Conceptual Model for Collaborative Planning in Iran with Emphasis on the Role of Urban Planners： A Case Study of Anzali＇s Development Strategy

Nowadays, public participation is one of the most important factors to improve the feasibility, legitimacy and quality of urban plans. In Iran, due to lack of comprehensive understanding about the participation notion and its necessary socio-economic and political infrastructures, participatory decision-making has faced with some serious challenges in both processes of preparing and implementing. The present paper focuses on providing practical strategies for preparing collaborative urban plans in Iran＇s conditions. Also it seeks to answer this question： What is the role of planners to prepare a real collaborative plan？ It is assumed that a conceptual model for collaborative planning can be fitted with Iran＇s conditions by means of integrating the fundamental philosophic ideas of participatory planning such as theories of Paul Michel Foucault and Jürgen Habermas, given the fact that the present situation of collaborative planning in Iran needs a supportive theory which is compatible with power structures of Iranian urban planning system. In this regard, the Habermas＇ theory of “communicative action” and the Foucault＇s theory of “power structures” are reviewed by a comparative analysis methodology to present an integrated conceptual model for collaborative planning in Iran＇s condition. At the end, the CDS （City Development Strategy）---making process of Anzali City of Iran is analysed to examine this claim in the practice. The results yield that enabling urban planners to act as communication facilitators during planning can direct the collaborative planning in Iran from theory to a real practice by means of integrating the positive aspects of communication and power.

Religion,Rationality,and Democracy:Is There Still a Place for Religion in the Public Sphere?

The article intends to point out affinities in the positions of Jürgen Habermas and Terry Eagleton on the relationship between religion and politics in contemporary world,demonstrating that the recognition of the limitations of human rationality leads both of them to criticize the Enlightenment pretension to suppress any religious viewpoints in the discussion of moral and political issues.It is argued that Habermas and Eagleton share the view that,outside the domain of private beliefs,there would be a horizon in which the aspirations towards the world could converge and a dialogue could be possible not only among religious cultures,but also between these and the secular thought.Such a dialogue could be a contribution to creating a democratic public space consisting of religious and non-religious individuals,since both sides are committed to having a self-critical attitude,an openness to learn with the other and an inclination towards reciprocal understanding.

Tao Xingzhi’s Education Thoughts and Its Contemporary Enlightenment

In recent years,Tao Xingzhi’s education thoughts have received more and more attention.Tao Xingzhi’s education thoughts manifest his life education theory,and it mostly embodies his teaching thoughts with learner-oriented and unity of teaching,learning,and doing concluded.From Habermas’communication action theory,Tao Xingzhi’s education thoughts are of important contemporary social significance.Tao Xingzhi’s education thoughts enlighten us that education needs to achieve universal cultural identity,education needs to create a good social life order,and education needs to promote the perfect development of personality.