Urban spatial structure in central Iran: introduction & analysis of sahe-ja

Modernization of Iranian cities during the 20th century has radically altered and, in some instances, completely destroyed parts of the historic fabric of cities. Two approaches have dominated efforts to address these impacts: development-driven and conservation-driven. Because both approaches originate outside the complex and fragile contexts of Iran’s historic fabric, their respective and collective outcomes have proven neither logical nor practical. Scholars have proposed a third, context-driven option, which urban planners and municipal officials try to restore and preserve urban fabric according to their structure while also maintaining quality of life for residents. Applying the context-driven approach to the spatial structure of the Ali-Gholi-Agha quarter in Isfahan reveals one such discrete element: a semipublic type of space called “sahe-ja.” By interrogating whether and to what extent sahe-ja serves as a determinative element in the quarter’s historic urban fabric, this paper demonstrates the logic and practicality of the context-driven approach.