Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
کارشناسی ارشد شهرسازی- برنامه ریزی شهری دانشکده معماری و هنر، دانشگاه گیلان
2
Assistant Professor Dept. of Urban Planning & Design Faculty of Architecture & Art University of Guilan Rasht- Iran Website: https://guilan.ac.ir/~s.mohammadpour Phone: +989124243041 +989112474435 +9813333690276
3
هیات علمی دانشکده معماری و هنر دانشگاه گیلان، استادیار گروه شهرسازی
10.22034/gp.2026.71293.3509
Abstract
Objective: The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) promotes music as one of the key drivers of sustainable urban development, emphasizing the linkage between creativity, cultural identity, social cohesion, and the creative economy. For the first time in Iran, this study evaluates the capacity of the city of Rasht—an emerging city with a rich Gilani musical heritage—to join the music field of the UCCN, adopting a mixed qualitative–quantitative approach. The aim is to provide a systematic analysis of the music ecosystem based on UNESCO’s seven official criteria and to propose practical spatial–institutional strategies.
Methods:The methodology consists of a systematic document analysis and 15 semi-structured interviews with artists, cultural managers, and academics (purposive sampling until theoretical saturation). Thematic analysis conducted in MAXQDA transformed 107 initial codes into 15 main themes, categorized according to UNESCO’s criteria. The findings reveal a structural duality: notable strengths in indigenous musical heritage, stylistic diversity, informal education, and social dynamism coexist with serious weaknesses in professional production infrastructure, digital archiving, institutional networking, and the spatially centralized distribution of music-related facilities.
Results: In this study, a SWOT matrix was first developed to organize this duality. In the next step, a weighted Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM), based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and sensitivity analysis, was employed to prioritize strategies. Accordingly, the three top strategies identified include hosting music events in public–historic spaces, creating an integrated network of music-related spaces, and institutionalizing indigenous music education.
Conclusions: By proposing a novel spatial–institutional framework for music policymaking in developing cities, this research addresses a gap in the literature by linking local heritage with participatory governance and spatial justice, and offers practical implications for urban regeneration and the development of the creative economy.
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