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City crosses, BUILDING THE CITY A new perception of the city of Isfahan thorough looking at its crosses a strategy for urban regeneration & development
Master Thesis | EMU| 2015 Omid Omrani European postgraduate Master in Urbanism Barcelona. UPC. Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya Supervisor: Julian Galindo Gonzalez Readers: Paola Pellegrini. IUAV. Venice Vincent Nadin. TU Delft Bruno De Meulder. KU Leuven
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Acknowledgment: To Julian, I’ve never enjoyed of working and learning as much as working with Julian Galindo Gonzalez, my friend and my master. To EMU course with all of those respectful universities which are involved in the program, KU Leuven, IUV of Venice, TU Delft and especially UPC.
To my great family, with my whole heart and to the beautiful city of Isfahan
To my great friends: Nasim Zand Dizari and Reza Pooladvand and also the other friends who were supportive and gave me hand to complete this work. To all those masters, specialists and organizations which were open and kindly cooperated; - Maskansazan Architectural and Urban Development Company of central region, Isfahan - Urban Development and Revitalization Organization working group, Tehran - Isfahan and Suburbs Urban Railway Organization - Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization of Isfahan - Department of road and urban development of Isfahan - Shahr va Khaneh consulting firm, Isfahan - And finally the Last but not the least, the respectful residence of Jubara neighborhood of Isfahan.
Omid Omrani
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Contents: Acknowledgment 1 Introduction 07 2 Methodology 13 3
The case study
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Scenarios and strategies
Things that shaped the city 17 Introduction of historical city structure 33 Historical Evolution 45 Three Scenarios 72 One Strategy 77 Ten Guidelines 78
5 Testing Experiments 83 Eight corners
One possible project 113
6 References 128
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Introduction Isfahan contemporary city is the third largest city of Iran and the capital of the Isfahan Province. It is located in a distance of, almost, 340km south of Tehran, the capital of Iran, in eastern foothills of Zagros Mountain and in the halfway between the Caspian Sea in the north and Persian Gulf in the south of the country. In regard to 2006 Census, Isfahan had a population of 1,583,609 and Isfahan metropolitan had a population of 3,430,353. Isfahan hold some major industrial enterprises of the country and is counted as an outstanding commercial city with more than two millennia of history. Isfahan is situated at an elevation of 1,500 meters, and is surrounded by deserts and semi-deserts (Fallahat, 2014). Sufficient water supply for agriculture and urban growth has been provided by the Zayande-rud River. The main historic fabric is located at the center of today›s city and it is surrounded by new developments and by modern urban growth. The form of this pre-modem core is substantially shaped by the urban developments until the late Safavid era and has been influenced strongly by the street network and other new constructions, which were imposed onto the historic fabric after modernization during first decades of the 20 century. ◄ Great Shah Abbas square, 16thCentury, Source _archive of Maskan Sazan Architecture and urban development company
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The case study: Isfahan, Iran ISFAHAN: city of crosses As a historical city which was the capital of Iran not just for a single period, but during two powerful and important reigns in the history of Iran, Isfahan city consists of different categories of crosses which are the product of superimposition and juxtaposition of different layers on each other (Fallahat, 2014), this process of city transformation by adding new layers on previous ones will be continuously happen for ever and make more diverse categories of city crosses. About the importance and the role of intersections and corners in making cities and establishing urbanity, different authors such as Morales (2004) and Bohigas (1999) stated that; cities consist of a network of interconnected crosses and corners in diverse forms and situations. Each of the city crosses represent of the condition of place of encounter, of superimposition and conflict, where the activities are mostly public and accessible. It is multiplication and frequency of cities corners which establishes urbanity and makes the cities. In the case of Isfahan, the city crosses always had a big role in shaping and transformation of the city during the different historical periods, each of these historical periods present a new type of crosses to the city. Here, the evolution of historical city crosses will be introduced through 4 steps in 4 historical periods: - Emergence of the first focal point, up to 10th century, where the satellite villages meet each other. - Centripetal city, 10th - 12th century, radiated major routes connect the centric focal point - Two main focal points which are connected by arterial main bazar (bazar crosses) + subsidiary satellite focal points as water crosses and centers of neighborhoods, 16th - 18th century. - Clash City, contemporary period, problematic city crosses. If we want to divide all of city’s crosses in two distinct groups, we can arrange them in groups of productive crosses and problematic crosses. Due to these different ◄ Great Shah Abbas square, 16thCentury, Source _archive of Maskan Sazan Architecture and urban development company
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qualities, in general, historical crosses place in the group of productive crosses and contemporary crosses, as the product of superimposition of the network of new streets on historical grids, belong to the category of problematic crosses. A productive cross is such a place of exchange, accumulation and conflicts, where activity is most public and accessible, a place of commercial exchange, personal encounter and advertisement, where people buy, sell, talk, etc., or in the other words where architecture comes in to reconcile different elements, two or more fronts, that have to coincide with one another. On the other hand a problematic cross is such a place where different urban elements, different system of movements as like as Bazar, different types of historical paths and water canals intersect with the new streets network and cut each other indifferently, where there is independency, segregation and distance in between different elements that are facing each other or where there is movement without contact. The other type of problematic crosses could be the previous historical crosses which indirectly disabled or got weaken by the superimposition of new streets on the historical paths which were connected theses crosses to gather and made separation and distance instead of preexisting contiguity. Generally there are two fields of problems which are common in all different types of problematic crosses; First is about disagreement and raising conflict in between historical characteristic and layers of the city with its new ones, And the second is inaccessibility and disconnectivity of city crosses in different scales to gather due to discontinuity of historical connections and accesses and also existing single modal car dependent mobility or lack of multimodal public transit mobility and transportation.
â—„ ChaharbaghStreet, historical and cultural axis of Isfahan City, (16th-17thCentury) Source _archive of MaskanSazanArchitecture and urban development company
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Methodology The study started with the introduction of Isfahan as the city of crosses, and the importance and the role of crosses or intersections in making it and establishing urbanity, then it will get a deeper understanding about the problematic of city crosses through having a brief review of historical evolution of city crosses. The first chapter, analysis chapter, included in mapping the realities which presented the case study. In that sense the analysis is divided in three main parts which are essential to know to understand the city, as: The most important things that shape the city, introduction of historical structure, and the historical evolution of the city, passing from the emergence of the first focal point of the city to its existing situation as a clash city. From these sections we will reach to the different categories of city crosses which divided in two main categories of productive crosses and problematic crosses. Each of these main categories divides in three subcategories. Productive crosses are mostly historical crosses in compare with problematic crosses which are either the product of superimposition of new streets on historical layers or the previous historical crosses which dramatically effected by imposition of new streets. By the end of this section we will reach to the existing problems at different categories of problematic crosses. There is also an added part to these problem statements which is about the metropolitan scale of the city; to show the disconnectivity, isolation and distance of territorial transportation nodes as the new entrance of the city and also the surrounded satellite cities to the center of metropolitan city and with other city crosses, as another existing problem. In the next page the methodology will be shown organized in different sections. The process of methodology not happened in a linear format, but it went back and forward to relate findings with theory, project and so on, like the research question which raised from the problem statements, and try to relate existing problems at the corners with the main problem field of study and the role of city crosses in addressing to these problems. Related to the existing problems and research questions 3 scenarios were built as some alternative possible outcomes, these scenarios led to one strategy which is about doing a series of small treating interventions on the strategic points of city crosses to treat them by integrating all of their incoming layers at the point of intersection. These series of diverse and specified interventions as a part of bigger strategy, can make a big difference on the whole system by having effects on well-functioning the different existing systems through linking them to gather where they meet at the point of intersections to cooperate with each other rather than weakening and stopping one another. To these aims 10 guidelines have been recommended as a series of treating intervening actions on the city corners. Finally 8 corners have been selected for doing more detailed assessment in a framework, answering to three questions of where?, Why? ( the reason of selection and the existing problems) and How? (testing the guidelines). Center of Seljuk city, Atiq Square and Jameh Mosque, 1995, Source _archive of Maskan -Sazan Architecture and urban development company
In the last case it is go further than giving some verbal recommendations by going through design to present a possibility in treating the existing problems which exist in that specific point of intersection.
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INTRODUCTION
ANALYSIS
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
3 SCENARIOS
Questioning the role of city crosses
Alternative Possible outcomes
Small Interventions, Large effects
Analytical map
Relating the problems of the city with the main problem field
Building some possible visions related to the research questions
Establishing the main actions to achieve our two last vision scenarios
The things that shape the city:
HISTORICAL CROSSES:
Water + Commerce + People
3 Categories of historical crosses:
What is the role of city crosses in urban reforming and regeneration of Isfahan city?
Isfahan, the city of Crosses
Mapping realities
Importance and the role of intersections and corners in making cities and establishing urbanity
Literature Research on the historical evolution of city
Isfahan
Iran
Problem Field - Disagreement and raising conflict in between historical charachteristic and layers of the city with its new ones - Inaccessibility and disconnectivity of different scales to gather due to existing single modal car dependent mobility
Understanding the structure
Satellite photos mapping
Water Crosses + Bazar Crosses + Centers of neighborhoods
Case Study:
CONCLUSIONS & PROBLEM STATEMENTS
Introduction of historical city structure; Being able to address the city crosses Historical evolution:
(Productive Crosses, Before the superimposition of new streets)
- What is the role of city crosses in reconciling historical and new city layers and activities?
- Water; Water Crosses
- What is the role of the city crosses in providing easy and fast accessibility and connectivity in between all city scales in the city of Isfahan?
- Commerce; Bazar Crosses - People; Centers of Neighborhoods NEW CROSSES:
- Up to 10 century
Urban Scale: 3 Categories of new crosses:
Emergence of the first focal point; where the satellite villages meet each other
- Dirrect Encounter, - Lack of dialouge and interchange between
- 10th - 12th Century Centripetal City; Radiated major routes connect the centric focal point to the gates - 16th - 18th Century
(Problematic Crosses, After the superimposition of new streets)
old and new, - Discontinuity of historical axis, - Uniformity of uses at the point of intersections, - Undifferentiated strret space.
- indirrect Encounter, - Separation and distance, - Inaccessibility, and domination of car dependent mobility. - Intersection of new streets, - Lack of interaction with the uses
on the corners, - Confusion and conflicting movement between all users, - Unsafe to pedestrian and cyclists, - Excessive borders.
Two main focal points connected through the arterial main bazar
Metropolitan Scale:
- 20th Century
Isolation and poor connectivity due to distance, car dependency and singular modality of public transportation.
Clash City
Territorial transportation nodes and Satellite Cities
TWO STRATEGIES
Scenario Zero;
- What if the city of Isfahan could benefit of having integrated intermodal access points which could connect its centers of neighborhoods to the territorial transportation nodes of the city?
Treating interventions on problematic crosses
and
“Integral City”, The city as a whole - What would be happen if the historic and new Isfahan city layers and activities could reconcile with each other?
Where? Why? How?
8 crosses have been selected among different categories of crosses for doing more detailed assessments and testing the guidelines.
• Multimodal transit stations at the corners;
Strategical vision; Neural City - Isfahan city consists of a network of interconnected crosses and corners as neurons network which make the city and establish the urbanity.
• Free more space of streets by diversifying and upgrading the modes of public transportation.
- Dar Al-Ziafeh Corner,
- Diversity and mixity
- Haj Soleiman Corner,
- parking an an intermediate space
- Mahigirha Corner,
- reusing the historical elements on the corners
- Ebne Sina Corner,
- Doubling the land and vertical movement - Porosity and permeability
Scenario Two;
TESTING Testing the guidelines
People oriented developement
- How would be Isfahan City look like if no treating intervention happen to addrees the existing and upcoming problems?
Connecting the local to global through integrated intermodal access points
Treating actions
- Connectivity accessibility
Not a good place to live
Scenario One;
POLICY GUIDELINES
Strategical Action; Urban Acupuncture - Small treating interventions on the problematic staregical points, city crosses, cause large effects on well-functioning the whole system.
- Removing excessive borders - Intersection as a shared space - Being as compact as possible - Utilize excessive open spaces as public place
Dirrect Encounter
Cener of neighborhood
Center of neighborhood
Intersection of new streets
- Haj Mohammad-Jafar Corner, Dirrect Corner
- Shekar Shekan Corner, Intersection of new streets
- Raran Corner,
Dirrect Corner
- Allame Majlesi Corner, Dirrect Corner
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THINGS THAT SHAPE THE CITY
WATER + COMMERCE: Some of the most important elements that shape the city
Isfahan is a significant example of the kind of city which its water supply is provided by a river. The Zayanda- Rud which At first we need to introduce some of the main elements is passing to the south of Isfahan is one of the rare large river which are important and influential for all cities and even they in Iran which is extended more than 400 kilometers coming may also impact on their forms such as water, trade, people, from Zagros Mountain and flows through the Iranian central religious and politics etc. Here, in the case of Isfahan, we will plateau till it end at the Gavkhouni Swamp. Through this river, concentrate on three major factors that have a big roles in Isfahan had an abundant natural supply of water for irrigation shaping Isfahan City as water (river and system of Madies), and drinking (Falahat, 2014). trade (Maidan, Bazar) and people (Center of neighborhoods). As different categories of crosses are related, in some way, to In the Isfahan region a network of canals, which will be the commerce and in some cases with the water and people introduced in the historical evolution (safavid period), transfer so it could help us to perceive the historical evolution, phys- the water from the river to the residential quarters and farm ical and spatial characteristic of different categories of city lands. Some historical texts about Isfahan point to existence crosses by tracing each of these elements in different histor- a water canal in adjacent of a fire temple where the Isfahan ical periods. To this aim it seems also worth to take a general Jami Mosque has been built on its foundation after the Arab look at the diverse types of historical urban routes to able us invasion in 8th century. Gradually by constructing more water addressing the different categories of crosses which located canals this network expanded along the different historical on the intersection of these layers. period till in the Safavid Period it transformed to one of the elements of urban organization (Ahari, 2000). Water; the river and the system of madies Elements that shape the city
Zayanda- Rud River from the origin to the last destination, Source _done by author
Water is one of the most important factors in the founding of almost all cities, without drinking water stablishing a settlement would not be possible (Morris, 1994).
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THINGS THAT SHAPE THE CITY
Water Crosses: the river and the system of madies, first category of historical crosses
It is really important to know, how the interaction between element of water and the city can change and modify the natural order of Madies, according to the topography of the land, to fulfil particular functions or how can water distribution through the system of Madies could have a mutual impact on locating and arrangement of different neighborhoods, urban spaces, paths and city border.
â—„ Zayandeh- Rud River and the system of madies Source _done by author rohtuA yb enod ,ytic lacirotsih eht ni seidaM fo krowten ehT
As it is seen in the fronted map, the city wall is parallel to the Madies in some part and the Madies work as borders to the city and separate the residential quarters from agricultural lands. As the Madies parallel to city wall existed from the era before the Safavids it can be presumed that the city wall was built according to the courses of Madies at theses points (Falahat, 2014).
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1- Fadan Madi by unknown @ Panaoramio, 2. Toghchi Madi by mohsenbe @ Panaoramio, 3. Raran Madi taken by author, 2015, 4. Nahr Khorasgan by mohsenbe @ Panaoramio
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5. Niasarm Madi by Mehrdad - HQPs Group @ Panaoramio, 6. Farshadi Madi by unknown @ Panaoramio, 7. Niasarm Madi by Yazdanian. Mehran @ Panaoramio, 8. Niasarm Madi by Mauro, 2013 @ Panaoramio, 9. Niasarm Madi by Mehranmtt, 2013 @ Panaoramio, 9. Sichan Nahr by Nader, 2011 @ Panaoramio
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THINGS THAT SHAPE THE CITY
Water Crosses: the river and the system of madies, first category of historical crosses
where Farshadi Madi meets Chaharbagh Street
In the in front map on the left page it is tried to show, how almost all of the neighborhoods have direct access to at least one Madi and how different urban spaces as like as centers of neighborhoods with their constructive elements, mosque, madrasa, Yakhchal (water/ ice reservoir) and so on, are distributed and located on the intersections of different historical paths with the net of Madies. It is also seen that most of the Madies accompanied by a pass along their entire courses which could confirm how the layer of paths is defined by the Madies network. On the crosses with water _ historical city, done by Author
â—„ Water Crosses, first category of Isfahan historical crosses Source _done by author
Chaharbagh madrasa, Caravanserai and Bazar, Source_ http://www.memari7.com
To show how the system of water interact with the city, it has been brought an example where the water canal, Farshadi Madi, cross with the Chaharbagh Street, which will be introduced after, and architecture came in joining these different systems of movement by constructing a great urban complex, Madrasa, Caravanserai and a bazar, on the corner of this intersection.
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Chaharbagh School, where the Chaharbagh Street meets Farshadi Madi, Source _19th century drawing of the Chaharbagh School by French architect Pascal Coste
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The case study: historrical evolution
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THINGS THAT SHAPE THE CITY
TRADE: Maidan, Bazar, Center of neighborhoods
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The other important element that had imposed its particular geometry on the city of Isfahan by mutual interaction with the whole structure of the city in each historical period is the trade. Nearly, all of the major Iranian cities have been located on the intersections with the major trade routes that interestingly, follow the desert fringe. Isfahan was one of the important exchange points of international and regional commerce, due to its location. Isfahan is located on the way of major north- south route which was connecting different historical continental trade routes as Silk Road in the north and marine Spice Route in the south of Iran. We need to understand how marketing had influenced on shaping different categories of historical crosses (Maidan, Bazar, Cener of neighborhood) and subsequently the structure of the city in different historical periods. Here in this part we are going to introduce the Bazar of Isfahan as a line of primary crosses on the way of an ancient trade route which was passing through the historical city and then in the following parts, historical evolution of the city, we will discuss on Maidan and centers of neighborhoods as major and minor focal points in the city. As these different types of historical crosses within the old structure of the city are not an instant creation and are a product of a long process which has taken centuries we need to study their process of evolution along different historical periods. As it will be come after we define the history of Isfahan in four periods. In a brief introduction it could say; the main city element at the first period was a Maidan which was located on the cross of the main primary routes, as the main initial core of the city in use of local commerce and marketing. Then in the following periods it transformed to the maidan as the first historical cross of the city plus a linear series of crosses which defined the bazar and finally changing to a line of crosses, bazar, in between two great Maidan or main focal points, Old Maidan and Naqsh-i Jahan Square. There were also a satellite of micro crosses, center of neighborhoods, dispersed throughout the city and were in one way or another related to trade and commerce, connected to gather and to the bigger scales, bazar, through a diverse categories of historical paths. (Falahat, 2014). â—„ Isfahan location in refer to historical continental trade routes, Source _done by author
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THINGS THAT SHAPE THE CITY
Bazar Crosses: linear series of crosses, second category of historical crosses
This is one of the most important Iranian trade route which was connecting the Silk Road in the north and marine Spice Route in the south of Iran when it entered to the old Isfahan city through the Toghchi gate in the north of historical city. It was passing through the city and connecting Jame Mosque and old meydan (Atiq square) with the new Safavid maidan , shah Abbas Square and finally it was exiting of the HasanAbad Gate in the Seljuk period or later from Kaju Gate in Safavid period. It is, almost, a distance of 3 kilometers from Toghchi gate, in the north of the historical fortification of Isfahan to the Hassan Abad gate in the south. The bazaar and all its related spaces (namely Caravanserais, public baths, Madrasa, â—„ Isfahan great bazar, Source _done by author
mosques, etc) formed the center of public life, where the all social activities took place (Falahat 2014, p.126). Isfahan Bazar is a product of gradual, continuous and dynamic process of development over the different historical periods which is driven forward by economic growth affected by its location on the major trade route and also its central position in Iran. As Kheirabadi (1991) discusses, by flowering the trade, caravans were the means for delivery of goods, subsequently Caravan houses (Caravansaries) came to exist along the main routes and usually built on the corners of agricultural settlements where some secondary routes crossed with the main arterial route of bazar.
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THINGS THAT SHAPE THE CITY
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Bazar Crosses: linear series of crosses, second category of historical crosses
Acumulation of different uses and accesses at the bazar crosses
These spaces started to work as the commercial nodes of the city and gradually attracted some other public buildings to provide other new generated requirements that arose. By constructing more shops along this main routes it became the main core and center, gradually evolving into a linear bazar (Kheirabadi, 1991). This theory of the evolution of rural settlement to a commercial city can explain how the bazar has been formed by ◄ Isfahan Bazar, The map edited from ‘Life line 1, Bazar route from Jameh Mosque to the Maidan’ by Kenneth Browne, The Architectural Review, 1976.
emerging primary focal point on the primary crosses and evolving by adding next coming facilities, public building and rows of small shops in between them. If we want to compare the role of caravansaries as historical embarkment places with such some intermodal modern spaces, we can name of parking plots, terminals, and stations and so on.
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Introduction of historical city structure
As the the different categories of city’s crosses has been formed on the intersection of different types of paths, In order to gain the first impression of the historical city’s structure and also to be able to address to each one of city’s crosses we need to study the different categories of historical urban routes, which is presented on this part. Here, four factors are determined in categorizing different types of pre-modern paths of Isfahan City: Origin and destination, function, adjacent urban element and type of accessibility.
◄ Historical city structure of Isfahan, Source _done by author
By considering this factors Isfahan historical routes are divided in 5 categories of Primary, secondary, tertiary, quaternary and streets. Each of these groups has their own physical forms and dimensions which make them recognizable among the other groups. (Ahari, 2007).
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Introduction of historical city structure Primary and secondary Routes
Primary Routes This type of routes had a defined origin and destination in the city, they started from the gates of the city, and end to the center; maidan or bazar. Important main elements as like as center of neighborhoods and caravansaries were located on the way of these routes, mostly on the intersection with other paths, therefore they do as the main accesses to the main urban elements. Passing of caravans and early vehicles as like as gharries and wagons made these route to follow a certain physical form and dimensions. So many of these routes especially closer to the center, due to locating the centers of neighborhoods on the intersections of this type of routes with the same or other types, are covered on their main parts; bazarche and bazar. â—„ Historical city structure of Isfahan, Primary and Secondary Routes, Source _done by author
Bazar could also belong to this category of historical routes, in following there will be more information about bazar as key to the structure of the city by most of authors (Ahari, 2007; Habibi, 2006; Sultanzade, 2002; Ardalan, 1973). Secondary Routes This type of paths are located in between primary routes and work as connectors. Regardless of locating some of urban elements in adjacent to these routes, they mostly perform in the scale of neighborhood and connect the primary routes to gather and also make accessibility to the residential neighborhoods. Compatible to their function their physical form and dimension are mostly less than primary routes, 2 to 3 meters, and their height is enough tall to provide shade for passenger in the summers.
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Introduction of historical city structure Tertiary and quaternary Routes
â—„ Historical city structure of Isfahan, Tertiary and Quaternary Routes, Source _done by author
Tertiary routes branch from primary and secondary and make accessibility to the neighborhoods and their residential units. There are no urban elements on the way of these routes. The quaternary routes give the direct access to the residential units and branch of tertiary routes. These paths are mostly blind alleys and in some cases are covered which is reinforced their characteristic of being semipublic-semiprivate spaces. The width of these paths is less than 2 meters for the tertiary type and for the quaternary paths is really narrow.
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Introduction of historical city structureStreet (Chaharbagh Abbasi)
Chaharbagh was original designed as a garden-avenue which as like as primary routes had a defined origin and destination. Its adjacent urban elements were mostly various public and private gardens, although as we mentioned before there were also some other elements such as Madrasa, Caravanserai and Bazar on the intersection with Farshadi Madi. In Safavid period, before the construction of this street, it was located outside the city but after construction some new quarters surrounding, such as Abbas-Abad, it became more central and it found a connecting role in the structure of the city, linking new quarters to the historical districts. The other point about this street is that; it was not built merely for passing by or connecting different destinations but ◄ Street, Chaharbagh Abbasi, Source _done by author
by separating walking and riding areas and providing green spaces, pools, fountains, water canals and places for sitting and enjoying the sceneries, it was working as an urban recreational linear space for the city. In accordance to its functions its physical form and dimensions is distinctive among the other type of paths, as it has a 33meters of width with a length of almost 1.5 kilometers to the north and 2.5 to the south of the river, ending up in the garden of Hezar-Jarib. As the most important cross on its trend we can point to the ‘33 Pol’ Bridge as a communal urban place with its magnificent architecture built on the intersection with Zayanda Rud River.
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Category of historical urban routes
Except tertiary an quaternary routes due their physical dimensions all different types are dominated by cars which has brought many irritations to city and its dwellers.
Bazar & Primary Routes
Secondary Routes
Category of historical urban routes, Tne information in the table has been extracted form the book of Isfahan School of urban design, Zahra ahari, 2007.
Tertiary & Quaternary Routes
Street (Chaharbagh Abbasi)
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Centers of Neighborhoods, third category of city crosses
accessibility to Public amenities at the Jubara center of neighborhood; Bazarche, Mousque, Synagogue
After studying the different categories of historical paths we can see that how the access from the public areas (Bazar, Maidan) to the residential quarters is usually broken into successive hierarchical sections with increasing degrees of privacy. The bazar and all its related spaces shaped the center of public life while the residential zone is private part of the city (kheirabadi, 1999).
the last year of Safavid reign reached up to 40. This number of separated quarters, which were connected and penetrated by the main structural arteries of the city, were the product of social segregation such as ethnic, professional and religious differences.
Each of this quarters had a local center which was usually located at the intersection of two or more paths, primary As it will be discuss after, in the following part, from the time and secondary, and around it were a mosque, public baths when Isfahan encircled with a defensive wall and considered and shops for selling daily requirements (Haneda, 1994; as a city for the first time, it included various quarters which Soltanzadeh, 1988). These centers of neighborhoods with all actually were original villages that had been joined to gather of their diversities constitute the other category of our crosses. and formed the city of Isfahan. As Shafaghi discusses the In the following part it is tried to point to some of differences number of residential districts, Mahalla-s, in Isfahan during in between the crosses of this type. â—„ Centers of neighborhoods, Third category of historical crosses, Source _done by author
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The case study: historrical evolution
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Historical evolution
UP TO 10TH CENTURY
10TH – 12TH CENTURY
emergence of THE first focal point, where the satellite villages meet each other
CENTRIPETAL CITY; Radiated major routes connect the centric focal point to the gates
16TH – 18TH CENTURY Two main focal points connected through the arterial main bazar
20tTH CENTURY, CONTEMPORARY PERIOD CLASH CITY
Isfahan has a long history, there were satellite settlements in the region of Isfahan long back in the history which gradually transformed and shape the primary core of the city, this core has been enlarged, developed or even, sometimes, shrank over history but it has been continued its life up to the moment and it means that the city of today is a result of superimposition and juxtaposition of many historic layers which is need to be studied. The intention of this part, is to supply such a study of the history of the evolution of Isfahan, and subsequently, the traces that historical layers have left on the form of the city and its crosses. (Falahat, 2014). In this text, the transformation of Isfahan considered over 4 periods:
First. Up to 10th century, which covers from the origin and emergence of the first focal point, where the satellite vilages meet each other Second. 10th-12th century, the Buyids to the Seljuk period, when the Isfahan City gained its initial city structure; Radiated major routes connect the centric focal point to the gates Third. 16th-18th century, Safavid period, “the Golden Age of Isfahan” (Blunt, 1966); Forth. 20th century, clash city, rapid growth and transformation.
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Historical evolution
UP TO 10TH CENTURY emergence of THE first focal point, where the satellite villages meet each other
On the way of north– south primary ancient road and in a safe distance with the Zayande Rud River, there were some multi-central settlements. Yahudiyya and Jay were the most important of them. Yahudiyya, literally the Jewish quarter, has been identified as the large quarter known as Jubara, at the northeast of present-day Old Jami mosque. The other one, Jay, was a circular Sassanid city with for gates as a governmental citadel laying closer to the river in a distance of almost 4 kilometers to the South- East of Yahudieh. The gate of Yahudiyaa in the northwest of the Jay Citadel shows the interrelation between these two historical cores of the Isfahan city. (Shafaghi, 2003) Historical documents shows these residential settlements have not been joined due to ethical and religious differences, some were
Zoroastrian and some Judaism and so on. Nevertheless they had cultural and economic exchanges. After Arabs invasion, 8th century, new residence was set up by an Abbasid governor in the village of Khushinan, which lay between Jay and Yahudiyya, later a new mosque, a great bazar and palace were built as the main city elements and because of the importance of these elements for the daily life of the people, they arranged their settlement in adjacent of these elements to profit from them (Gaube, 1979). After a while Khushinan and Yahudiyya which were close to gather grew in the direction of old maidan (square) till eventually meet each other and became the center of combined settlement which was called, wholly, Yahudiyya (Gaube, 1979).
â—„ Isfahan in the late Sasanian & early Islamic period, Source_(Golombek, 1979; Gaube, 1979)
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Historical evolution
10TH – 12TH CENTURY CENTRIPETAL CITY; Radiated major routes connect the centric focal point to the gates
Isfahan gained its initial city structure with defined city walls, gates, neighborhoods, main artery roads and a main Central Square in this era. At this time, under the rule of a powerful Iranian governing force, the town was encircled with a defensive wall and a strong citadel was built in its southwest quarter. The area inside the walls was divided into six quarters which were original villages that had been joined to gather and formed the city of Isfahan. (Falahat, 2014).
forming the atrial bazars of the city. Theses main routes intersected at the old maidan as the center of the city, in the vicinity of Jame Mosque. These major arteries radiated from the central point of the city outwards toward the gates in the city walls.
Due to flowering the trade in this period the structure of the city was shaped in such a way as to facilitate its flourishing by optimizing circulation. (Falahat, 2014). After this period the city remained in same borders till the 16th century when Isfahan The main axial routes were running between stepped in its own golden ages. these neighborhoods with shops and workshops â—„ Structure of Isfahan City in Seljuk period, 10th- 12th century, Source _done by author, based on (Gaube, 1979, p.80) and (Golombek, 1974).
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10TH – 12TH CENTURY Evolution of city crosses Before the city wall of Isfahan had been constructed, the old maidan was a common open market between villages with its all adjacent element such as Jame mosque and palace, so besides being a local commercial center it had also social and religious function. At that time, 7th to 9th century, there were no special and defined structured space belonging to the stallholders; just a few sunshades. After the erection of the city wall and foundation of Isfahan City, the maidan was gradually converted into Bazar-maidan within the city and imposed a centripetal order to the region and its neighboring villages through generated interaction and interrelation between the maidan and its surrounding settlements in a way that villages around it started to grow and expand towards it (Sultanzadeh, 1998, 2001).
Gradually after the development of the initial city small shops started to be stablished along the main routes (linear growth) and consequently the residential areas concentrated along it and within the city wall; by getting the city more expanded and developed, new micro centers (centers of neighborhoods) emerged into the growing residential districts. These micro centers were in connection with one another and linked to the center of the city, maidan and arterial bazar, through many secondary axes. Atiq Square, old maidan, as the first historical cross of the city of Isfahan is highly important to the city along the history and it had a lot of changes passing through the time. Here in below it is tried to give a brief view at the old maidan with its all incoming routes and its constructive adjacent urban elements in different historical periods.
- Abbasid (8th- 9th Century)
- Seljuk (10th- 12th Century)
- Safavid (16th- 18th Century)
- Qajar (18th- 20th Century)
- Contemporary (1950s- 2000s)
- Existanig situation
- Emergence of Isfahan
- Forming initial city structure
- “Golden age of Isfahan City
- Depressing vacum occurred
- Common open market spase between villages
- Primary City Center
- Subsidiary City Center
- The old maidan get filled by residential and commercial complexes
- Superimposing new street grid on the historical layers
- a new multilevel historic style square erected on the place of old maidan
- A ring imposed over the filled maidan and cut the arterial bazar
- new streets passing under the new maidan
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Historical evolution
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16TH – 18TH CENTURY Two main focal points connected through the arterial main bazar
Naghshe-i-Jahan square, incoming routes and its adjacent urban elements, based on Ardalan’s map
In the Safavid period Isfahan selected as the capital of Iran and it reached to its highest point of development, the city grew vastly in its southern and westerly direction. As shafagi discusses a part of this development happened through pre-define plans by king’s direct order and the rest were the result of organic growth and assemblage of a number of villages.
The new maidan as the new core of the city added to the old one, made two focal points for the city (falahat. 2014). This maidan was surrounded by some important urban elements such as AliQapu, Lotfolah Mosque, the royal mosque (Abbasid Jami Mosque) and the entrance to the Qaysaria (royal bazar), each of these elements, respectfully, represent a role of political, knowledge, religious and commerce power to the city. The map in The pre-planned developed part concluded the above shows the Naghshe-i-Jahan square with its new maidan (Naghshe-i-Jahan) with its all-import- all incoming routes and its adjacent constructive ant building around it and new residential districts elements as the most important cross, communal of jolfa and Abbasabad which were connected to place, of the city since it was built till the present. the old parts through the new Chaharbag Avenue. ◄ The safavid pre-planned or not pre-planned development; Source _done by author based on (Shafaghi, 2003)
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Historical evolution
16TH – 18TH CENTURY Two main focal points connected through the arterial main bazar
- Secondary core of Safavid development - Un- pre- planned area with a village origin - Locating on the south of Seljuk city which was destroyed by Mongol invasion in 13th century and reconstructed by new centripetal pattern to the new Safavid maidan.
- Secondary core of Safavid development - Un- pre- planned area with a village origin
Locating in two different surfaces of pre-planned safavid development or un-pre-planned and also different historical context of each part of the city led to exclusive characteristic of those historical crosses, even if, we put them in the same category as historical centers of neighborhoods. here we do not want to add any other groups of crosses but the aim is to show each of these crosses regardless of having some common features or being in â—„ Crosses of Safavid City, centers of neighborhoods; Source _done by author based on (Falahat, 2014)
- Main core of Safavid development - Pre-planned area - regular order of crosses
the same group has its own particular characteristic affected by having different context of growth or varied historical, physical and spatial specificities. As it could be seen in the provided maps above, the safavid city crosses (centers of neighborhoods) can be divided considering whether they have been constructed in a pre-planned or un-pre-planned way.
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HISTORICAL PRODUCTIVE CROSSES
To summarize, at the first part we found 3 categories of historical crosses (water crosses, bazar crosses and centers of neighborhoods) by studying two of most important elements, water and commerce, that shaped the city of Isfahan, then through studying the historical evolution of city crosses we found out how the origin of the city started at a primary cross which implanted a focal point in the city and how it transformed into a combination of this centric primary cross with a series of secondary crosses at the point of intersections with the main radiated routes that connect the centric â—„ Different categories of Isfahan historical crosses, historical productive crosses, Source _done by author
main focal point to the city gates, later by adding another main focal point in the Safavid period it changed to two main crosses with were connecting to gather through a seris of linear crosses on the way of main arterial bazar route, that conformed to the ancient trade route, plus a series of satellite crosses, centers of neighborhoods, dispersed through the city which were connected and linked to each other by different categories of paths and forming a whole integrated network of crosses which had been made the city.
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Historical evolution
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20TH CENTURY, Clash City, Rapid Growth and Transformation
a section of a typical new street, Source_ done by author
Historical maps of Isfahan, Pascal Coste(1867) and Seyyed Reza Khan(1924), declare there was no great change in the urban pattern of the city after the Safavid period and the structure of the city remained almost intact until the modernization impacts on the city.
Superimposing large city-scale infrastructure on the historical street pattern, 1930s, has been caused a lot of problems to the Isfahan City. Facing to the existed conditions what is vital for the reintegrating the fragmented structure of historical city and rejoining the segregated historical quarters, is where the new and old intersect, as the most destructive factor of modWith the arrival of the modernization waves to the country ernization process occurred at the intersection points; new through different policies and events, industrial development constructions were designed and built without any attention and urban population growth, Iranian cities have experienced being given to the spatial and functional components of old. rapid urbanization and transformation in the recent decades. As the process of these transformation occurred rapidly and As the new streets are the basic components in generation inconsiderately, it caused serious spatial and structural prob- of new categories of crosses, before we start to recognizing lems for contemporary urban areas, especially in the histor- different categories of new crosses it seems worth to have a ical domain of cities, in our case Isfahan City. It is easy to look at the map of new isfahan streets which are constructed see how this quickly planning was carried out; a rectangular from 1931 onwards, there is also a section of a typical new grid of new streets, responding to the increasing car usage, street, provided above to present some common charactersuperimposed on the historical grid, indifferent to the histor- istict of new streets, their strengths and weaknesses. ical evolution and older pattern of growth and even regardless of whether this happen in the center of the city or in its outskirts. (Saarinen, 1945). â—„ Different categories of Isfahan new streets, Source _Done by author
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PROBLEMATIC CONTEMPORARY CROSSES; Dirrect Encounter We can start recognizing our contemporary crosses (generally problematic crosses) by dividing them in three groups of direct encounter, indirect encounter and intersection of new streets with each other. Each of this groups can be divided into some subgroups. To find out what are not functioning on these crosses or what are the problems statement we need to study them separately. Dirrect Encounter, first category of contemporary crosses Where a new street cut a historical route (it could be arterial bazar or a primary or secondary route) or a historical water canal. This type of encounters can damage the city in two ways of direct effect at the point of intersection and indirect effect on the other parts of the city such as internal areas of historical district or centers of neighborhoods. We will discuss about indirect effect of these type of crosses in the part of indirect encounter, but about the direct encounter; depend on the type of route or water canal that cut by a new street, the rate of produced damages and the priority of needed intervention could be different but what is common in between these type of crosses is about the characteristic of existing problems which caused by the intersect of old and new at the point of these type of intersections.
and interaction between old and new which is raising the conflict between the tendency of having personal encounter and lively active urban life with new demands for motor driven personal mobility. This conflict is not dedicated to only this type of crosses but also can be seen in all types of problematic crosses. The other problematic issue which is not specified to this type of crosses is uniformity or single use, in front of mixity and diversity which,as we discussed before, always happen on the historical crosses or gathering places where the paths meet or people confront with one another by setting different public amenities and services. Unlike the historical crosses which were product of gradual and organic process of town building or the outcome of king’s direct orders and considerable plans in accordance to the daily needs of the residents, the new crosses are the product of inconsiderate, fast process of top- down urban planning which ignored the historical dimension of the city, so in most of the cases where new streets cut a historical axis somewhere in the middle there are not any public amenities there or even they are not considered as any kind of gathering place, they are just such a place where there is movement without contact or there is extension with out any refrence.
Here on the left page it is shown the direct encounters These problematic issues are more about discontinu- as the first category of contemporary crosses in the historiity of the historical axis which is caused by the construction cal domain of Isfahan, the red frames are showing the three of new streets, and lack of dialogue, interchange selected crosses for doing more detailed investigation in the following parts. â—„ Dirrect encounters, first category of contemporary crosses in the historical domain of Isfahan, Source _done by author
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PROBLEMATIC CONTEMPORARY CROSSES; Indirrect Encounter
Indirrect Encounter, second category of contemporary crosses Those historical crosses which do not have a direct encounter with the network of new streets but, as it mentioned in the previous part, affected by construction of the new streets. When the new streets cut through the historical pats which were connecting centers of former contiguous neighborhoods, this caused separation and distance which promote degradation and erosion of the centers of neighborhoods. This fast trend of degradation getting more severe as it getting closer to the center of old town (old maidan and bazar).
need space for parking and the answer was deconstruction of more historic court-yard houses to provide open spaces devoted to parking lots.
The other existing problem related to this type of crosses is about accessibility. The physical city dimensions has been enlarged dramatically during last decades, on the other hand insufficiency and single modality of public transportation make using private car essential while the physical dimensions of historical city is not fit to using automobiles, this caused lot of widening and deconstruction in the historical neighborhoods, when the cars get in to the historical neighborhoods, they
The map of indirect encounters as the second contemporary crosses of Isfahan, in the historical domain, is provided on the previous page, as it clear the compactness and numbers of crosses rise as it get closer to the center of the old town. Here two crosses, have been shown in red frames, are selected in Jubara neighborhood as the oldest quarter in adjacent to old maidan and bazar to investigate in more detailed in the following parts.
â—„ Indirect encounters, second category of contemporary crosses in the historical domain of Isfahan, Sorce _done by author
This rapid transformation is generating a new morphology in the historical neighborhoods especially closer to the center, where there is higher crowdedness and compactness due to presence of old maidan and bazar as multifunctional and multi-scale gathering urban spaces.
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PROBLEMATIC CONTEMPORARY CROSSES; Intersection of New Streets
Intersection of new streets, third category of contemporary crosses The last category of new crosses are the intersection of new streets with each other in a way that they do not cut any primary or secondary historical routes, but as they imposed somewhere on the historical residential quarters they caused separation and distance in front of former contiguity of the historical neighborhoods.
predominance of teraffic circulation which insted of providing service creates seoparation and distance has effectly undermined the condition of other users and also existing building on the corners.
Channelized right turns, isolated packets and other features such as extra barriers and hedges create unsafe, highRegardless to the historical context which this type of inter- speed turns, discourages pedestrians and bicycle crossings, sections imposed on, as the critical parts of city streetscape and restrict pedestrian active urban life. and transportation network these crosses face to the most In the previous page the intersections of new streets is serious conflict between pedestrian, bicyclist, and drivers. Unfortunately these places instead of being such a share mapped as the third category of new crosses on the historspace that function well for everyone using them whether ical domain of Isfahan. Two selected new crosses on in the on foot, bicycle, car, or transit, are designed in a way which red frames represent as to samples of this type of crosses to is difficult for both motorists and pedestrians to manage, the examine in more details in the upcoming parts. â—„ Intersection of new streets, third category of contemporary crosses in the historical domain of Isfahan, Source _done by author
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ISOLATED SATELLITE CITES AND DISCONNECTED NEW CITY Gates, Transportation Nodes
Except ‘Najaf Abad’ and ‘Khomeini Shahr’ which have historical characteristics, there are some other new satellite cities located all around Isfahan metropolitan city which are mostly the product of:
nodes (Morales, 2004). Isolation, poor connectivity or singular base of public transportation which is connecting the city to its transportation nodes are the common problematic characteristics of these transportation nodes. To this aim four of the most important Isfahan territorial corners have been selected - decentralizing plans answering to rapid population growth to introduce as: of Isfahan City which leads to urban sprawl and; - Isfahan Railway Station - providing settlements for workers who work in the new big industries which are installed around the region. - Isfahan Shahid Beheshti International Airport On the right page, the population, location and distance of each of these satellite cities in refer to the centric metropolitan city have been mapped.
- Kaveh and Sofeh Bus Terminals
As it can be seen in the left page map, Except Kaveh terminal which has a short distance to the center of city the Each of these satellite cities has its own unique charac- other 3 transportation nodes are disconnected to the city in ter but what is common among all of them is the problem of terms of distance and singular base mode of transportation being isolated and disconnected to the metropolitan core in connecting these point to the center of city. term of existing car dependent single mode of mobility which In following each of these transportation nodes will be intropresent only one choice to the people to transfer. duce considering to their locations, distance and the modes There is the same problem with the new gates or the territo- of transportation which connect them to the city center, and rial transportation nodes of the city; The new city entrance or their importance to the city in accordance to the numbers of corners of contemporary territory attribute to the stations, park- services from and to these point to out of the city. ing lots, terminals or generally interchange and transportation ◄ The proximity and connectivity in the metropolitan area of Isfahan, Source _done by author
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Esfahan Shahid Beheshti International Airport
Esfahan train station
Kaveh bus terminal
Sofeh bus terminal
Isfahna shsahid Beheshti International airport.
Isfahan’s train station
Kaveh bus terminal of the Isfahan city
Sofeh bus terminal of the Isfahan city
Isfahan Shahid Beheshti airport has been built in 1980s. The airport is located in the east of the city, almost twenty kilometers far from the first historic cross: Atigh Square. At the moment, the connectivity between the airport and the city is being conducted only by roads and highways. There is no more modes of transportation for getting there or coming from.
Isfahan train station built in late 1970s and is almost 13 kilometers far from the first historic cross of the city in the south Atigh Square. It is in the vicinity of the new town of Sepahan shahr with a population of almost 40,000 people and the ‘City Center’ commercial and entertainment complex. The train station is reachable via an exit on the east side of Shahid Dastgerdi highway in the south part of the City Center and the only transportation mode to get there is roadways.
Unlike the airlines and especially rail road which do not play a big role in public transportation, roadways have a big share of transportation and movements in the whole country.
The terminal is laid on the east of Shahid Dastgerdi Highway which heads to the city of Shiraz.
the statistics demonstrates in a period of two months, 26 international and 87 national flights carried out in this airport which is not a considerable figure for a city like Isfahan. Destinations and numbers of internal flights from and to Isfahan airport, from 04/02/2015 till 01/04/2015: Mashahad.......................20 Tehran.............................16 Kish..................................11 Mahshahr........................11 Ahvaz................................8 Behshahr...........................8 Shiraz................................3
Siri.....................................3 Kerman..............................2 Asaluyeh............................2 Bandar Abbas....................1 Abadan..............................1 Khark.................................1
The figures are being extracted from Isfahan International Airport website: http://isfahan.airport.ir
The following figures shows the destinations and number of services to and from Isfahan train station during a normal week. Mashhad...............................22 Tehran...................................14 Bandar Abbas.........................8 Kashan- Mashhad...................1
Less than 4 kilometers to the north of Atigh Square there is our third selected contemporary corner. Kaveh Bus terminal is an important hub of public transportation as its short distance to the center of city and also its connectivity to the under ground system which is under construction; the Central Metro Station is located in the southern part of Kaveh Bus Terminal. In accordance with the studies which has been done by Isfahan and Suburbs Urban Railway Organization, this zone has been planned to connect with the Isfahan-Tehran High-Speed Train, goes over 400 kilometers to connect Isfahan with the capital in less than two hours, and will make this zone as the most important transportation hub of the city in the near future. In accordance to daily travel schedule there are almost 400 services which leave from this terminal to other destinations in side the country, a quarter of this services dedicated to Tehran as the capital of the country. this figures show the high importance of this terminal to the city.
The figures have been extraced from Transportation Indutry News: http://tnews.ir/news/69D824319005.html
Regarding to the metro development plan, Sofeh Terminal is going to be connected to the underground system of subway through the last station on the metro line 1, but at the moment the only way connecting this terminal to the city is through roadways, this single modality of transportation encourage increasing use of private cars into the city. According to daily travel schedule, there are almost 200 services leaving this terminal to other destinations and like Kaveh terminal a quarter of these services go to the Tehran as capital of the country.
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PROBLEM STATEMENT
CONCLUSIONS & PROBLEM STATEMENTS Generally all the problem which have been mentioned till now can be divided in two categories; First: Disagreement and raising conflict in between historical characteristics and layers of the city with its new ones which could be seen with different aspects on the all different crosses of the city. DIRECT ENCONTER
Second: Inaccessibility and disconnectivity of different scales to gather due to existing single modal car dependent mobility which has generated different aspects of healthcare, environmental, economic and etc. problematic issues in the all city corners.
INDIRECT ENCONTER
INTERSECTON OF NEW STREETS
TERRITORIAL TRANSPORTATION NODES & SATELLITE CITIES
- Discontinuity of the historical axis
- Separation and distance against to contiguity
- Confusion and conflicting movement between all users
- Lack of dialogue, interchange and interaction between old and new
- Inaccessibility, insufficiency and single modality of public transportation.
- Failure in design; in favor of facilitating movement of cars, neglecting pedestrian lively active urban life and the condition of buildings on the corners
and singular base mode of public transport.
- Unsafe to pedestrian and cyclists
- Environmental impacts and energy consumption
- Uniformity without admixture against to mixity and diversity
- Isolation, poor connectivity due to distance, car dependency
- Accidents and safety
What is the role of city crosses in reconciling historic and new city layers and activities in the city of Isfahan?
RESEARCH QUESTION. 2
RESEARCH QUESTION. 1
- Long distances beside inadequacy of public transport can encourage the urban sprawl.
What is the role of city crosses in setting up a diverse and efficient public transport which could provide easy and fast accessibility and connectivity in-between all scales in the city of Isfahan?
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Scenario 0: NOT A GOOD PLACE TO LIVE
Scenario 1: integrated intermodal access points, connecting the local to the global
What if the city of Isfahan could benefit of having integrated intermodal access point which could connect its centers of neighborhoods to the territorial transportation nodes of the city? What will be Isfahan city look like if no intervention happen to address its existing problems? Here it is tried to answer this question considering two points of view; first, refer to the existing problematic conflict between old and new and the other is about poor accessibility based on existing car dependent singular mode of mobility. Refer to the existing problematic conflicts between old and new;
Refer to poor accessibility based on existing car dependent singular mode of mobility;
- Raising the conflict between historical features of the city from the local scale, as the out of reach centers of neighwith its new ones, because of having no dialogue, interchanges bor hoods, to the metropolitan scale as the disconnected terand interactions between them, which will end to blurring of ritorial transportation nodes and satellite cities. the historical characters of the city could be caused by fol- Increasing number of incoming cars to the city due to dislowing circumstances: connectivity of new city transportation nodes (railway station, - Discontinuity of historical axis (varied type of historical airport, and terminals) and satellite cities to the city crosses paths or system of water canals) which are cut by superim- in term of having single mobility option. posed new streets. - Increasing the numbers of people who choose private car - Deconstruction and widening the historical paths to pro- for daily movements. vide car accessibility to the center of historical neighborhoods - Increasing traffic congestion, waste of time and energy, due to existing singular car dependent mobility option, and as its consequence, deconstruction of more historical court-yard air pollution and fuel consumption. houses to provide open spaces dedicated to parking plots. - Increasing physical encounter and street violence. - Increasing separation and distance in between former - Declines in active pedestrian urban life due to increasing contiguous neighborhoods which are crushed, isolated and demands for motor driven personal mobility. surrounded by new streets. - Decreasing public safety for pedestrians and cyclists.
Creating a network of intermodal access points which proThis scenario wants to show the consequences of improvevide varied types of transportation modes would reinforce the ment of connectivity between Isfahan city crosses, its territopublic transportation and also facilitate the city movements. rial transportation and its satellite cities by means of a transit Furthermore, increasing number of intersections as contem- rail network. porary corners create more possibilities of social interactions - It can address problems such as connections to job and public life. centers and providing disadvantaged communities improved Among all of different modes of transportation, bicycle and access to employment and retail opportunities. subway as two of none motorized and low emission transporta- Provide mobility choices, especially needed for tion modes have been selected to discuss about. Bicycle share stops can give services to the locals and make accessibility congested metropolitan areas, allows young people, elderly, to the historical centers of neighborhoods without destroying people who prefer not to drive, and those who don’t own cars and widening the historical paths, and subway stations can ability to get around. connect the city crosses to the territorial transportation nodes - increase public safety, for pedestrian, transit users and bigger scales. and many others. Isolated satellite cites and disconnected territorial transportation nodes
- reduce air pollution, as related academic studies show, 76 percent of air pollution in the Isfahan city caused by car terrific.
- control and reduced sprawl and preserved open The future development plan of Isfahan city shows the willspace ingness of the stakeholders to create this network between railway and bus terminals, nevertheless the airport is yet being neglected.
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Scenario 1: integrated intermodal access points, connecting the local to the global
Scenario 2: “integral city”, the city as a whole
Unreachable centers of neighborhoods As it mentioned in the part of second category of contemporary crosses, indirect encounters, dramatic growth of the city and insufficiency and single modality of public transportation encouraged using of private car for daily movements while a big share of dwellers have very limited access to the private cars and rely mostly on walking, riding (mostly motorcycling compare to biking) and public transportation option which is weakly developed, slow and not diverse. On the other hand physical physical dimension of historical paths do not fit to using car and it causes widening the historical paths and deconstruction of court yard houses to fit the car into the historical districts. Looking back in the history, Isfahan has a long standing bicycle tradition due to its location on a relatively flat area and its climate which is well suited for bicycle traffic. As Jacobe discuses, increased city accessibility by cars always accompanied by declines in the other modes of transportation like cycling, in the case of Isfahan gradually increasing numbers
of cars made a drop in selecting a bicycle as an option for city movement. But how we can encourage people to choose bicycle instead of driving their own private cars? The strategic points of city crosses as the intersection of two or more references (two paths, lines or axis) create supercharged points or overdose access and provide the best location for installing bicycle stops. Having a cohesive network of bicycle share stops beside being fun, healthy, environmentally friendly and fast especially in congested urban area can provide a door to door accessibility which is perfectly fit to the historical paths and neighborhoods and prevent of more widening historical paths and deconstruction of historic court yard houses, in addition integrating this system of bicycle transit stations with other mode of transit transportation, beside connecting local points to gather can connect the local scale to the global through connecting with main transportation nodes.
what would be happen if the historic and new Isfahan city layers and activities could reconcile with each other? Youth and oldness are two face of Isfahan city which are not in common with each other, each one tries to deny the other existence and function, this agreementation made them not to be able using all of their capacities in service of the city. The city is not a system of parts, but a whole system of integrated new and historical layer in cooperation with each other. Cities do not function well when their parts are disconnected, as Hamilton discusses the “integral city” is a place which benefits of integrating capacities, functions and locations as a whole system, where everything counts. The idea of integrality in the city is relevant to the position
of intersections, in the matters of collaboration, reconciling, continuity, connectivity and collaboration and also the conversion of different thing. So it could say that in the case of reconciling historical and new city features and activities, Isfahan would be a pedestrian friendly city which enables and encourages encounter and a lively active urban life, especially at the intersections, besides having diverse accessibility to the all of the city corners in different scales, benefits of having multi modal transit stations on each corner which is interconnected in between different scales.
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STRATEGICAL VISION: NEURAL CITY If we want to compare the city with the human brain which is consisted of billions of neurons, cities, as different authors such as Morales (2004) and Bohigas (1999) stated, consists of a network of interconnected crosses and corners in diverse forms and situations. Each of the city crosses represent of the condition of place of encounter, of superimposition and conflict, where the activities are mostly public and accessible. It is multiplication and frequency of cities corners which establishes urbanity and makes the cities.
STRATEGICAL ACTION: URBAN ACUPUNCTURE The superimposition of the new streets layer on the previous historical layers generated a network of new crosses which are mostly problematic, where the most destructive factors of modernization process occurred on. As it is mentioned before, these new categories of crosses either are effected directly or indirectly by imposing the new network of streets on the historical city structure. The strategy would be a series of small interventions on these strategic, problematic encounter points to treat them by integrating all of their incoming layers at the point of intersection. These series of diverse and specified interventions as a part of bigger strategy, can make a big difference on the whole system by having effects on well-functioning the different existing systems through linking them to gather where they meet at the point of intersections to cooperate with each other rather than weakening and stopping one another. Depending on different scope, aims and existing problems, and the other characteristics which make each of city crosses completely unique, some of them could just need a small intervention such as putting a piece of art or adding bicycle stop or providing greenary, shade or some urban furniture especially to seat, while others could need to have a more powerful intervention, such as where we need to make different layers, different axis and communal buildings, compatible with each other by putting a third element in, in the middle, as an intermediate space, where a thing can convert to something else. This conversion can happen in different types of transit stations, parking or territorial transportation nodes such as airport, train station and bus terminals and it is needed to support by different uses and activities in their vicinity. Related to our different scenarios which were built on our problems statement, there are some guidelines provided as a list of interventional actions for treatment of each cases and eventually as the consequences of these small scale interventions, achieve to the objectives of this study which were: First, reconciling historical and new city features and activities, Second, setting a multi modal, door to door, transit transportation which is interconnected in between different scales. the following guidelines for targeted intervening on the city crosses let the Isfahan city to be both a historic and living city besides being open, flexible and capable to transform for different needs which caused by changing living circumstances.
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Intervening policy guidelines for treatment of city crosses
Intervening policy guidelines for treatment of city crosses
1. Connectivity & accessibility; city crosses are the best locations for
bazar, and crowdedness and overusing of space don’t let them to cross each other at the sam level.
putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. 1
2. Diversity and mixity; ensure activation of public spaces at all hours and prove the condition of corners.
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3. Parking as an Intermediate space; the idea of providing parking especially close to the center and next to the new main streets is not about inviting more cars but it is just not denying them as a mode of transportation. 2
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Parking as a type of intermediate spaces is necessary for making dialogue and interaction in between the activities which happen on the new streets with the historical city layers such as bazar, marketing and pedestrian active urban life.
4 Reusing historical elements located on the corners; repair, restoration and changing to a public land-use for historical court-yard houses in adjacent to the intersections. 5. Doubling the land & vertical movement; this type of intervention could
6. porosity and permeability in serve of spatial interaction; solid facades
and barriers lead to discontinuity in interaction and make the in-between space dead and monotonous. 7
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happen in such those cases which are more important due to their strategic locations and their acting role in the in the city, so relatively they need a more powerful and expensive intervention to function well. 4
There should be a combination of conditions for doubling the land or setting vertical movement as the treating actions. In following there are some conditions which these treating action could be proposed for;
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- Where a main new street cut a main historical access, such as arterial
7. Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate-over extended stormwater planter, hedges and medians limit the pedestrian movement and cross accessibility, and increase speed of passing car. 8. Intersection as shared spaces; intersections are multimodal share
spaces, widen narrow sidewalks and add cycle track.
9. Be as compact as possible; minimizing intersection size through the addition of curb extensions and medians to reduce the pedestrian exposure, slow the traffic near of the point of intersection, and provide more space for pedestrian activities. 10. Utilize excess spaces as public space; create people oriented places by letting people stay more in the space with providing them low-cost interim materials such as: tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters and bike parking in the excesses spaces existing in the intersections.
- Where there are a lot of accessibilities and the land is undoubtedly the most precious and scariest resource, this condition normally happen close to the center of the city. 5
- Where there are different movement system crossing each other not in the same level, for instance where a new street has been constructed over a historical water canals which was passing in the lower level and it needs a vertical accessibility to get on the each other’s level.
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CONNECTIVITY & ACCESSIBILITY: Transit oriented developement connecting the local to the global
In order to address the existing problem related to disconnectivity and poor accessibility between all different scales due to existing car dependent single mode of transportation and it’s all problematic consequences, Transit Oriented Development would be suggested as the first strategic plan. What is the relation between city crosses and TOD?
Accessibility and connectivity of metropolitan city center with the its territorial transportation nodes and satellite cities, Source _done by author
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connectivity from the local points to the global ones. The first map want to show, how the city of Isfahan, its territorial transportation modes and also the existing satellite cities could be connected through a transit rail network which is categorized in 3 type of under construction, under studying and proposal ones.
The second map is trying to show how the city crosses which each one could represent a proposal location for bicyDifferent categories of city crosses are the best locations cle stops are connected to the under construction and under for locating the different modes of transit stations connect- study transit subway stations. ing different scales to gather, from the local scale (centers of neighbor hoods) to the territorial transportation nodes (airport, The red frames represent the locations of our selected train station, terminal). crosses for doing more detailed assessment and testing our upcoming guidelines, it is seen that except one of the crosses In following there are two maps provided to show how the other ones are in a fair distance from the under construccould be possible to make a easy and fast accessibility and tion and under study locations of metro stations
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TESTING EXPERIMENTS: EIGHT CORNERS
At the right page there is a map shows the locations of all different categories of new crosses, conclude direct encounters, indirect encounters and intersections of new streets which all represent the best location for doing punctual specified intervention depend on each one’s scale, existing problems and characteristic, some of them need a small-scale intervention or a low-cost reforms while some others need more powerful intervention and construction.
these corners (how?). As some of the existing problems are in common in different categories of crosses, the policy guidelines could be repetitive in some cases. in the previous page it is assigned 9 guidelines which will be restated in their matching cases in the following parts.
About the last case, we will go further than giving some To do more detailed assessment 8 corners have been verbal recommendations; base on all previous study which selected, showed in the red frame, from our different cate- has been done in this booklet, we will go through design to gories of problematic crosses, each of these corners will be present a possibility in making something constructive and discussed in terms of their location (where?), the reason of different in the service of the city beside treating the existtheir selection and their existing problems (why?), and finally, ing problems which exist in that specific point of intersection. there are some proposal guidelines for treatment of each of
The proximity and connectivity of city crosses with the metro stations, Source _done by author
â—„ Different categories of Isfahan city crosses, contemporary (problematic) crosses, Source _done by author
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
- Undifferentiated street space and wide travel lane caused the higher speed and ineffective use of valuable street space Dar al-Ziafeh corner is located in Jubara neighborhood as one the most important and the first historical cores of Isfahan which is mainly dedicated to automobiles. city. It is an intersection of historical primary riute of Sultan - The high speed car traffic discourages pedestrian and Sanjar with the new street of Kamal which is constructed in bicycle crossing. 1970s. - Due to not existing any defined cycle track, it is not safe WHY? for the cyclists to use the street space. WHERE?
The new Kamal Street, The remains of houses after bulldozer, Source _The Architectural Review May 1976
DAR AL-ZIAFEH CORNER
This intersection belongs to the category of direct encoun- Due to not existence of any kind of transit stations at the ter which faces to the following problems: intersection, it is not accessible and well connected to the other part of the city. - Discontinuity of historical primary route of Sultan Sanjar which is cut by the new street of Kamal and causes separa- Not designed planted area and hedges block the pedestion of historical centers of neighborhoods. trian movements and reinforce the new street.
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Introducing the main elements of Dar Al Ziafeh Corner
HOW? Connectivity & accessibility; putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. Parking as an Intermediate space; on- street parking narrows the street and slow traffic by creation friction for moving vihicles. Historical elements in adjacent to the intersections; repair, restoration and changing to a public land-use for historical court-yard houses in adjacent to the intersections. Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate-over extended stormwater planter, hedges and medians limit the pedestrian movement and cross accessibility, and increase speed of passing car. Be as compact as possible; minimizing intersection size through the addition of curb extensions and medians to reduce the pedestrian exposure, slow the traffic near of the point of intersection, and provide more space for pedestrian activities. Utilize excess spaces as public space; create people oriented places by letting people stay more in the space with providing them low-cost interim materials such as: tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters and bike parking in the excesses spaces existing in the intersections.
1- Dar-Al-Ziafa historical monument, built in 14th century, 2. The main Hall of Razavi Hosseinieh, 3. Abandoned historical court yard house, 4. Bazarche, historical center of neighborhood, 5. Isfahan municipality, district no. 3, 6. Extended planting buffer and hedges block the pedestrians and reinforce the new streets.
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
WHERE?
HAJ- SOLEIMAN CORNER
Haj Soleiman corner located in Jubara neighborhood. Depend on the size each neighborhood can have one or more centers, Jubara due to its importance an gross size has several centers and Haj Soleiman is one of them which is located on the intersection of primary historical route of Jubara, which was connecting the old maidan to the northern gates of the city, with the secondary rout of Haj Soleiman which was connecting this center to the other center of Mahigirha that will be studied as our next corner.
- Car existence as the dominant mode of mobility.
- Existence of some unnecessary curbs and borders on the floor which limit the simultaneous use of existing space The intersection belongs to the category of indirect encoun- for different modes of mobility. ters. Here there are some problems which are recognized at the place.
WHY?
The new Kamal Street, The remains of houses after bulldozer. Source _The Architectural Review May 1976
- Separation and distance against the contiguity, caused by cutting incoming accesses and connection routes by superimposed new streets. As a consequence of this separation could be erosion and degradation of neighborhoods from inside or at the centers of neighborhoods, here in this case even after repairing and roofing the old bazarche its stores are still vacant and abandoned.
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Introducing the main elements of Haj Soleiman Corner
HOW? Connectivity & accessibility; putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations, bicycle share stops, which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and also dicrease the need for using private cars. Historical elements in adjacent to the intersections; repair, restoration and changing to a public land-use for historical court-yard houses in adjacent to the intersections. Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate curbs and elevation changes on the floor, limit the simultaneous use of existing space for different modes of mobility. Utilize excess spaces as public space; it can be possible to let the public using the big yard of school (number 7) as a share public space after daily school time. making more porosity and permeability in serve of spatial interaction; solid facades and barriers lead to discontinuity in interaction and make the in-between space dead and monotonous, for instance the existing long and solid wall separated the big open space of existing school which could be a little lighter and more permeable to make spatial interaction (figure 7).
1- Asiaban Synagogue, historical monument, built in 18th-19th century, 2. Malekan House, historical monument 3. Historical monument, remained entrance of a demolished historical house 4. Haj Soleiman Bazarche, historical center of neighborhood, 5. Haj Soleiman Mosque, 6. Abandoned Historical court yard house, 7. Public High School, solid barrier, potential to use as public share space.
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
Mahigirha Corner, erosion and degradation of neighborhoods from inside or at the centers of neighborhoods The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
Mahigirha CORNER
WHERE? As it mentioned in previous part; Mahigirha corner is another center of Jubara neighborhood which is located where the primary historical route of Kamarzarin branches in two primary route one was connecting the old meidan to the Jubara gate and the other was connecting it with Toghchi gate, there is also a secondary route of Haj Soleiman which was connecting Mahigirha center to our previous selected corner. WHY?
quarters due to cutting the preexisting connections and accesses in between their centers to gather and with the center of the city (main focal points and Bazar). - Degradation and erosion from inside due to imposed separation. - Deconstruction of degraded historical court yard houses to provide open space for making parking lot.
- Widening the primary historical route of Kamarzarin to This intersection belongs to the category of indirect encoun- make a greater accessibility for cars. ters and the following problems recognized there. - Lack of interaction in between created open spaces and - Separation and distance which exist in all of the historical preexisting surrounded historical court yard houses.
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Introducing the main elements of Haj Soleiman Corner
HOW? Connectivity & accessibility; putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations, bicycle share stops, which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and also dicrease the need for using private cars. Historical elements in adjacent to the intersections; repair, restoration and changing to a public land-use for historical court-yard houses in adjacent to the intersections. New public land use for surrounding historical houses could accompanied by more interaction of internal activities and external ones in new created open spaces and transform this spaces to some more lively public places. Utilize new created spaces as public space; create people oriented places by letting people stay more in the space with providing them low-cost interim materials such as: tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters and bike parking, or doing some public temporary activities such as weakend market in the new created open spaces. making more porosity and permeability in serve of spatial interaction; solid facades and barriers lead to discontinuity in interaction and make the in-between space dead and monotonous.
1- Historical element, Haj Elyahu Synagogue,18th-19th Century, 2. Historical element, Zarkesh and AZIZ AGHA HOUSE,18th-19th Century, 3. Widening the Kamarzarin historical path, Bulldozer is demolishing Rahimi house, 18th-19th Century, 4. Historical element, Mola Nissan Synagogue,18th-19th Century, 5. Historical element, Benyaminian House,18th-19th Century, 6. Historical element, Jahani House,18th-19th Century.
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EBNE SINA CORNER
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7- Historical court yard House,18th-19th Century, 8. Historical element, Shamuel Goli Synagogue,18th-19th Century, 9. Historical element, Yusef Shamuel Synagogue,18th-19th Century, 10. Historical element, Mushe Haya Synagogue,16th-18th Century, 11. Historical element, Great and Jmaati Synagogue,18th-19th Century, 12. Conflicts between pedestrian and vihicle lead to physical encounter and street violence .
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
HOW?
WHERE? Over a half kilometer in the north of old maidan there is Ebne Sina intersection, between two new streets of Allameh Majlesi, built in 1930s, and Kamal street, built in 1970s. WHY? Ebne Sina corner belongs to the category of intersections of new streets and include following problems; - As this intersection imposed on the preexisting historical districts it caused separation and distance in between previous physical and social structure of the city. - Confusion and conflicting movement between all users.
Introducing the main elements of Ebne Sina Corner
- It is a place mostly dedicated to the cars and consequently neglected pedestrian active urban life and also the condition of public buildings at the corners. - Decreasing public safety especially for pedestrian and cyclists. - Channelized right turns, isolated packets, extra barriers and hedges create unsafe high speed turns which discourage pedestrian and bicycle crossing and restrict pedestrian activities. - Single modality of public transport and lack of intermodal transit stations.
Connectivity & accessibility; locating different types of intermodal transit stations to reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate-over extended stormwater planter, hedges and medians limit the pedestrian movement and cross accessibility, and increase speed of passing car. Intersection as shared spaces; intersections are multimodal share spaces, widen narrow sidewalks and add cycle track. Be as compact as possible; minimizing intersection size through the addition of curb extensions and medians to reduce the pedestrian exposure, slow the traffic near of the point of intersection, and provide more space for pedestrian activities. Utilize excess spaces as public space; create people oriented places by letting people stay more in the space with providing them low-cost interim materials such as: tables, chairs, umbrellas, planters and bike parking in the excesses spaces existing in the intersections.
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7 1- Majlesi street, wide travel lanes and undifferentiated street space 2. Isolated packets, extra barriers and hedges limit pedestrian movement and activities 3. Unfinished administrative and commercial building has been abandoned for a long time on the corner, 4. Atiq gold and jewelry market, 5. Historical element, Baba Ghasem Shrine, 14th century, 6. Main new street of Allameh Majlesi , built in 1930s, going toward old maidan. 7. New commercial center on the corner, 8. Allameh Majlesi gold and jewerly commercial complex at the corner. 9. Kamal Street, wide travel lanes and undifferentiated street space.
Latitudinal growth of bazar into the residential quarters, the location of Haj Mohammad Jafar corner, Source _The map edited from ‘The Arcitectural Review May 1976, by Nasrin Faghih.
HAJ MOHAMMAD- JAFAR CORNER
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
Introducing the main elements of Haj Mohammad- Jafar Corner
WHERE?
HOW?
Over a half kilometer in the north of old maidan there is Ebne Sina intersection, between two new streets of Allameh Majlesi, built in 1930s, and Kamal street, built in 1970s.
WHY?
and be in serve of new public uses in interactin wit both new Abdorrazagh street and Historical path of Haj Mohhamad Jafar. - Undifferentiated street space and wide travel lane which causes the higher speed and ineffective use of valuable street space which is mainly dedicated to automobiles. (Figure 4)
Haj Mohammad- Jafar corner belongs to the category of intersections of new streets and include following problems;
- Due to not existing any defined cycle track, it is not safe for the cyclists to use the street space.
- Discontinuity of historical primary route of Nimavard and Haj Moahhamad-Jafar which cut by the new street of Abdorrazaq and caused separation and distance for historical centers of neighborhoods.
- Due to not existence of any kind of transit stations at the intersection, it is not accessible and well connected to the other part of the city in term of multi mode of transportation.
- Existance of extra borders cuch as not designed planted area, hedges and medians block the pedestrian movements - Detriorated and abandoned historical element of Habibeh Beygom Saray on the corner which is highly potential to get repair and crossing, and encourages the higher speed for cars.
Connectivity & accessibility; putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. Parking as an Intermediate space which keeps cyclists safe; on- street parking narrows the street and slow traffic by creation friction for moving vihicles, and beside it could make a parking-buffered cycle track which removes cyclists from potential conflicts Historical elements in adjacent to the intersections; repair, restoration and changing to a public land-use for historical court-yard houses in adjacent to the intersections. and in interaction with street public acitivities. Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate-over extended stormwater planter, hedges and medians limit the pedestrian movement and cross accessibility, and increase speed of passing car. Be as compact as possible; expansion the sidewalk realm for pedestrian at the point of intersection can restric cars from moving fast and decrease the pedestrian exposure.
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Shekar Shakan CORNER
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1- Historical element, Haj Mohammad Jafar Mosque,18th-19th Century, 2. Saqakhaneh, fresh water to drink and a praying stand, 3. Historical element, Habibeh Beygom Saray,16th-18th Century, 4. Abdorrazaq Street, extra borders such as over extended planted areas, medians and hedges besides Undifferentiated street space and wide travel increase traffic speed and disencourege crossing for pedestrian and bicycle 5. Perspective view of the corner.
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
WHERE? It is located in a distance of almost one kilometer to the south of old maidan at the intersection of Hatef and Hafez streets as two of the first modern streets which have been constructed in the Isfahan city in 1930s.
WHY?
- Confusion and conflicting movement between all users. - It is a place mostly dedicated to the cars and consequently neglected pedestrian active urban life and also the condition of public buildings at the corners. - Decreasing public safety especially for pedestrian and cyclists.
Shekar Shekan Cross belongs to the category of intersction - Channelized right turns, isolated packets, extra barriers of new streets to gather, in following there are some problems and hedges create unsafe high speed turns which discourwhich are recognized at the place. age pedestrian and bicycle crossing and restrict pedestrian activities. - As this intersection imposed on the preexisting historical districts it caused separation and distance in between previ- Single modality of public transport and lack of intermodal ous physical and social structure of the city. transit stations.
Introducing the main elements of Haj Mohammad- Jafar Corner
HOW? Connectivity & accessibility; locating different types of intermodal transit stations to reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate-over extended stormwater planter, hedges and medians limit the pedestrian movement and cross accessibility, and increase speed of passing car. Intersection as shared spaces; intersections are multimodal share spaces, widen narrow sidewalks and add cycle track. Be as compact as possible; minimizing intersection size through the addition of curb extensions and medians to reduce the pedestrian exposure, slow the traffic near of the point of intersection, and provide more space for pedestrian activities. Maximum use of existing space to make public place; as it is seen in the above map and following photo s in the next page there is a big open space on the corner of this intersection which is gated, mostly empty and belong to the public library, the idea is attaching this open space with the street space to make a great place for lively pedestrian activities.
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RARAN SPRING CORNER
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1- Amir-al monenin Public Library, 2. Historical element, Pahlavi Hosue,19th Century, 3. difficult to manage for both motorists and pedestrian in use of space, 4. Undifferentiated street space and wide travel increase traffic speed and disencourege crossing for pedestrian and bicycle , 5. Extended planting buffer and hedges block the pedestrians movement and and reinforce the speed of car traffic. 6. large gated empty open space on the corner of intersection in the library property.
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
WHY?
- Lack of existing local public shops and stores which can promote pedestrian activates and interaction. Due to locating on the main street and having a strong car accessibility, except during the rush hour, most of the uses on the corner give service to bigger scales such as wholesales, hardware stores and auto repair and consequently there is not any kind of active urban life seen on the corner.
Raran corner belongs to the category of direct encounters and following problems are recognized there, ate the place;
- There is not vertical accessibility between street height level with the level of water channel.
- Most of the people in passing cars even do not aware of existing this water channel on the corner which could mean it is not recognized even as a corner or a gathering place.
- Undifferentiated street space and wide travel lane caused the higher speed and ineffective use of valuable street space which is mainly dedicated to automobiles.
- Discontinuity of historical water channel for pedestrian movement along the canal which happen by imposing new Valiasr Street on it.
- Due to not existence of any defined cycle track, it is not safe for the cyclists to use the street space.
WHERE? Raran corner is located outside the preexisting Safavid fortification, on the intersection of historical Raran water channel with the new street of Valiasr which is constructed in 1960s.
Introducing the main elements of Haj Mohammad- Jafar Corner
- Due to not existence of any kind of transit stations at the inter- to make vertical accessibility in betweens existing different height section, it is not accessible and well connected to the other part of levels. the city in term of multi modal transportation options. Parking as an Intermediate space which keeps - Not designed planted area and hedges block the pedestrian cyclists safe; on- street parking narrows the street and slow movements and reinforce the car traffic speed which discourage traffic by creation friction for moving vihicles, and beside it could pedestrian and bicycle crossing. make a parking-buffered cycle track which removes cyclists from potential conflicts
HOW?
Connectivity & accessibility; putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. Mixity and diversity of local public uses; imputing some new uses and activities to increase pedestrian encounter and livley active urban life. vertical accessibility; puting stair case, elavater and ramps
Removing excessive borders; inconsiderate-over extended stormwater planter, hedges and medians limit the pedestrian movement and cross accessibility, and increase speed of passing car. Be as compact as possible; expansion the sidewalk realm for pedestrian at the point of intersection can restric cars from moving fast and decrease the pedestrian exposure.activities.
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1- Valiasr Street, Undifferentiated street space and wide travel increase traffic speed and disencourege crossing for pedestrian and bicycle 2. Historical water Channel, Raran madi, 3. No activity in the green open space at the corner 4. extra borders such as over extended planted areas, medians and hedges restrict pedestrian movement an dactivities and also encourage car traffic speed , 5. Institution of sochial insurance, 6. under the valiasr street, a place for using drugs.
ALLAMEH MAJLESI CORNER
Majlesi corner, the intersection of extention of Isfahan bazar route with Hatef Street. Source _Isfahan aerial photo, 1956.
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Location
Main Urban Elements
Mass and Space, widening the routes
Height
Aerial Photo, 1956
Aerial Photo, 2014
Land use
Public Open Space
The maps of land use, height and widening the routes have been produced in accordance with the master plan of the Isfahan City, 2013.
WHERE? In the north of Jameh mosque there is Majlesi corner which is located on the intersection of two main historical and new elements, the historic one is the extension of arterial bazar of Isfahan in the north of old maidan which was connecting the center, main city focal point, to the northern gates of the historic city, and the new one is Allameh Majlesi Street which is one of the first new main streets that cut through the historic city in 1930s. WHY?
would place on the top as the most deconstructive factors of the imposition of new streets on the historic city occur at the points of this type of intersections. In following there are some problems which are identified at the location. - Discontinuity of historical arterial Majlesi Bazar which is cut by the new street of Allame Majlesi and caused separation and distance instead of preexisting contiguity, proximity and accessibility to the bazar and the centers of neighborhoods.
- There is no interaction in-between high speed passing cars Allameh majlesi corner belongs to the category of direct which start going into the underground at the point of interencounters, if we want to prioritize our strategic punctual treat- section, to pass underneath of the old maidan, and the existing interventions on the city crosses, the direct encounters ing bazar and pedestrian lively activities on the ground floor.
Introducing the main elements of Haj Mohammad- Jafar Corner
- Uniformity and single use; most of the uses are devoted to the visitors and tourists, (clothing shops, jewelry, souvenirs), while there is not any local retail shops which can provide the needs of both locals and visitors. - Due to locating on the center and being close to the bazar there is not enough space for pedestrian movement and activities. - The high speed car traffic discourages pedestrian and bicycle crossing. - Due to not existence of any kind of transit stations at the intersection, it is not accessible and well connected to the other part of the city in term of multi-mode of transportation.
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1- Majlesi intersection, Majlesi Street cut the extention of bazar, 2. Shishegari Alley, primary historical Route 3. Allameh Majlesi Street, new Main street, built in 1930s, 4. transversal inaccessibility
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5- Entrance of Allameh Majlesi Bazar, 6. Local access to the bazar, kimiagari Alley, 7. From top of Majlesi Bazar looking toward the corner, 8. Shekarbeyg Saray working as a private storgae is seen in the foreground, 9. Inside Shekarbeyg Sray yard, 10. Intersection of Majlesi Bazar with Shahshahan pirmary historical route
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11- Taj-ol-Molk Dome, Jame Mosque, World Heritage site, 12. Majlesi Alley as the northern edge of Jame Mosque, 13. Allameh Majlesi Street is going down to pass underneath of old maidan, 14. Created pedestrian open space on the top of Majlesi Street 15. Berlan mall, connects behinde to the front
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Allameh Majlesi Street is going down to pass underneath of old maidan,
Plan -1, parking as an intermediate place , new uses and activities, transversal accessibility under the Majlesi Street, vertical accessibility between differenet levels
Diversity and mixity; adding new uses and activities such as parking, supermarket and hotel beside covering the existing shortcomings for both local and visitors ensure activation of public spaces at all hours and prove the condition of corners.
Parking as an Intermediate space; provide parking car in the underground where the allame Majlesi Street is passing, as an intermediate spaces which is necessary for making dialogue and interaction in between the activities which happen on the new street of Allameh Majlesi with the historical city layers on the ground floor such as bazar, marketing and pedestrian active urban life.
HOW?
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16- Jafari Commercial Mall ate the corner, 17. view from the top of Jafari commercial mall to the Majlesi Street front and Jameh Mosque, 18. New created transversal accessibility to connect behinde redidential districts to the front of Majlesi new street, 19. Created new open space by deconstruction of deteriorated historical court yard houses to make parking lot, 20. promoting degradation and erosion of the inner historical residential district due to separation and in accessibility, 21. Abandoned Bulding, it use to be a workshope and storage in relation with the bazar.
Connectivity & accessibility; city crosses are the best locations for putting intermodal and inter connected transit stations which reinforce accessibility and connectivity between all of city corners and different scales. Beside locating the bicycle share transit station at the corners which could cover the local accessibilities, due to the metro development plan of Isfahan, there is the understudy metro line 2 which is passing beneath of this area to connect the city center to the other part of the city and bigger scales.
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Plan -2, parking lot as an intermediate space between different activities
Ground level plan, accumulation of accesses, porosity and permeability
First level plan, new itineraries on the first level, doubling the land, new uses and activities.
Second level plan, hotel and restaurant on the top, a great view to the Jame Mosque and lively active urban life close to the center and bazar
Doubling the land & vertical movement; there porosity and permeability in serve connecare a combination of conditions for doubling the land or set- tivity and improving the quality of space; narrow ting vertical movement as the treating actions on this corner sidewalks, crowdedness and steady rows of shops do not give which are; more option than continue moving at the same trend while porosity and permeability beside connecting the behind resi- Due to its location in adjacent to the bazar and city cen- dential districts to the front of street, provide more options for ter, there are a lot of accessibilities and the land is undoubt- movement and improve the quality of the space. edly the most precious and scariest resource as even there is not enough space for pedestrian movement and activities. Utilize existing open spaces as public space; create people oriented places by letting people stay more in the space - The main new street of Allameh Majlesi cut a main histor- with providing them low-cost interim materials such as: tables, ical bazar access, and crowdedness and overusing of space chairs, umbrellas, planters and bike parking in the existing encourage the act of crossing not at the same level. open spaces which could promoting liveliness, flexibility and promisquity at the intersections.
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1. Parking as an Intermediate space 2. Vertical Accessibility
3. Transversal accessibility; Passing from over the street
4. Transversal accessibility; Passing from under the street
5. Connectivity & accessibility; Connected to the subway system
6. Allameh Majlesi Street 7. New uses and activities, Hotel and restaurant at the top
8. New uses and activities, Supermarket in the uderground
9. Accessibility to and from the bazar
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â—„ Projecting the city through projecting the corners, Mixity, Doubling the land, Promiscuity
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