War and Urban Morphology (The Impact of War on the Form of Historical Cities Post-War – Case Study: Dezful)

Abstract

Urban planners and architects often face significant constraints in post-war reconstruction efforts in historical cities. They are confronted with two main priorities: preserving urban morphology or prioritizing the rapid provision of housing. Some design based on urban morphology and architectural language, while others disregard these aspects. However, the success of a reconstruction plan is ultimately judged by the people who continue to live in that city afterward. The study of post-war reconstruction in the city of Dezful serves as evidence of the failure of such efforts from physical, social, and cultural perspectives. Analyzing the historical fabric of the city after a crisis, using pre-war data and based on architectural language and urban morphology, can contribute significantly to a structured post-war rebuilding process. Identifying the urban morphology and the continuity of the urban fabric, along with layering the phases of city formation over various historical periods, establishes a foundational framework that can guide a methodology for post-war reconstruction both within the historical fabric and beyond its existing boundaries. In this study, Dezful’s urban morphology before and after the war was examined to propose a logical model for the reconstruction of historical cities following conflict. Our findings indicate that the physical, social, and cultural structure of Dezful has changed since the reconstruction efforts that began in 1981. The proposed protocol outlines a strategy for post-war reconstruction in Dezful. According to this protocol, 65% of post-war constructions occurred outside the established morphological structure of the city; 25% were somewhat aligned with the city’s morphology, and only 10% of the post-war constructions conformed to the original urban morphology.