This section discusses the damaged urban fabric in terms of reconstruction and tourism development opportunities. The overall result of the expert interviews indicated two attitudes regarding urban fabric and reconstruction. One group of experts emphasized the thematic perspective of reconstruction in urban fabrics, for example:
“The priority for the reconstruction of war-ruined fabrics in terms of tourism development is to create a lively space for residents to clear away the bitter
memories of the war and strengthen the sense of social integration.”
Regarding this perspective, other interviewee explained that:
“..…the importance for design of war ruined fabrics is creating the place with a sense of social integration in urban fabrics of Khorramshahr.”
However, others group of experts stressed the functional map for reconstruction and post-war tourism like scale of destruction and complication of reconstruction regarding abandoned buildings, for example:
“Because of the different scales of devastation in neighbourhoods, urban designers and architects need a multi-level plan for reconstruction. These aspect also complicates preserving war effect for tourism in ruined neighbourhoods”
a) Reconstruction problems in urban fabric:
The first theme explores the reconstruction work regarding existing problems after implementation. In the discussion in Chapter 4 regarding the context of the research area, the vast destruction of the urban fabric due to eight years of war and two years of occupation was described. This aspect of the city's history compounded the urban problems during and after reconstruction in Khorramshahr.
According to the expert interviews, the theme was categorized into three main issues:
old and new-made buildings, problems of partly reconstructed buildings in urban fabric,
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and abounded land and houses. In this part, after providing the expert interview analysis, the findings of the interviews were supported with the field observation.
The scattered destruction at different scales complicated the process of urban reconstruction after the war. The expert viewpoints supported by field observation demonstrated that the conflicts between the buildings facades in Khorramshahr have arisen due to the contrast between newly made, reconstructed, and damaged buildings.
For example, this quotation explained that:
“Sharp contrasts between old, new, and reconstructed buildings make an irregularity in the urban facades that even affect new designs in Khorramshahr.”
The experts also noted that the dispersion and different scales of destruction, led to mismatch between the old and the new buildings (Figure 5.13), and this issue led to the creation of a disproportionate urban facade in the city. The contrasts between the new and damaged buildings (Figure 5.14) create a visually displeasing effect especially on the main streets where they are more exposed as the major component of the urban façade.
Figure 5. 14: Differences between old and new facade buildings in
Khorramshahr
Figure 5. 13: New building versus damaged building in a street of
Khorramshahr
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The problem occurs severely in relationship to houses, small commercial buildings, and private lands that reconstruction of them were delegated to owners during reconstruction period (discussed in Chapter 4, section 4.6). One interviewee explained that:
“The problems with partly ruined urban fabric are abandoned land or partly damage houses that the owners migrated to other cities or passed away or reconstruction of a damaged building has not economic efficiency for them.”
In this condition, some were abandoned for a long time (Figure 5.15) and some buildings were partly- reconstructed (Figure 5.16). Another reason for the existence of these buildings is an unwillingness to carry out reconstruction due to a lack of economic advantages for the owners to reconstruct all parts of the damaged buildings. The unavailable owners or inheritance issues tied the reconstruction to legal and regulatory problems as well
Figure 5. 16: Abandoned home in Khorramshahr
Figure 5. 15: Partly reconstructed building in Khorramshahr
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b) Potentials for reconstruction for tourism development in urban fabrics:
In terms of tourism development, some experts believe that changing valuable houses into post-war tourism attractions (like cafés or restaurants) led to the restoration of dilapidated buildings while preserving their urban and architectural values that illustrate the city’s background. The most important obstacle for this approach is the attitude of owners who do not adequately appreciate the benefits of tourism. Consequently, they are unwilling to invest in tourism development to enhance or maintain the property.
This issue is more conveniently dealt with concerning the valuable buildings that are owned by government or semi-government agencies. In terms of the law and regulations on housing reconstruction, the most important problem is the ownership of the properties. As mentioned in the previous discussion in relationship to uninhabited houses, the lack of law and regulations on abandoned land and property weakens urban reconstruction efforts.
Considering the tourism opportunities in the damaged urban fabric, the experts believed that tourism development benefits could encourage the owners to reverse the current slump caused by abandoning properties and to convert their properties for tourism activities and services. Tourism directly impacts on the value of those properties if the land-use changes from residential to tourism services and accommodation. This can create the incentive to invest for tourism development with additional economic incentives for landowners.
On the other hand, the second group of experts believe that the priority is city services like parking and social open spaces for residents of the neighbourhoods.
“The Priority in the reconstruction of war ruined fabrics is residents. A new function for damaged part of fabrics is social space in different scale, neighbourhood, district and city scales with preserving some elements of the
war history.”
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These experts argued that the city suffers from a lack of public services (e.g., parking, restaurants, and hotels) particularly during the peak tourism seasons. Furthermore, a view was expressed that ruined land can be used to develop social urban spaces for residents in Khorramshahr neighbourhoods, rather than using these areas as tourist attractions. These two points of views are examined during the quantitative analysis in the next part of this chapter. Finally, interview analysis was founded according to the following chart in Figure 5.17 was discussed in this sections.
5.2.4 Infrastructure
The important role of infrastructure in the reconstruction process and tourism development of post-war cities was investigated in Chapter 2. This section discusses the role of infrastructure in tourism development in Khorramshahr. Figure 5.18 shows that the government’s vision for infrastructure development is explored first, and then infrastructure as a supportive resource for tourism development is discussed.
Figure 5. 17: Urban fabric theme and categories
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a) Government's vision for infrastructure development
According to the authorities, the vision for the infrastructure development during the early years of the reconstruction period was based on the idea that the crises should not attend development. As one interviewee stated that:
“Because of unstable security condition we could not develop infrastructures during first phase of restoration.”
In this circumstance, the government focused on reconstructing essential infrastructure and utilities rather than other development aspects (i.e., the harbour’s restoration). After restoring basic infrastructure, the government considered the rest of the infrastructure as a way to build prosperity in the future. As one interviewee explained, this included focusing on the port redevelopment:
“[The] harbour could play an important role of infrastructure restoration in the secondary phase of reconstruction to flourish pre-war era for
resettlement.”
Figure 5. 18: Infrastructure theme and categories in analysis
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Nevertheless, the experts noted that reconstruction planners regularly faced security caveats in the development of infrastructure. Developing infrastructure near the border before stable peace conditions has been established and increased the barriers to reconstruction. This cautious approach to infrastructure development was justified in the early years of reconstruction. The current position of the authorities is to explain that attention to physical reconstruction is inappropriate because the post-war reconstruction and development of infrastructure should be implemented based on a comprehensive development plan that considered the pre-war identity and future prospects of the city.
b) Potential of infrastructure for tourism development
Chapter 4 provided an overview of the Khorramshahr’s history, the context of the city, and its geopolitical situation in Iran. In this section, the recent possibilities of Khorramshahr tourism development in relationship to these are evaluated.
Harbour development: After the war, the most damaged infrastructure was the harbour.
It was the most significant impetus for tourism, trade, and urban growth in Khorramshahr before the war. Experts and authorities argued that in the early stages of reconstruction, the government considered restoring the harbour to its previous glory.
However according to the interviewees, Khorramshahr had lost its previous status as a major port in Iran because alternative ports had been developed in safer areas in the Persian Gulf during the war. Security caveats and a lack of stable peace led to the slow development of Khorramshahr Harbour, and it never regained its prosperous conditions.
In previous years, Khorramshahr and Abadan had 40 commercial oil and fishing docks that were connected to the Persian Gulf through two major rivers: the Arvand-Rud and the Bahmanshir. After the Iran-Iraq War, the sediments and scuppered fishing vessels made the Karoon River useless for large shipping transportation. Currently, the harbour
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can accept up to 5,000 ton ships, although by dredging the Arvand River, its capacity could be increased to 20,000 ton ships. Moreover, the construction of a new high capacity jetty along the Arvand River has been earmarked in future development plans.
The Oil industry and a potentially supportive role in tourism development: All experts were unanimous as to the profound impacts of the oil industry for regional development.
The region, as described in Chapter 4, has been tied to the oil industry for a century. The nearby oil refinery in Abadan was completed in 1912 and was one of the world's largest oil refineries before the war. After the war, utilities and transportation services were reconstructed to restore the oil industry as the main source of income for the country.
Moreover, the National Iranian Oil Company owns a lot of land and buildings as well as the settlement of neighbourhoods in the region.
Transportation: The experts noted that transportation in Khorramshahr is an effective potential to support tourism development. Highways, rail and air transportation provide quick and easy access to Khorramshahr. The interviewees explained that the demand for oil and trading transportation had led to the construction of highways that connect Khorramshahr to the northern and eastern regions of the country. Two highways connect the city to the provincial capital, Ahwaz, in the north and the west. The railway in Khorramshahr was established in 1940. The city is connected to the national railway via the Khorramshahr-Ahwaz route. Moreover, sixteen kilometres of railway from Khorramshahr to Shalamche connects the city to Basra in Iraq.
Khorramshahr has a sea path to the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait. Cruise ships transport passengers and goods to destinations in Kuwait and the UAE every day.
However, due to the lack of international tourism demand, this low-cost sea transportation only moves local passengers and trading staff to the other sides of the Persian Gulf.
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Nearby Abadan, has an international airport that was one of the biggest and best-equipped airports in the country before the war. It was constructed in 1941 by Great Britain to support the oil refinery in Abadan and was moved to a new location by the National Iranian Oil Company in 1962. The airport was the first international airport in Iran. It currently manages 37 flights per day. The airport is located between Abadan and Khorramshahr with access to the airport from the city centres of both cities is less than 12 kilometres.
The next part examines the residents’ and tourist statements’ regarding our findings from the qualitative phase this study. The central tendencies and significant differences between the groups of tourists and residents in Khorramshahr are examined.