With the transition from the "vehicle-centric" paradigm to "human-centric urbanization", pedestrian transportation is recognized as one of the main pillars of sustainable urban development. Meanwhile, the central fabric of Ahvaz has a high potential for regeneration due to the high density of activities; however, the dominance of vehicular infrastructure and physical challenges have posed numerous structural barriers to pedestrianization. The present study, with the aim of analyzing these barriers, identified 18 main barriers through the Delphi technique and the opinions of 50 experts and analyzed them using interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and MICMAC analysis. The results of this systematic analysis show that pedestrian barriers in Ahvaz are locked in a six-level and interconnected causal-disability system. In this structure, the most influential functional-traffic and management barriers act as the root drivers and core of the crisis and reproduce the physical complications (such as insufficient sidewalk width) at the upper levels of the model. Finally, the results showed that any one-dimensional and purely physical intervention, without controlling the root drivers, is doomed to failure and waste of resources due to the systemic nature of the barriers. Therefore, achieving sustainable pedestrianization in Ahvaz requires adopting a comprehensive and synchronized approach that prioritizes changing the paradigm from car-centric to human-centric, reforming macro-traffic policies, reviewing land use management, and implementing climate defenses. Only by reforming these fundamental nodes can the physical nodes be opened and, by improving access and security, injecting a spirit of vitality into the historic heart of the city.