Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Department of Humanities, Faculity of Humanities and Arts,Technical and Vocational University(TVU), Tehran,Iran.
2
Department of Executive Management, Faculty of Management and Human Sciences, Municipal Organization, Rasht, Iran.
3
Department of Architecture and Urban Planning, Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Technical and Vocational University(TVU), Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The rapid growth of urbanization in the peri-urban areas of Rasht, coupled with unbalanced physical development, has placed increasing pressure on natural resources and the environment. In this context, green architecture emerges as a comprehensive solution to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of urban expansion.Despite the emphasis of higher-level policy documents on the necessity of sustainable development, statistics indicate that green architecture projects account for less than 15% of construction activities in Rasht’s peri-urban zones. This is in spite of various incentive policies introduced by Rasht Municipality in recent years, including construction fee discounts, streamlined permit issuance, and technical assistance aimed at promoting green architecture.This raises key questions: What is the current status of municipal incentive policies in implementing green architecture projects? Is there a significant and positive correlation between these policies and the actual development of green architecture? What factors contribute to the ineffectiveness of municipal incentives in Rasht’s peri-urban areas? Using a mixed-methods approach, this study seeks to analyze the effectiveness of existing policies and identify policy gaps in this domain. The findings may lead to a revision of the municipal incentive framework and the design of more effective policy packages.From a theoretical standpoint, the necessity of this research is grounded in three core pillars: Rational Action Theory emphasizes that without effective economic incentives, developers lack motivation to bear the additional costs of green architecture. Institutionalism suggests that such policies must be embedded within stable legal frameworks to ensure long-term impact. Urban Sustainable Development Theory highlights the need to integrate environmental, economic, and social dimensions in the design of incentive mechanisms. Practically, these policies address four critical needs: First, mitigating region-specific environmental risks such as flooding and high humidity, which cause substantial annual damage. Second, achieving spatial justice through equitable distribution of resources and services between central and peri-urban areas. Third, fostering sustainable employment in emerging construction sectors. Fourth, preserving the architectural identity of Gilan in the urban development process. These objectives are best achieved when incentives are designed based on rigorous climatological and sociological studies tailored to local conditions.
Methodology
This study, aligned with its primary objective, investigates the incentive policies implemented by Rasht Municipality in green architecture projects within the city’s peri-urban areas. The findings are expected to offer valuable insights for planners and decision-makers in the field of sustainable architecture. Accordingly, the research is applied in nature, employing a mixed-methods approach (quantitative + qualitative), and is characterized by an analytical and exploratory framework. For data analysis, SPSS software was used, applying one-sample t-tests and Pearson correlation tests in the quantitative section. Additionally, the grounded theory method was employed to interpret qualitative data and uncover underlying patterns and causal relationships.
Results and discussion
The findings revealed that the status of incentive policies in green architecture projects in Rasht’s peri-urban areas is unfavorable, with a mean score below the moderate threshold (3). According to the results of the Pearson correlation test, Rasht Municipality’s incentive policies in the field of green architecture have not had a statistically significant impact on improving sustainability indicators in construction practices. To further investigate the failure of these incentive policies, the grounded theory method was employed. The analysis identified several causal factors, including poor incentive design, implementation and monitoring challenges, and governance-related issues. Contextual factors included weak political will, hierarchical decision-making structures, and technical and climatic challenges. Intervening factors such as inefficient administrative processes and weak urban governance were also found to contribute to the ineffectiveness of the policies. Based on these findings, several strategic solutions were proposed:Reengineering the incentive system, Reforming governance structures, Strengthening political commitment, Establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.These strategies are expected to generate a range of outcomes across multiple dimensions—physical-environmental, socio-economic, institutional-managerial, and political-legal—particularly in the peri-urban areas of Soleymandarab, Paskiyab, Nokhodcher, and Aynak.
Conclusion
The current incentive system for green architecture in Rasht has faced structural challenges that have led to its ineffectiveness. At the macro level, poor design of the incentive framework and its misalignment with the actual costs of green projects have reduced developers’ motivation. Moreover, the specific climatic conditions of Gilan—characterized by high humidity and an annual rainfall of 1,350 mm—require localized standards that have yet to be adequately addressed. At the operational level, multiple challenges persist, including a complex administrative structure (involving 14 separate steps for permit issuance), insufficient oversight, and frequent policy changes due to managerial turnover. These issues, compounded by weak political will and a tendency to prioritize short-term projects, have prevented existing incentive policies from making a meaningful impact on sustainability indicators. To overcome these shortcomings, four key strategic directions are proposed: Reengineering the incentive system to design tiered support mechanisms, Governance reform through the establishment of local committees and streamlining of administrative processes, Strengthening political commitment via the formation of a High Council for Sustainable Development, Implementing a smart monitoring system based on quantitative and qualitative indicators. The implementation of these strategies could lead to significant outcomes, including reduced energy consumption in new buildings, increased local employment in green sectors, improved regional air quality, and enhanced resident satisfaction. However, achieving these goals requires five essential prerequisites: Allocation of at least 15% of the municipal budget, Training and capacity-building for human resources, Development of laboratories for testing local construction materials, Creation of an integrated data bank, Mobilization of media and public support. Ultimately, Rasht’s experience demonstrates that the success of green architecture incentive policies demands a systemic approach—one that simultaneously addresses economic, technical, administrative, and cultural dimensions.
Funding
According to the responsible author, this article has no financial support
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper. The authors are sincerely grateful to the participants who took part in the study.
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