Journal of Geography and Regional Development
Year:2024 | Volume:22 | Issue:1|Papers Count:12

The plan for organizing rural spaces and centers is recognized as one of the appropriate strategies to establish a platform for sustainable development of the environment, hierarchical organization of rural services and facilities, and optimal distribution of the population. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility of the mentioned plan at the level of rural settlements in Mashhad based on the expected services. Therefore, given the importance of this issue, the present research was conducted at 42 villages in the county, which were randomly selected from centers, districts and satellite villages. In this applied research, which is descriptive-analytical in nature, data collection was conducted through a field survey. The statistical population of this research includes 24,636 households domiciling in the studied villages. Using Cochran's formula, a sample of 375 questionnaires was determined. Moreover, Cronbach's alpha reliability coefficient for demographic (0.78), economic (0.81), social (0.82) variables confirmed the appropriateness of the research tool. The collected data was analyzed by statistical methods using SPSS and GIS software. The extent of service feasibility was analyzed based on specificity coefficient at three rural levels. The frequency and dispersion of mean in the above three levels exhibits a great variance between the capitals of centers and the district and the satellite villages. In other words, in terms of the specificity coefficient, there is not a significant difference between the capital of centers and the districts, but it was significantly greater than that of the satellite villages. As for the economic and demographic effects of the plan, there was not a significant difference between the capitals of centers and the district, but the centers surpassed the district in terms of social conditions.

The rise of climate changes in the last two decades in Iran reflects growing vulnerability of human settlements. Therefore, today, the intersection of climate change with rural development issues has drawn attention of academic circles to resilience approach that is more comprehensive than previous ones. Diversification of economic activities is deemed a key strategy for strengthening resilience and adaptation to climate change. In this regard, the present study was conducted to evaluate the effects of the diversity of economic activities on resilience of rural communities to climate change. In this descriptive-analytical research,  a quantitative approach has been adopted. The statistical population consists of 4519 rural households in 11 villages of Saman county, of which 354 households were selected as a sample using the Cochran formula. The findings were analyzed using structural equations (confirmatory factor analysis) method in Amos software, together with one-sample T-test and Kruskal-Wallis in SPSS software. The results reveal a very low level of diversity of economic activities in the villages of Saman region. As for the dimensions of resilience, the physical dimension has the highest and the economic, individual, social, institutional and ecological dimensions have the lowest resilience. The conclusion drawn from measuring the desirability of resilience in all dimensions suggests a significant difference between the ideal resilience and the calculated values. Also, the undesirable diversity of economic activities in the studied villages  has weakened resilience in different dimensions.    

Today, the underlying driver of urban issues is the problems that the administrative bodies of the cities and metropolises, such as municipalities, struggle with, and the failure in informing the public and clarifying performance, legality, consensus and collective wisdom of authorities, participation, etc., have undermined their performance. This research aims to elaborate on the status of good urban governance using the mixed method in the new city of Golbahar. To investigate the status of good governance dimensions in the new city of Golbahar, 385 questionnaires were distributed among citizens, 48 questionnaires were submitted to municipal and city council experts, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 officials of the ​​new cities. Then, adopting a mixed approach, which merges quantitative (descriptive-analytical) and qualitative methods, the status of good urban governance indicators in Golbahar was evaluated. The results derived from the analysis of good urban governance indicators suggest that their average scores, with the exception of legality, transparency and strategic vision, were below average as reported by citizens (within the relative range of 2.5 to 3.5). Moreover, the results of qualitative analysis revealed that the main flaws and inadequacies plaguing governance in the management system of the new city of Golbahar are lack of motivation and sense of belonging to the place in the citizens, non-transparency of the laws and the citizens' mistrust in the authorities.

Today, indicators have increasingly become a valuable tool for policy making and monitoring. In this regard, the tourism sector, especially urban tourism, needs to adopt efficient indicators to evaluate and formulate policies and ensure development. Therefore, this study aims to explore the indicators of the development model of urban tourism. This is an applied-developmental and exploratory research, which adopts a descriptive-analytical and survey method. Moreover, the dominant approach that governs the research is theoretical analysis. In this paper, firstly, theoretical literature relevant to the subject are explored from a structural and systematic perspective. Then, using the interview method, the factors influencing the development of urban tourism are extracted. The statistical population consists of elites, specialists and experts in urban management and tourism. Using the purposive sampling method, 154 people were selected as the statistical sample and their views were incorporated in the final analysis. In the next step, structural equation modeling approach based on partial least squares is utilized to validate the designed pattern of urban tourism development. Finally, using Smart-PLS3 software, the second-order confirmatory factor analysis was used to validate the designed model. Using this scientific process, the underlying factors affecting urban tourism were identified in five dimensions (economic, socio-cultural, infrastructural, sustainable and institutional). The results suggest the good fit of the model. As such, the "socio-cultural" (0.81) index had the highest extracted average variance while “economic" index (0.47) gained the lowest value.

Coastal cities have huge potentials for tourism, which can help improve conditions for tourism. Therefore, branding for urban tourism destinations is of vital importance. These destinations attempt to gain wider support in social, environmental, and management domains, and to determine the branding management strategies of destination for the development of tourism in their region. This calls for identifying factors invovled in determining the optimal management approach. Therefore, this research was conducted to determine the sustainable branding management approach to coastal tourism destinations by exploring their determinatns in Bushehr port using a descriptive-analytical and mixed method approach. The statistical population consisted of 60 managers and experts and the tested sustainable brand indicators were used for the study. Also, in this paper, the resource-based approach in sustainable branding of Bushehr port is defined as a set of assets and potenteials used to identify and address existing threats and opportunities. The research findings confirm the determinants of the tourism brand management approach in Bushehr port based on awareness-raising, understanding, loyalty, advantage, identity, and economic and strategic quality of brand together with the "value", "rarity", "inimitability", "irreplaceability" and " "internal capacities" factors. Moreover, given the tendency of local people and the government for the economic development of Bushehr province, especially Bushehr port, and the quantitative and qualitative research conducted in this city, it seems that Bushehr port has capacities for participatory, development-oriented and community-oriented management. Therefore, informed by the results of this research, the optimal management approach for this area will be the one driven by resource, cooperation and community. 

In recent years, China has been increasingly seeking to increase its economic and military power. Beijing has also begun to expand its relations with Islamabad, which is deemed as a strategic threat by India. In this regard, India has forge a strategic alliance with the United States as a leverage to mount pressure on China and undermine its power while highlighting its regional isolation. Thus, the main research question raise here is, “What strategy does India adopt to mitigate China's growing threats in South Asia?” The research hypothesis is that in the wake of long-term border disputes and conflicts with China, India always feels threatened by this country's prowess, the modernization of its army, and Beijing's cooperation with Islamabad, as Delhi's most important rival and enemy in South Asia. Therefore, by forging a strategic alliance with Washington, Delhi is taking steps toward neutralizing China's growing power and ultimately controlling and isolating this country in the region, which can help balance the regional power of India with China in South Asia. The findings suggest that India is concerned about the growing economic and military power of China and the expansion of this country's cooperation with Pakistan and its transformation into a dominant Asian power. Hence, to avoid being surrounded by China and Pakistan in the region, Delhi attempts to expand its relations with Washington. These measures are part of India's strategy to ensure deterrence against the China-Pakistan axis and alleviate its concerns in South Asia. A qualitative research method has been used for data analysis in this research.  

Administrative division is one of the important strategy of governments for the political organization of a country. Administrative divisions and decentralization are vital for spatial organization, regional development and balance in Iran. Given the territorial expanse and the territorial model of the country's administration, which is of a simple type, the country's administrative division is influenced by the directives and plans communicated by the capital. A historical survey of the country's provinces shows that after the Islamic Revolution, some new provinces have emerged , but in terms of quality, no proper and desirable development trend has been in place. Kermanshah province, as one of the western provinces of Iran, consists of 14 cities, 31 urban centers, 86 rural areas and 2,793 villages in administrative division of Iran . The primary goal of this paper is to identify the most influential parameters among the four political, geographical, economic and social factors underlining the efficiency of the national administrative division in Kermanshah province. The main question raised here is “Which of the four political, geographical, economic and social factors underlining the efficiency of the national administrative division in Kermanshah province wields the greatest impact?” Therefore, using a quantitative method, this descriptive-analytical research was conducted. Also, data analysis was carried out using factor analysis and one-sample T-test. The sample size consisted of 95 experts and specialists in the field of administrative divisions in the governorate of Kermanshah province . The findings suggest that among the four factors investigated in this article, economic factors have wielded greatest negative impact on the efficiency of the national administrative division in Kermanshah province.  

This paper aims to investigate flood risk in the Mashhad urban area and the role of flood channels in controlling floods. To achieve this goal, the AHP method was used in the ArcGIS software. The parameters included distance from the river, slope, density of canals, distance from canals, precipitation, vegetation, road and pathways, elevation classes, drainage density, distance from roads and land use. Then, by developing the required layers of the urban limits, the weight of each layer was determined based on its importance at the time of flooding. After the final weighting, the layers were compared (AHP) using Expert Choice software, and the resulting matrix was transferred to Idrisi software to determine the final coefficient for each layer. Finally, by applying these coefficients through the Weighted Overlay tab in ArcGIS software, the flood risk zoning map in Mashhad urban area was drawn. According to the results, out of the total area of ​​Mashhad, 6.32 sqm have a very low flood risk, 23.82 sqm have a low risk, 260.06 sqm have a medium risk, 41.88 sqm have a high risk and 2.04 sqm have a very high risk. About 1% of the entire urban area has a very low risk, 7% has a low risk, about 77% of has a medium risk, 12% has a high risk and 3% has a very high risk. The results suggest that 0 to 3-degree slopes, which chiefly have urban application, provide suitable grounds for exploitation. Therefore, the areas particularly relevant to exploitation are those with proper conditions in terms of slope and vegetation. In light of the role of flood channels in flood control, it was found that the floor risk is lower in areas with higher canal density.   

Climate is one of the environmental factors that plays a seminal role in human activities including tourism. In this research, the human-biometeorological climatic conditions of Ardabil province have been investigated using physiological equivalent temperature (PET) based on body-atmosphere energy balance and multivariate regression. The data was collected from the National Meteorological Organization for 8 synoptic stations over 30 years (1991 to 2020). The results suggest that out of 9 climate classes of PET index, only 5 classes of “very cold, cold, relatively cool, cool and comfortable” can be found in this region and 4 classes of “relatively hot, hot, hot and very hot” do not exist in this province. In this regard, it turned out that very cold conditions prevail over the entire province in 5 months of the cold season, i.e., January, February, March, November and December, and the spatial distribution of these conditions is fully homogenous. This is relatively heterogeneous in the summer and the climatic conditions of this area are more variable in the hot season of the year. In general, in June, July and August, ideal conditions prevail in parts of this province. As such, the it was found that the major controlling factor of comfortable climatic conditions among longitude, latitude and altitude was altitude, so that there is a strong inverse relationship between altitude and PET index in 12 months of the year at a significant level of α=0.05 and α=0.01. The multivariate regression relationship of longitude, latitude and altitude with the PET indicate that Adj.R2 value of PET from January to December for the reference period is 0.713, 0.820, 0.783, 0.807, 0.807, 0.559, 0.841, 0.693, 0.745, 0.731, 0.824 and 0.662. The highest variations in the dependent variable were observed in the regression model. In this model, altitude has an inverse relationship with PET so that its value declines as altitude increases. This is true for two variables of latitude and longitude, but the effect of longitude is less substantial than that of latitude, both of which are eclipsed by altitude.    

The Middle East is the center of crisis in the world. Multiple crises and conflicts in this region began in 2003 in the wake of the invasion of the United States of America to Iraq, followed by the escalation of protest movements in the Arab world, including the Syrian crisis. Meanwhile, one of the major crises that this region has been engulfed in the last two decades is the rise of terrorist groups. By launching terrorist attacks and provoking instability, these groups have compromised the security of many countries in the world. The main question raised in this research is “What implications do the spread of terrorist groups have for global peace and security?” The results suggest that the rise of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Jabhat al-Nusra, etc., have guided the defense policy of the Middle East countries towards amplifying their arms purchases, thereby fueling the rivalry of powers in this region. Furthermore, it has drawn in new members from other regions such as Europe and Central Asia. More importantly, as the foreign members of these groups began return to their home countries, it has ignited terrorist attacks in other Middle Eastern countries and some European countries such as England and Germany. This paper seeks to explore this issue using a descriptive-analytical method through the study of library resources.

Environmental risks are an inseparable part of the interplay between humans and the environment, which, due to its growing consequences, has come under spotlight in planning and decision-making systems of countries, especially in the developing world. Peri-urban spaces can be subject to irreparable damages inflicted by environmental risks, as they have become a destination for a growing population of migrants to large cities (regional and national) or urban escapees. It is because risky behavior has wreaked havoc on natural and man-made foundations in peri-urban areas. Within the framework of risk management, identifying the types of risks, measuring them, making decisions to address them (countermeasures) and monitoring are some of basic measures. Awareness of local strategies for managing environmental risks is a strategic priority for sustainable planning. Given the role of executive managers in dealing with risks, this research attempts to investigate the mental models of local managers (Dehyaran) about strategies for dealing with environmental risks in the peri-urban area of Birjand. In this applied nature, a descriptive method had been adopted. Data collection involved documentary studies, interviews, and a survey of the managers’ views. The findings were analyzed using the Q method in SPSS software. According to the results, 18 types of risks (both natural and human-induced) have emerged in the peri-urban area of Birjand. According to local managers, 26 propositions (solutions) can be considered in the form of three mental models for tackling environmental risks. The themes of the identified models include "improving issues in the physical dimension", "enhancing factors that strengthen the sense of security in the residential pathways", and "growth of financial and human capital in the local community". Ultimately, local managers posit that the management of environmental hazards in the peri-urban areas of Birjand is contingent upon the tactfulness and problem-solving of human issues.

Understanding the physical condition of the city and analyzing the pattern of physical development to achieve sustainable urban development is vital, because today the bulk of researchers assume that there is a significant relationship between the pattern of physical development of the city and sustainability. Accordingly, the primary goal of this study is to analyze the physical-spatial development pattern of Yasuj using spatial analysis methods such as local spatial autocorrelation (Moran), directional distribution, standard elliptic distribution and hot spots. The research methodology draws on both deductive and inductive methods. The former was employed to explore theoretical foundations and research literature, and the latter was adopted to gain insights into the pattern of physical development of Yasuj by tapping into statistics and information obtained from secondary data. The results of spatial analysis suggest that in population, residential and construction indices, density displays a pattern of cluster distribution and spatial autocorrelation. As such, the Z-Score was 54.58 for population density, 57.48 for residential density and 51.12 for construction density in 2015, exhibiting a significant surge compared to 1996 and 2006. The results of hot spots for 1996-2016 span in Yasuj city show dispersed and low-density physical expansion of the city, which has laid the ground for the spiral and unplanned growth of the city, especially in the northwest area. The highest hot spatial clusters of varying densities in Yasuj were observed in western blocks of the city with 99% significance and the highest cold spatial clusters were recorded in the northwestern blocks. Therefore, controlling and monitoring urban constructions and deterring the destruction of agricultural lands in the west and northwest areas of this city can serve as a key strategy in guiding the physical development of Yasuj.