Codifying architecture, urban planning and design strategies in the post-corona era with a grounded theory method

A B S T R A C T
The crisis caused by the outbreak of a new infectious virus called corona in cities has caused the previously accepted principles in architecture and urban planning to be questioned. The adoption of new strategies in various fields of architecture and urban planning has faced immediate problems for decision-makers. The question addressed in this article is the discovery of the most important strategies as a simple model for Iranian society in the face of the challenges and consequences of this phenomenon. The article seeks to categorize the strategic themes grounded on Coronavirus pandemic challenges in architecture, urban planning and design in Iran. The research aims to build relevant knowledge in the shape of the conceptual model. As the virus has spread quickly among societies and vaccination discovery takes time, it is vital to find theoretical dimensions as well as practical aspects of architecture, urban planning and design to respond to the challenge. Thus based on a grounded theory methodology and applying content analysis and focus group techniques, the primary sources gathered from an expert panel including countrywide faculty members of IAU with architecture and urban planning and design expertise. To consider the data collection saturated, the graduate students' sketches during a semester as well as the extensive literature have been analyzed. Challenges, consequences, and strategies are codified in three phases: Open, axial, and selective codes have been sorted out. The article concludes that the themes might be classified based on five challenges from less physical (including socio-economic, cultural-educational) to more physical (consisting of planning-design, urban infrastructure, and traffic). The themes include housing, education-research, participation, planning, design, Information and Communication Technology, and public transportation. There is no discrepancy between the extracted strategies for either post or pre Corona eras. The most common concept among themes and strategies is their dichotomy qualities (such as place and non-place). The good governor based on healthy city approaches, however, is the crucial theme that may bind the whole theme.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The crisis caused by the outbreak of a new infectious virus called corona in cities has caused the previously accepted principles in architecture and urban planning to be questioned. The adoption of new strategies in various fields of architecture and urban planning has faced immediate problems for decision-makers. The question addressed in this article is the discovery of the most important strategies as a simple model for Iranian society in the face of the challenges and consequences of this phenomenon. The article seeks to categorize the strategic themes grounded on Coronavirus pandemic challenges in Iran's architecture and urban planning. The research aims to build relevant knowledge in the shape of the conceptual model. As the virus has spread quickly among societies and vaccination discovery takes time, it is vital to find theoretical dimensions as well as practical aspects of architecture and urban planning to respond to the challenge.
Architectural and urban planning solutions as proper building placement, lighting, choice of materials, natural ventilation, spatial hierarchy, and in-between spaces along with socio-economic solutions and health treatments in Iranian society against deaths caused by accidents and diseases are presented. Apart from floods and earthquakes, the spread of malaria, leprosy, tuberculosis, malaria, leishmaniasis, shingles, gonorrhea, syphilis, typhoid, plague, smallpox, cholera, and Covid-19 are among the causes of crises or mass deaths in Iran has been reported.
Options such as escaping from being in the wind, going home, closing the door on yourself, avoiding other people's gatherings, avoiding fatty and sweet foods, eating pickles, smelling vinegar and smoking (frankincense) have been mentioned, but few people could get rid of them.
 At present, in the short period of academic correspondence, several media events about "Corona in Iranian society" have taken place. "Hyper medicine" and "cyberspace expansion" or virtual and the culmination of a platform video culture in the areas of health, housing, business, education, lifestyle, shopping, and consumption are among the main factors in the discussion of governance model in the cyberspace era. Socio-economic, educational, cultural-artistic challenges and areas such as social movements, government and policy-making, labor and employment, communication, religious thought, and social psychology of the crisis were among the theoretical achievements of academic communities.
 
Methodology
Based on a grounded theory methodology and applying content analysis and focus group techniques, the primary sources were gathered from an expert panel including countrywide faculty members of IAU with architecture and urban planning and design expertise. To consider the data collection saturated, the graduate students' sketches during a semester as well as the extensive literature have been analyzed. Challenges, consequences, and strategies are codified in three phases: Open, axial, and selective codes have been sorted out.
In addition to library studies, first-hand data were collected in two ways. First, focus discussions and in-depth interviews with a group of experts were set up in the think tank. The expert participants were invited from among the faculty members of the fields of architecture and urban planning of the country. Second, illustrated studies of graduate students in the fields of architecture and urban planning were used. In the expert’s section, nine specialized topics were reviewed by all participants during ten online sessions (at least one hour each).
The topic discussed before the meeting was completed by the study participants, during the meeting by the members, and led by the moderator and secretary of the meeting. Finally, after completing ten sessions, each professor summarized their topic in writing and provided it. The final analysis was finally provided to the experts for comment and consensus. In the other section, the students of five classes voluntarily presented sketches with the research topic in graphic drawings with short texts used in data analysis operations. In order to reach the theoretical saturation limit, additional library studies were continued.
 The initial analysis method was the first-hand data (final written texts and sketches) and second-hand (library) data in three open, axial, and selective steps line by line or paragraph by paragraph and sketch by sketch. Then, they were coded in three parts.
Results and discussion
The themes might be classified based on five challenges from less physical to more physical. The themes include housing, education research, participation, planning, design, information and communication technology, and public transportation.
Both in comparing domestic and foreign first and second-hand sources and in the proposed model of strategies, the role of the coronavirus is more as an accelerator or a reminder of the principles of architecture and urban planning. In other words, the corona experience can accelerate the changes that need to be made in the fields of architecture and urban planning.
The most common aspects of contexts are dual actions (such as place and non-place). It suggests a life style in which human identity has become multifaceted in the fluid and dual actions of space-time, public-private, open-closed, visible-invisible, local-global, tradition-modernity, visible-invisible. Also, urban health-oriented governance is the main strategy that brings together other strategies.
 
Conclusion
There is no discrepancy between the extracted strategies for post- or pre- Corona eras. The most common concept among themes and strategies is their dichotomy qualities (such as place and non-place). However, the good governor based on healthy city approaches is the central theme that may bind the whole theme.
The most common aspects of contexts are dual actions. In the new soft life of corona, human identity has become multifaceted in the fluid and dual actions of space-time, public-private, open-closed, visible-invisible, local-global, tradition-modernity, visible-invisible. Also, urban health-oriented governance is the main strategy that brings together other strategies.
 
Funding
There is no funding support.
 
Authors’ Contribution
All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.