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Abstract

Contexualism, as an approach in Urban Planning, holds that the urban elements are not valued in themselves, and should be apprehended, processed, and constructed in its total context and historical setting. This approach moved beyond the physical aspects of ele¬ments in their context, and throughout humanistic approach, the relevant studies devel¬oped into socio-cultural areas. The contexualists should recognise the urban elements and ideas, to apply them into the processes of Urban Planning. Involving in these processes, this study reconstructed three major contexts out of a literature review:
I) Physical Context deals with the existing elements of urban form.
2) Historical Context concerns the historic order of the urban elements for inspira¬ -tion.
3) Socio-cultural Context referred to the shared important norms and values of the society as well as the meanings embodied in the elements of urban forms.
Focusing on these 3 different contexts produced different interpretations on contexual¬ism. This study is an attempt to address the terminology, theoretical assumptions, princi¬ples and design processes of the attitudes and to raise an accent over their applications within the contemporary Urban Planning.

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