Identifying the causes of non-realization of public service land uses in detailed plans and providing a proposed framework to address major damages (case study: Southwest planning area of Mashhad)

The realization of the public service land uses –such aseducational, park and green space, cultural, therapeutic and sports venues—guarantees the quality of life of citizens. However, the evaluation of land use planning in urban development plans reveals a consistent failure to realize these uses.This research aimed to identify the fundamental obstacles to the realization of these public service land uses and propose a framework to address these challenges .  A significant issue in the southwest planning area of Mashhad has been the non-realization of a considerable portion of public service land uses, even though the area was predominantly empty and undeveloped at the time of preparing the detailed plans. This issue arises when planning is prioritized over actual development.
The detailed plans among the urban development plans were selected for this study becuase they are the most precise in terms ofland use planning at the  parcel level. Therefore, first of all, the achievement level of proposed public service uses in the detailed plans in the southwest of Mashhad planning area wasmeasured quantitatively by comparing  the pre-proposed plan with the current situation. This comparison was conducted using both overlapping and non-overlapping methods. The findings indicate an average achievement rate of 38% of the proposed area, a figure that is far from satisfactory.
Following this, the reasons for the non-realization of these uses were identified using qualitative research method, in-depth interviews were conducted with 11 urban planning experts and data were analyzed using open and axial coding techniques. From this analysis, 11 central issues were identified, withtwo fundamental issues emerging as root causes“planning regardless of ownership issue” and “weakness and ambiguity in existing laws and lack of attention to rectifying it”. This identification was done based on the frequency of open codes and their classification in axial codes.
The first fundamental issue highlights the need for planners to consider land ownership types and registered ownership boundaries when designating public service uses. The second fundamental issue although outside the immediate scope of planning, pertains to urban laws and significantly impacts the realization of public service uses. Both issues demand special attention to improve the realization of public service land uses.  Addressing land ownership in land use planning and resolving legal ambiguities are crucial steps in enhancing the feasibility of these uses.
 
Using the qualitative content analysis method and based on the results of the interviews and theoretical foundations, the inadequacy of related laws was further examined. The findings indicate the necessity of planning the public service land uses based on the ownership considerations and the clarification and amendment of related laws to form a viable framework. Keywords: Land use planning in detailed plan, non-realization of public service land uses, major damages and obstacles, ownership issue, ambiguity in laws, proposed framework