Creative city towards sustainable development (Case Study: Isfahan, Iran)

The UNESCO Creative Cities Network (UCCN) was created in 2004 to promote cooperation with and among cities that have identified creativity as a strategic factor for sustainable urban development. Creative locations become a key element of public regeneration strategies and develop innovative services based on knowledgeable property. A creative city is supposed to develop imaginative and innovative solutions for a range of social, economic and environmental problems: economic stagnancy, urban shrinkage, social segregation, global competition or more. This paper will examine essential characteristics of a creative city with regards to principles of urban planning during the Safavid era and present a model and a tool for guiding the designer, planner, or administrator through a lifetime of conservation based, sustainable practices. The EcoSTEPSM methodology for assessments and the use of Landry s creativity indicators for Sustainable Communities is used to plan any large urban project located at Isfahan, Iran, as a member of the creative cities network.