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A better block in a poor neighborhood

Maryam Amiri, Tehran Community Manager

Tehran, 16 June 2015

It has been shown that deconstruction and reconstruction projects in deteriorated urban areas can lead to severe economic, social, and even physical consequences for residents. In Tehran, one of the most notorious examples of these is the "Navvab Project," through which Tehran's Municipality demolished the texture of Salsabil, a poor neighborhood, and instead constructed a new highway, rebuilding new residential apartments around the highway. The neighborhood was suddenly separated into two different parts, and residents could no longer rely on their social and economic connections. Most of them were exiled to other poor neighborhoods or marginalized areas outside of the city since the new apartments were unsafe: they had been built in a way that formed new indefensible urban spaces and made the neighborhood less safe, especially for children and women. These spaces were largely used as areas for crime, like drug dealing, robbery, and mugging.

To address this issue and the difficulties residents were facing, the Bahamestan Institute launched an innovative project, called "Better Block," in part of the neighborhood. The idea, originally belonging to Jason Roberts, was shaped around an opposition to the "up down" view of urban planning. According to this new idea, communities can actively engage in the reconstruction process and provide real-time feedback. In Iran, this plan offered a unique participation experience for groups of local residents and urban experts working to improve living condition for the residents of high-poverty and high-crime neighborhoods.

The upgrading project took place on February 25th, 2014, but before, the Bahamestan Institute held several workshops with groups of women, children, adolescents, and elderly residents to find out what the most important challenges are for each group. Activists also met with urban managers at local levels to build consensus.

On the chosen day in February, lots of work was done, all by the residents. They painted and beautified the block, played games, put on theater plays, established booths for local sellers, and found solutions for reducing noise and environmental pollution, and increasing green spaces.

This significant level of resident participation was very important. All of the physical and security-related improvements on the block are the beginning of future structural urban reforms in whole neighborhood, all of which will proceed with the residents.

Four months later, local urban managers have taken positive actions and changed some of the dangerous spaces of the block. Moreover, the Better Block project has provoked local groups to establish unions to follow up on requests to the municipality and other formal urban administrations. The construction of a new local park and the promotion of neighborhood safety were two main requests that residents succeeded in achieving following their efforts with this project.

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