New regionalism

Mismatch of territories under authority of local governments with urban-regional activity domains, on one hand, has caused numerous problems and, on the other hand, has hindered taking maximum advantage of regional capacities and partial and competitive advantages. Hence, application of a new regionalism approach, which focuses on shared planning and management by all stakeholder groups within the pertinent domain, may help solve such problems. In this regard, this paper aims to investigate legal grounds of new regionalism, generally, in Iran and, particularly, in Qeshm Island, and its requirements for increasing competitiveness and creativity in Qeshm Island. Hence, underlying concepts of new regionalism and their relation with a creative city are investigated at first step. Next, legal grounds of new regionalism within national laws and organizational goals and missions of Qeshm Free Trade Zone Organization (FTZO) are investigated. Finally, a comparative study of new regionalism related issues and goals of Qeshm FTZO is provided. Results indicate that such an approach has been referred to both in national codes and goals and missions of Qeshm Free Trade Zone Organization. Moreover, new regionalism can lead to increased quality of life by considering concepts of smart growth, social justice, and environmental justice which can result in attracting creative classes of citizens and building up a creative city. Furthermore, this approach can increase competitiveness in Qeshm Island through making use of its partial and competitive advantages and facilitating laws and regulations with regard to economic activities and foreign investment.

Following the contemporary globalization process, cities have gained a strong presence in world politics, and by connecting to international urban networks, they play an effective role in the common interests of themselves and other urban actors. The current research aims to investigate the requirements of forming an international union of cities around the Persian Gulf by strengthening city diplomacy in the region with the benefit of a descriptive-analytical method. In this regard, the background of economic and social relations and the region's current situation have been investigated using reliable sources and articles. Finally, the model of city diplomacy in the Persian Gulf region has been presented. The research findings show that the cities of this region have moved in the direction of divergence despite the presence of many convergence factors, and the formation of an international urban union in the region will play an effective role in increasing convergence and greater peace in the region.