Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Urban Planning, Faculty of Art and Architecture, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
2
Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
Abstract
A B S T R A C T
Despite its distinctive architecture and valuable cultural assets, the historic fabric of Bushehr is experiencing substantial physical deterioration and profound social stagnation. Under these conditions, the Khayyami Ritual, as an important form of intangible cultural heritage—holds considerable potential to serve as a catalyst for the area’s cultural and spatial revitalization. This study aims to identify and prioritize strategies for culture-led regeneration, with particular emphasis on the potential of Khayyami performances. Methodologically, the research adopts a mixed-methods design and is applied in its purpose. Relevant culture-led regeneration strategies were first identified through an extensive literature review and subsequently prioritized by local experts. The MICMAC structural cross-impact analysis was then used to assess the influence and dependence of each strategy, enabling the identification of key driving variables. The findings show that three strategies, expanding cultural events, reconstructing and rehabilitating historic buildings, and strengthening the creative industries, exert the greatest influence and thus constitute the principal drivers of Bushehr’s regeneration. As such, major investments and policy initiatives should be concentrated in these domains. In parallel, the careful management of urban image and branding is essential. Other strategies hold secondary priority and are likely to become operational once the primary drivers have been successfully established. Nevertheless, ensuring long-term sustainability requires dedicated attention to social participation and institutional collaboration. Overall, the proposed analytical framework provides a strategic roadmap for policymakers and urban planners seeking to guide the sustainable and culturally grounded regeneration of Bushehr’s historic fabric.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
The historic fabric of cities, despite its rich architectural qualities, is today facing a set of interrelated challenges, including declining social vitality, economic stagnation, and the growth of underutilized areas. These valuable urban cores, which embody cultural heritage and urban identity, have been unable to participate effectively in the process of urban development due to residents’ economic difficulties and the lack of adequate governmental programs. As a result, a wide range of physical, social, and cultural assets within these areas are gradually deteriorating and, in some cases, being completely lost. Addressing these conditions necessitates an approach that extends beyond conventional conservation practices and instead seeks to activate the endogenous potentials of historic districts while maintaining their heritage values. Within this perspective, culture-based regeneration has emerged as a conceptual framework that links heritage preservation with social revitalization and economic development.This approach treats culture not merely as an intrinsic value but as a strategic instrument for stimulating economic development and revitalizing historic districts. By emphasizing local scales and the dynamics of human–place interaction, culture-led regeneration aims to cultivate distinctive, attractive urban environments capable of drawing the talent and investment associated with creative industries.
Within this context, the recent emergence of the Khayyam-Khani, musical performances based on Khayyam’s quatrains, has played a notable role in activating cultural spaces, reinforcing social vitality, and attracting both domestic and international visitors. This phenomenon presents a distinctive opportunity to formulate integrated strategies that simultaneously advance social revitalization and economic development. Nevertheless, conservation efforts in Bushehr have predominantly been limited to isolated, single-building interventions. These fragmented actions have not succeeded in reconstituting the social networks or establishing the sustainable economic mechanisms required for long-term regeneration.
To address this gap, the present study identifies, analyzes, and prioritizes culture-led regeneration strategies tailored to Bushehr’s historic fabric, with particular emphasis on the transformative potential of the Khayyam-Khani. The research is guided by two principal questions:
Given the endogenous capacities of Bushehr’s historic fabric, which culture-led regeneration strategies are most effective?
How can these strategies be prioritized through an examination of their interrelationships?
Methodology
This study adopts a mixed-methods and applied research design, with the overarching aim of developing a practical framework for selecting effective regeneration strategies. The research was implemented in two principal stages. First, an extensive review of the literature, supported by exploratory desk-based research, was conducted in order to identify culture-based regeneration strategies.
Second, the Delphi technique was applied to contextualize and prioritize these strategies for the case of Bushehr. Data were gathered through a structured questionnaire administered to a purposive sample of 15 experts, including university academics, urban planners, tourism specialists, and local music practitioners, all with a minimum of five years of professional experience. Content validity was ensured through the preliminary review and confirmation of the questionnaire by selected academics and subject-matter specialists before the formal commencement of the Delphi rounds. Reliability was established by attaining theoretical saturation and achieving statistical stability in expert responses during the final round. Finally the resulting data were analyzed and classified using the MICMAC method (Matrix of Cross-Impact Multiplications Applied to Classification). This structural-analysis approach evaluates the interrelationships among key variables within a complex system to identify the most influential “driving” variables that guide future development pathways. A direct-influence matrix was employed to score pairwise relationships on a scale ranging from 0 (no relationship) to 3 (strong relationship).
Results and Discussion
Following the review of theoretical foundations, eight core culture-based regeneration strategies were identified. These strategies comprise: (1) strengthening cultural and creative industries; (2) event-based urbanism; (3) fostering the presence of artists and the broader creative class; (4) enhancing social participation and institutional collaboration; (5) reconstructing and rehabilitating historic buildings; (6) improving urban spaces and advancing placemaking; (7) cultivating a distinctive urban image and brand; and (8) developing cultural tourism.
To examine the feasibility of these strategies within the specific contextual conditions of Bushehr’s historic fabric, a structured questionnaire was developed and administered among experts. Following the criteria established in the research methodology, a purposive sample of 15 specialists was selected, including 5 university academics in urban planning and architecture, 3 experts from the Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, 5 municipal managers and planners, and 2 professionals in tourism and urban tour operations. The findings from several successive rounds of the Delphi method, after achieving consensus among experts, served as the basis for structural analysis using the MICMAC software. To describe the relationships, a Direct Influence Matrix (MDI) was employed. In this matrix, influence scores ranged from 0 to 3, where 0 indicates no relationship, 1 indicates a weak influence, 2 indicates a moderate influence, and 3 indicates a strong influence. Additionally, the symbol P denotes potential influence, which cannot be determined through consensus. Data from the statistical rounds were analyzed in an 8×8 matrix corresponding to the selected indicators. Out of the 64 evaluated relationships (influence and influenced), 27 relationships scored 0 (no effect), 11 scored 1 (low effect), 10 scored 2 (moderate effect), and 16 scored 3 (strong effect). The table’s fill coefficient was 57.8%, indicating a good distribution of indicators within the matrix. The MICMAC analysis grouped the eight regeneration strategies into four distinct clusters according to their respective levels of influence and dependence.
1.Independent variables, which exhibit high influence and low dependence, constitute the principal drivers of the system. Three strategies fall within this cluster: cultural and social events, the reconstruction and rehabilitation of historic buildings, and the development of cultural and creative industries. Experts identified the expansion of cultural events, particularly the successful annual Koucheh Festival, as the most influential and highest-priority driver. The Koucheh Festival is held every year in March at Café Haj Raees, located in the historic Shenbadi neighborhood of Bushehr. During this event, various local music groups gather to present their indigenous melodies in a friendly competitive format, with Khayyam-Khani serving as the festival’s central feature. This element appears to be the main reason why the variable was considered the most significant by the study’s target community. Following the popularity of this annual event, additional cafés and workshops for producing musical instruments have been established in the Shenbadi neighborhood, where Khayyam-Khani has become a recurring activity throughout the year. Consequently, the development of such events appears to constitute a key lever for the regeneration of Bushehr’s historic fabric.
The introduction of music-related industries and multifunctional spaces—including music halls, recording studios, educational spaces, cinemas, cafés, and retail outlets, as exemplified in Omaha—represents a second key lever for regeneration. At present, workshops for making musical instruments (such as ney-anban) and art galleries exist only on a limited scale in Shenbadi. Implementing this strategy and expanding these spaces could create opportunities for new industries such as music education, recording studios, and content production, potentially acting as a strong catalyst for other dimensions of regeneration.
The “reconstruction and rehabilitation” of individual buildings represents another factor that is partially being realized. For instance, the Haj Raees Mansion was restored and converted into a traditional hotel that hosts the Koucheh Festival. Conducting performances in these rehabilitated historic spaces has enhanced cultural attractiveness and reinforced heritage preservation.Nevertheless, substantial potential remains for implementing rehabilitation projects for other historic buildings and for development-stimulating initiatives. Such initiatives could have a highly positive impact on the functional revival of decayed urban fabrics.
2. Linkage variables demonstrate both high influence and high dependence. Cultivating a strong urban image and brand is situated within this volatile cluster, as it possesses the capacity to generate significant and at times unpredictable effects. Although branding plays a critical role in attracting tourists and creative professionals, its success is strongly contingent upon the overall performance of broader regeneration processes. Effective management of this strategy requires careful and precise planning to preserve coherence between the projected urban image and on-the-ground realities. In Bushehr, Khayyam-Khani is recognized as a cultural symbol among artistic and educated communities, particularly the younger generation. However, this phenomenon has not yet achieved widespread adoption among the general public, especially among older generations who have less exposure to modern media. Consequently, the strategy of “cultivating an urban image” is still in a gradual stage of realization.
3. Dependent variables are characterized by low influence and high dependence. This cluster comprises the enhancement of urban spaces and placemaking, tourism development, and strengthening the presence of artists and the creative class. These strategies function largely as outcomes of other interventions and are shaped primarily by the driving and linkage variables. Because they exert limited influence in their own right, direct investment in these dependent areas, without first reinforcing the main driving factors, may represent an inefficient allocation of resources. New cultural events, such as the Koucheh Festival and Bushehr Day Festival, along with Khayyam-Khani performances in historic cafés, annually attract both domestic and international tourists. Nevertheless, accommodation and recreational services in the historic fabric remain underdeveloped. In terms of placemaking, the area hosting the Koucheh Festival has become a cultural hub for the younger generation, enhancing vitality and public space activity in the Shenbadi neighborhood.
4. Finally, autonomous variables, displaying both low influence and low dependence, remain relatively detached from the system’s core dynamics. Social participation and institutional collaboration were assigned to this category. This situation indicates that strengthening cooperation among various executive sectors and supporting community participation, despite their inherent importance, alone does not induce significant systemic change and is less affected by other variables. This finding contrasts with the global literature, where local community participation is often identified as a “critical lever” for culture-based regeneration. The discrepancy can be attributed to the particular social characteristics of Bushehr’s historic fabric, where cultural and urban policies are still in the early stages of building trust and collaboration with the local community, and local stakeholders have not yet had sufficient opportunity or motivation for active engagement.
These findings also allow for a reinterpretation of global strategies. Many successful regeneration models initially emphasized physical interventions, such as building rehabilitation, event creation, and the development of creative industries. However, it has later been observed that without support and participation from the local community, the long-term social and economic impacts remain limited. The case of Bushehr mirrors this cycle: the implementation of driving strategies is necessary first, while community participation is still at an early stage, and its role is expected to grow over time through trust-building and local education. Moreover, these results highlight the importance of sequencing and timing in strategy implementation. Driving strategies can provide the necessary initial stimulus for the regeneration process of historic fabrics, but sustainable success requires a long-term plan for actively engaging the community and developing local capacities. In light of the global literature, the situation in Bushehr suggests that social participation, as a determinant factor, is not yet fully capable of exerting its influence, but with the progression of projects and the cultivation of social trust, it has the potential to become a central and pivotal element in the regeneration process.
Conclusion
This study identified and prioritized the key strategies that underpin culture-led regeneration in Bushehr’s historic fabric. The analysis suggests that achieving meaningful regeneration outcomes requires prioritizing three core strategies: expanding cultural events, reconstructing historic buildings, and strengthening the creative industries. Concurrently, the management of urban branding and image-making functions as a critical linkage variable, necessitating sustained and coordinated oversight. The remaining strategies hold secondary priority and are expected to become more effective once the primary driving variables have been firmly established. Nevertheless, the long-term sustainability of the regeneration process depends on giving deliberate attention to social participation and institutional collaboration. Overall, the analytical model developed in this study offers a strategic roadmap for policymakers and urban planners, enabling them to make informed decisions that foster the sustainable and culturally grounded regeneration of Bushehr’s historic fabric.
Funding
There is no funding 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.
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