1. Home
About Us
Mission
Programs
Events
Contact
Team
Links
Zarand Project for the Promotion of Urban Space Quality
The protocol signed on June 26, 2008 between IAARA as the representative of UN-HABITAT and the Zarand
Municipality initiated an urban space project with the partnership of UN-HABITAT under the guidelines of its Local
Agenda 21.
The project will cover the area of "Panzdahe Khordad Street" of the city of Zarand which is a pedestrian area with a
length of 2 km and a width of 30 meters.
At the moment despite the large vacant nature of the site, it is not very popular among the citizens. Our intent is to
make the location more active and encourage the people to use the space in order for it to serve as a model for
additional programs to improve the overall urban space quality of the city of Zarand.
The University of Westminster organized an international team that were invited to Iran by IAARA and the Zarand
Municipality to visit and conduct research and explore the site from different aspects.
The international team consisted of the following members:
1. Dr. Clare Melhuish, Anthropologist of the Built Environment
2. Lena Mahr, Spatial and Urban Designer
3. Dwan Kaoukji, Urban Research Analyst at Dartington Social Research Unit
TIMELINE:
October 8-10, 2008: The team traveled to Zarand where they had first-hand dialogues with the local residents, the
Zarand mayor, members of the City Council, and the Governor. The team has since created reports, based on their
analysis, to be used in the designing process.
November 18, 2008: A second workshop for further discussions and debate was organized at the University of
Westminster in London.
July 8, 2009: IAARA held a workshop with the mayor of Zarand in addition to a number of managers from the Zarand
Municipality for the finalization of the details of the Zarand Project for the Promotion of Urban Space Quality at
Yadavaran Publications Building.
Publications

2. IAARA President, Reza Pourvaziry and Zarand Mayor, Ali Shafeii on June 26, 2008
International Art &
Architecture Research
A s s o c i a t i o n
IAARA President, Reza Pourvaziry with local authorities, city council members, leader of imam jome, and the Zarand Mayor on June 26,
2008
IAARA President, Reza Pourvaziry, Zarand Mayor, Ali Shafeii, City Council President, Ali Nakhaei, Ali Zandi, and University of Westminster
team members, Clare Melhuish, Lena Mahr, and Dwan Kaoukji on the front steps of the Zarand University on October 9, 2008