its title, is not a single and coherent method. Accordingly; Several definitions of this method have been provided. (Mohammed Pour, 1389: 94)

1-8- The research hash method or the method of gathering information:

Due to the wide scope of the topic of discussion and on the other hand the lack of information in some areas required for research, the collection of required information was done in different ways. In this research, a relatively wide range of Persian and non-Persian books and articles have been studied and reviewed in order to extract the desired points. On the other hand, in order to complete and fill information gaps, documents, laws and reports related to the subject have been used. In the cases where access to the mentioned sources was not possible, compact discs and authoritative websites were used.

1-9- Method of information analysis:

The method of causal analysis is actually the collected information and the theories of people in the form of plans and past experiences are analyzed based on the principles of planning and collected theoretical foundations

Chapter Two

Basic concepts and theoretical framework

2-1- The capital and its role in political geography

2-1-1- The concept of the capital

The capital or the center of the country is the main city of a country or a government area that is often bigger than other cities and where the Ministry of Interior and other important government institutions are located.

Main government institutions such as ministries And the central offices are usually located in the capital. The capital is the seat of the government and this issue is established legally and usually in the constitution of countries. In kingdom countries, kings and their court usually reside in the capital. The root of the word capital is also related to this, which means "at the foot of the king's throne", that is, in ancient times, the residence of a king was the main indicator of a city becoming the capital.

In the past, other names were used to mean the capital, such as Dar al-Khilafah, Dar al-Sultaneh, and Astana. Osmani was the title and synonym of the city of Istanbul, and the same Persian word is still used in the languages ??of Central Asia in the meaning of the capital. As the new government of Kazakhstan has named its new capital as Astana, which means the capital.