Today, the field of Urban design methodology for achieving socio-economic value derived from the optimal design of a variety of species, especially the construction of the buildings owned by the public sector in Urban areas. The standards in directing and controlling Urban design approaches for social, cultural, economic and environmental have impact on the quality of life in cities, and the “visual quality” and an important aesthetic issue. On the other hand, environmental graphic design and visual elements to improve the appearance of towns and cities rather than the possibility of improving Urban life provided. In this paper, the issue of the status of graphic design and visual arts and its influence on the realization of the value of Urban design, which is in the form of architecture and the built environment to guide the Urban planning commission to determine the role of graphic design in this important deals. Finally, several cases related to the improvement of the status and potential role in improving the quality of Urban graphic visual environment and promote Urban landscape will be discussed.

Urban resilience is defined as the capability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from significant multi-hazard threats with minimum damage to public safety and health, the economy, and security of a given Urban area. Its dimensions include social, economic, environmental and physical resilience. Resilient Urban design is based on two models: the equilibrium model and the non-equilibrium model. The former model attempts to reduce vulnerability and increase response capacity, while the latter emphasizes the adaptability of physical form and city functions to hazards. In terms of content, both models require certain quality features to be envisaged in Urban design as regards function, environment and aesthetics. In terms of process, resilient Urban design requires a knowledge-based strategic approach that is both interactive and participatory.

Although Urban design was popular in Iran as a science for guiding Urban development, there have been no adequate model terms of reference for several Urban design projects. This paper attempts to propose model terms of reference for design-oriented as well as policy-oriented Urban design. The proposed terms of reference are for meso level (preparing a design framework for a part or a zone in the city) and micro level (preparing three-dimensional designs for an Urban space or site).A first version of the terms of reference was initially developed as a result of theoretical studies. Pursuant to the application of the model to several practical projects, the model was subsequently modified.

The concepts of democracy have been around for centuries in different fields of human sciences. However, in most of these fields the idealistic and far-fetched features attributed to democracy have not been manipulated yet. It should be mentioned that there have been only a few serious attempts to find proper go-between elements, which could make such a concept as comprehensible and tangible as possible. In fact “democratic Urban space” is derived from the “design for all” concept. In other words, this is the physical expression of “general democracy” which appears in Urban spaces and which is definable based on specific principles. These principles (qualitative norms of democratic Urban space design) are jointly based on Urban design and democratic approaches, and have got a moderating role among theoretical contexts and Urban physics. Based on the general aspect of mentioned concepts, there is a need for detailed attention to all Urban spaces in order to find specific strategies and tools for each space, based on internal characteristics of the space and according to democratic street design norms. The present article, in line with the aforementioned purpose, aims to devise the instruments and methods, which could actualize the theoretical concepts of democracy, which are often considered at a general level in the actual life of people. In this regard, studying and investigating other democratic conceptual fields in Urban street spaces (economics, culture, politics, government) alongside other forms of spatial-physical democracy in streets are surveyed in this article. Therefore, the main aim of this article is to analyse and provide design guidelines based on democracy norms in the street context. In order to achieve this goal, a wide range of theories have been reviewed and systemically classified to provide physical guidelines for democratic street design.

The development of microelectronic technology in the last decade is now changing the socio-economic, political and cultural structure of the world-- a process commonly referred to as globalization. Drawing on information and global economic powers, globalization targets the city as its focal point to transform large historical cities into global cities with particular functions. Globalization is the result of information revolution, however, and like its predecessor, the industrial revolution, it has both advantages and disadvantages for different nations-- especially the developing countries. The major concern in terms of Urban design is the impacts of telecommunications, global economy, and clash of diverse cultures which can result in neutral Urban spaces with no particular national or local identity. By the same token, Urban design is introduced as an effective instrument for preservation of the cultural identity in global cities.

The impact of information and communication technology (ICT) on the modem city has been the question of many thinkers who have coined new terms such as anti-city, non-place Urban realm, abstract space, new hyper space, centre-less city, etc., This paper provides a brief account of ICT history, potentials, innovations, and its impact the city, and tries to answer the following questions: Urban designers face which phenomena and concepts in the 21st century? What are the applications of the new ICT in Urban management? And what impact will the new technologies will have on the Urban form, spatial distribution of activities and planning strategies?

The formal composition of Urban elements or the Urban physical organization followed the need for vehicular access under the principles of Modern Architecture. Urban design in a postmodern age however, emphasizes the role of physical organization in creating a sense of place. In a purely functional view, the positioning of Urban solids facilitates the flow of vehicular traffic through Urban voids, i.e. Urban spaces. The organization of openness and enclosure thus becomes a function of Urban mobility. On the contrary, the postmodernist approach to the organization of Urban physical elements prioritizes pedestrian traffic to foster human encounters, enrich cognitive experience of an Urban environment, and thus create a sense of place. This approach thus affects the organization of such Urban elements as buildings and parcels; streets and squares; Urban blocks and Urban patterns, both at macro and micro-scales.

Quality is one of the central concepts in Urban design knowledge and profession - naturally with a great theoretical and practical significance. Apart from theoretical importance, due to quality crisis currently experienced in most Iranian Urban environments, quality has become a serious question from a practical point of view. Many officials, academicians, and practicing Urban designers have increasingly expressed their concerns over lack of quality in Urban design of the country. However, due to equivocal and elusive nature of the concept of Quality, so far there seems little consensus among the diverse views. To provide a common understanding of Urban design quality, it seems as if some theoretical clarification of the concept is needed. This paper aims at inquiring the concept of Urban design quality, by developing a theoretical framework to explain the concept, identifying its components. The paper consists of five major parts. First, the concept of Quality is etymologically discussed. Next, the concept is examined in terms of "modes of existence". Then, a review of the literature on the notion of "good" Urban design and the qualities concerned is presented and the criteria applied in a number of Urban design checklists is examined and the results are reported. Finally, the paper concludes that: 1- Urban design quality could be effectively explained by means of an enhanced version of Canter's (1977) pioneering "place" paradigm as suggested by this study and entitled "Sustainable Place Model"; 2- Urban design quality comprises three components namely "experiential-aesthetic quality", "functional quality", and "environmental quality".