Tehran, June 18, 2024 (MRUD NEWS)—Within the cooperation framework of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for knowledge-sharing and exchange of experiences, Tehran and Seoul discussed their own experiences in urban regeneration with the centrality of community-based planning at Iran's Urban Regeneration Corporation on June 10, 2024.    

The meeting was dedicated to the experiences of South Korea in urban regeneration by the counsellor of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Tehran, Dr. Ki Bum Park, through his book titled "Answer is in the Neighborhood". 

Iran Deputy Minister and Managing Director of Urban Regeneration Corporation, Mohammad Aeeni, members of the board of directors of the Corporation, the acting head of the UN-Habitat office in Tehran, the secretary of the National Habitat Committee (NHC), and other experts, urban facilitators, and actors attended the meeting. 

Presenting his book at the beginning of this meeting, Dr. Park explained the urban regeneration approach in Seoul for the development of middle housing as well as architectural solutions to provide greater accessibility in the neighborhoods. 

This is considered a paradigm shift in Seoul's policies from the high-rise building to middle housing in an attempt to rediscover the value of the neighborhood and bring diversity in the community. 

Explaining Iran's approach to urban regeneration, Aeeni stated that Iran is following a similar path as it advances community-based planning and reviving the identity of the neighborhoods in the process of renovation of dilapidated (old) urban areas through the participation of people and the least intervention of government.

Further, Aeeni pointed to granting additional floor area ratio as a policy for the economic feasibility of the regeneration of old urban areas. In this sense, four to five floors are targeted for these areas. In parallel renovating the housing allows for providing public services and relief operations. 

Iran is addressing affordability and diversification of housing models (not limited to only apartments and villas) so that different income groups can afford housing based on their needs and budgets. 

There are 2,600,000 unsustainable housings in Iran, according to Aeeni.