Tehran: From Sacred to Radical

This book explores the relationship between democracy and urban spaces, focusing on the transformative dynamics of power struggles and state-led modernization. It examines the ideas of modernity in architecture and investigates how they align with other forms of radical power. The book offers an understanding of public spaces through political change, power struggles, and autocratic modernity, drawing upon western and non-western perspectives to decolonize the notion of public space in the global south. It aims to examine the mechanisms of power struggles and the transformative dynamism of totalization and state-led modernization, which motivate or shape a creative tension in the form of the city.

Format: Hardback
Length: 118 pages
Publication date: 26 September 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive interdisciplinary research work aims to captivate a wide spectrum of academics. It delves into the intricate relationship between democracy and the transformative processes of urban spaces, employing a comparative perspective. The book explores the concepts of modernity in architecture and investigates how they intersect or diverge from other forms of radical power.

The book provides a profound understanding of public spaces through the lens of political change, power struggles, and the emergence of autocratic modernity. It addresses the subject of politics in architecture and the built environment by examining a diverse range of academic literature from urban studies, architectural history, urban anthropology, urban sociology, cultural geographies, planning history, philosophy, and the broader social and political sciences. Furthermore, it focuses on the lesser-known traditions of architecture and democratic values, drawing upon Western and non-Western perspectives to decolonize the notion of public space in the global South.

The central theme of the work is novel and seeks to examine the interplay between the characteristics of public spaces, their micro-histories, and the emergence of critical social events and movements. Given the broad scope of the topic, engagement with a substantial body of architectural theory and history, as well as relevant texts in urban sociology, colonial and postcolonial studies, political geography, and cultural studies, posed a significant challenge. However, the book has remarkably addressed this challenge, delivering a comprehensive and insightful analysis.

The urgency of this issue is particularly relevant for policymakers, architects, urban designers, political geographers, and cultural scholars. By exploring the dynamics between public spaces, their micro-histories, and the emergence of social movements, this research offers valuable insights into designing more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable urban environments.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 216 x 138 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367691905