ANALYZING INSTITUTIONAL BARRIERS TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT : THE CASE STUDY OF TEHRAN

Abstract

The subject of sustainable development has long been a global concern. However, it seems that third world countries are much more behind in implementing sustainability principles compared to developed countries. This research aims to analyze major institutional and implementation barriers to achieving sustainable development principles through planning in developing countries. It focuses on Tehran as an example of a metropolitan area in a developing country that is experiencing many environmental, social and economic problems. In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the following areas were studied in this research: 1.The formal institutions involved in sustainable development planning for Tehran. The laws in place regarding protection of the natural environment and sustainable development; the different types and levels of the planning in Iran; and the extent to which sustainable development principles are integrated in the plans were studied. 2.The informal institutions involved in sustainable development planning for Tehran. Stakeholder opinions about the achievement of sustainable development through planning in Iran was gathered and analyzed. The study methodology adopted is a triangulated approach which first involved an objective and in-depth analysis of the formal institutional environment. This was supplemented by a series of individual semi-structured interviews with urban planners from academia, the private and public sectors, who shared their view points about Tehran’s sustainable planning status and the barriers to the implementation of sustainability principles through planning. Based on the result of the interviews, and the review of Tehran’s formal institutions, fifteen factors were identified as major barriers to the implementation of sustainable development principles through planning in Tehran. Finally, these barriers were validated by a Likert-scale questionnaire survey, and subsequently ranked. The five most significant barriers were identified as follows: 􀀁 Top-down planning approach 􀀁 Lack of coordination across government organizations 􀀁 Lack of a unified city management system 􀀁 Lack of knowledge among decision makers 􀀁 Low level of democracy The study concluded with a list of recommendations to overcome or at least minimize the effects of the mentioned barriers and help achieving sustainability through planning in the city of Tehran.