Contribution of Immigrant Planners to the Planning Process

This study examines the contribution of Iranian immigrant planners to urban planning in Sweden. It evokes the researches that celebrate diversity in planning profession as a key to reach the just city. This study aims to test this claim as well as to explore the possible ways through which immigrant planners in Stockholm might be able to bring benefits to their workforce. Adopting the characteristics of an admired planning method in a "just city", this will outline the advantages and disadvantages that Iranian planners have faced with at their work. The empirical analysis is built on the basis of observation and individual interviews with 7 Iranian planners and 2 non-Iranians in Stockholm. The findings show planning system in Sweden, at least at local level, is not very open that let planners act very much different from each other. The differences are mostly in process and not in result. The main contribution of immigrant planners' local and cultural knowledge is in the field of language. However, it seems that diversity in planning profession, in long term, have influenced other planners' attitude regarding minority communities.

Autorentext

Maryam Rafieifar is a graduate of Urban and Regional Planning from Stockholm University. She also holds a master degree in Social Science Research. She is interested in humanitarian affairs and works for the International Committee of the Red Cross.