Efforts to reinterpret and revive Iranian–Islamic identity in architecture and urban planning have become an important focus of spatial policymaking in Iran over the past several decades. In this context, a range of national and local laws, regulations, and guidelines—particularly those addressing the urban visual image and landscape—have been developed to regulate building façades and enhance the physical identity of cities. Nevertheless, the persistence of visual inconsistencies in cities such as Qom raises a fundamental question: To what extent have the concepts of Iranian–Islamic architecture been translated in these documents from general values and recommendations into clear, measurable, and enforceable criteria?

This critical review adopts an analytical–critical approach to examine higher-level policy documents related to Iranian–Islamic architectural and urban identity, as well as the Guidelines for Regulating Building Façades in Qom, along two main dimensions: first, the conceptual and operational adequacy of the proposed criteria; and second, the degree of integration between regulations, implementation mechanisms, and the physical reality of the city. The critical analysis indicates that, although existing documents have played an important role in consolidating the discourse of Iranian–Islamic identity and addressing issues such as contextual compatibility, materials, color, proportions, visual protection, and landscape quality, the criteria in many cases lack precise definitions and measurable assessment indicators. Moreover, the multiplicity of policymaking institutions, weak enforcement mechanisms, the absence of detailed assessment checklists, limitations in monitoring systems, and insufficient consideration of economic factors and citizen participation have intensified the gap between policy intentions and physical realization.

Accordingly, the central problem is not the complete absence of regulations, but rather an incomplete transition from concept to criteria, from criteria to implementation mechanisms, and from implementation to evaluation