Resumen de Autocratic Control and Urban Design: The Case of Tehran, Iran
In this paper, I present a historical analysis of the urban design and form of the city of Tehran, examining its origin, development and urban renewal schemes. On the basis of this case-study, I describe the concept of "autocratic control" and point out how decisions, actions and interventions by a person with near-unlimited power transformed the city's morphology. I then present a typology of autocratic control and delineate the workings of the different kinds of autocratic control, including examples from other contexts. In conclusion I offer some ideas about the relevance of the concept to other cultures, situations and times.
