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Analyzing the Consequences of Border Establishment and Border Policies on the Settlements of Border Region. A Case Study of Iran-Afghanistan Border Villages (Yazdan, Kaboodeh, and Nazarkhan farm)

Volume 1, Issue 4 (12-2019)
Abstract
The formation of the border and the establishment of a border line between the two countries have political, economic and cultural-social consequences and impacts, especially at local and border settlements level. In this research, the consequences of the border establishment, border policies, and the plan to strengthen border guard (Forces) at several points of settlements such as Yazdan, Kaboodeh, and Nazarkhan have been discussed. This descriptive-analytical research, based on library and field pieces of information/findings seek to investigate the formation process of eastern borders within South Khorasan province and also the developments that during about six decades have taken place in these areas. The results of researchers showed that the determination and establishment of this border caused that some border villages such as Kaboodeh and Yazdan placed on this side of the border, and Nazarkhan was placed on the Afghan side. The consequences of these border policies have led to evacuation and destruction of border villages such as Kaboodeh and Yazdan, along the Nomands resettlement plan and security, and also their inhabitants were resettled in the Barenjgan city; in the other hand, Nazarkhan farm across the border has now changed into a linear village with a population of over 5 thousand people. The evacuation of these border villages along with the border privacy delimitation project, and also the forced migration of its residents to a new location has resulted in tensions between old residents and new immigrants in addition to causing discontent between borderers.
 
An Analysis of Population Settlement Patterns with Emphasis on The Coastal Areas of Iran

Volume 6, Issue 2 (5-2024)
Abstract
ntroduction
Spatial distribution of settlements in the territory is one of the serious issues of spatial planning in the geographical field. The settlement patterns of the city and the village, especially in the coastal areas, is a field that this article emphasizes. In this research, it is tried to investigate how the population settles in the coastal areas. Then, a suitable model to attract the population in these areas is suggested. According to the findings of the national research document, the territorial policies related to the coasts and islands of the country can be listed as follows, which have strengthened the role of the country in the network of regional and international transit passages, as a result, leading to economic prosperity and the settlement of the population will be on the coasts and border areas of the country. Also, the importance of the role of the islands in the development and attraction of the population in the southern coast of the country is emphasized. As a result, according to the situation of population settlement in the coasts of the country, the capacities and roles of each of the settlement points have been extracted according to the land use document and the strategic document of sustainable development of the southern islands of the country. In this case, all the residential areas and islands have played a role according to the division of national work between them and contributed to the development process in the coasts in promoting political, economic, social and cultural ties and relations with the countries of the region and the world. As a result, they can help the whole country.
Introduction
The settlement pattern of the population and settlements is the spatial outcome of the natural environment and the economic, socio-cultural and political conditions, and certainly with the change of these conditions over time, the settlement pattern also changes and transforms. Knowing these developments, the causes and effective factors in the occurrence and emergence of these developments, as well as the effects and consequences of these developments in different fields is a geographical subject and has a special theoretical and scientific (applied) importance. From a theoretical point of view, recognizing, analyzing and explaining the establishment pattern and its developments and investigating the contribution and role of various factors, including the natural, economic, socio-cultural and political environment in its formation and developments, and discovering the general laws governing the establishment pattern, along with understanding the works and its economic-social and spatial-physical consequences are very important and can be effective in expanding the boundaries of knowledge in the field of geography. Also, from a practical and practical point of view, since the achievement of the optimal model system of population settlement requires the knowledge of trends and trends in this field, the results of such studies can be effective in organizing coastal areas, especially the optimal distribution of population settlement. In this research, it is tried to investigate how the population settles in the coastal areas. Then, a suitable model for attracting the population in these areas is suggested. The pattern of population spatial settlement in both national and local arenas has an irregular distribution. Most of the population and cities are located in the northern and western regions of the country. In the meantime, the provinces and coastal areas in the south of the country, in addition to having a low population density, also suffer from the irregular distribution of the population in the city centers. In this paper, population settlement and spatial arrangement of cities in coastal regions, population settlement and spatial arrangement of cities in coastal provinces of the country are investigated. Unlike the previous researches, this research studies the mentioned provinces not individually, but collectively as the coastal provinces of the country in the form of a region.
Methodology
The present research is a small part of the patterns of population settlement in Iran, which focuses on the coastal areas and examines it from the perspective of analysis. In other words, this research seeks to provide appropriate answers to the patterns of population settlement between the southern and northern coasts of Iran. The research method is descriptive-analytic and data gathering procedure is based on library method.
Results and discussion
After examining and comparing the parameters of relative density, coastal density and coastal grade (the ratio of coastline to area) as well as the percentage of population growth in coastal areas, important results are as follows:
1- Coastal cities being the center of the province is one of the factors that increase the population, while the amount of having a coastline has much less impact on this feature. This issue shows the concentration of facilities and development in the centers of the provinces, which requires distribution of the facilities to other areas.
2- Considering the area which is available to the coastal cities, despite the high population in some southern regions, the northern coastal cities of the country have a higher relative density and coastal density. Therefore, it can be said that the northern coastal areas of the country are more developed. Although important factors such as weather have played a role in this difference in distribution, but considering the type of beaches and access to open waters and on the other hand the wider coastline, it can be said that the development in the southern coastal areas of the country remains blocked, which requires more attention.
3- In the northern provinces, it was observed that there are areas with a limited coastline (low coastal grade), but they have a very high coastal density, but in the southern provinces of the country, although the coasts are much more scattered, the coastal density is at a lower level. And this shows the insufficient use of the potential of the beaches of these areas.
4- In the southern coastal areas, the cities with more coastlines have been associated with a greater population growth during these ten years, but the cities of Khuzestan province were exempted from this. This issue also expresses the fact that population growth and development naturally takes place in areas with more potential; But it should be noted that in comparison with high-density areas in the north, this growth should be accompanied by a higher speed.
According to the aforementioned explanations and analyzes, the relative population density according to the census of 2015 in the northern coasts of the country is relatively higher than the southern coastal cities of the country, for example, in the city of Rasht, the relative population density is more than 70 people per square kilometer, Fereydoun Kanar with more than There are 500 people per square kilometer, but in the southern coastal cities of the country, Bushehr is the only southern coastal city that has the highest density among the southern coastal cities with a population density of 200 people per square kilometer. But on the other hand, the southern cities have more coastal strip than the coastal strip in the north of the country, and this population density in the north of the country is higher than in the south of the country due to low and flat coastal areas, and these flat coastal areas attract more people to the beaches. Therefore, in the north of the country, the predominant activity of the coastal cities is agriculture, and in the southern coastal cities of the country, the predominant activity is industrial.
Coastal height and ruggedness play an important role in the exploitation of maritime potential by maritime countries. Countries that have smooth coastal areas and suitable coastal cuts, deploy human structures in coastal areas with less financial cost. On the other hand, high coastal heights and rocks lack the necessary potential to attract the population, and the establishment of marine structures, including ports, is accompanied by the problem of providing a suitable and smooth place. Coastal plains have an important effect on the establishment of human settlements, marine structures and activities, marine tourism, the concentration of financial-production resources, etc. The advantage of low and flat coastal elevations is influenced by the climate of the coastal region and the connection of coastal regions with internal communication networks.
Therefore, in order to create an economic flow in the country, it is possible to use the coastal cities in the south and north of the country. There are 23 coastal cities in the coastal strip of the southern region of the country, which are in direct contact with the land and the sea. The coastal cities of the southern provinces of the country account for about 85% of the province's population. Also, it is possible to use the advantages and favorable economic positions of the coastal cities located in the south of the country to help the economic flow in the southern provinces of the country and the settlement of the population in them. The economic prosperity and the existence of job opportunities in these beaches attract a large population from the country and even neighboring countries. In the following, the pattern of economic flow in these areas is presented.
Straits, natural passages, islands and coasts are fixed geopolitical factors that have a significant impact on the national power, foreign policy and sea and land strategies of countries. In fact, their geopolitical and geostrategic roles coincide. There is a direct relationship between the use of islands and the power of the coastal government, and the relevant government can play a more active role at the local, regional and global levels. One of the important regions with economic and security strategy in the Middle East is the Persian Gulf region. There are dozens of islands in the Persian Gulf, some of which belong to Iran and are located in the geographical boundaries of the three provinces of Hormozgan, Bushehr and Khuzestan. Some of these islands play a political, economic and military role to defend the southern coasts of Iran. Therefore, according to the pattern of the economic flow and the role of each settlement on the coasts of the country, it is possible to attract and settle the population in these areas.
The banks of Makran from Goatar, East Jask and Sirik are not only the least developed coasts of Iran, but based on development indicators, this axis is considered among the most backward areas of Iran. The Caspian coast from Astara to Kiashahr is the most densely populated coast and is close to the stage of population saturation. What is seen more than any other phenomenon in this coastal strip is the all-round confusion and disorganization in this area.
In this paper, according to the situation of the population settlement in the coasts of the country, the capacities and roles of each of the settlement points have been extracted according to the document of land preparation and the strategic document of sustainable development of the southern islands of the country. In this case, all settlements and islands play a role according to the division of national work between them and contribute to the development process in the coasts and as a result of the whole country. One of the basic emphases in the land preparation document is to use the capacities of these areas in promoting political, economic, social and cultural ties and relations with the countries of the region and the world, and in this regard, a heavy duty has been assigned to the border and coastal areas of the country.
Analysis on Effects of Urban Centers on Peripheral Settlements in Iran The Case Study of Qazvin Province
Mehdi Taherkhani, Abdoreza R. Eftekhari, Ali Akbar Taghvaee,
Volume 16, Issue 2 (5-2009)
Abstract
The interactions and linkages between urban centers and peripheral settlements are increasingly recognized as key factors in the process of social, economic and environmental changes in peripheral settlements. Despite this, most practices are implicitly based on a dichotomous view of population and activities in urban and peripheral area. This paper presents that how interactions between urban centers and peripheral settlements include spatial linkages (flows of goods, money, capital, people, information, production, technology and wastes) affect on peripheral changes. The interactions and linkages between the urban centers of Qazvin and 20 peripheral settlements there show that the effects of this interaction upon the peripheral settlements have included more inorganic effects. Urban and peripheral development need to be considered as complementary process rather than competing activities for the limited resources. The benefits of such an integrated approach will outweigh of the costs.
Analysis of the role of environmental factors in site selecting of prehistoric Settlements in Varamin Plain with usage fuzzy logic

Volume 19, Issue 3 (12-2015)
Abstract
geoarchaeological surveys are the efficient way to discover the environmental features of ancient settlements at the time of their establishment. . The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of environmental factors in the site selecting of the prehistoric settlements in Varamin plain. In the archaeological view, the plains located in the southern foothills of central Alborz Mountains represent the Tehran plain and Varamin plain is laid in south east of Tehran plain, on the alluvial sediments of Jajroud River. After studying the environmental features of Varamin plain, eight characteristics of the natural environment, including the impact of geomorphologic features, geology, climate, vegetation, slope, land use and access to soil and water resources have been investigated and fuzzy logic was used in order to provide an environmental capabilities plain zoning map to establish settlements in Varamin plain. Results showed that the predominant Varamin plain’s prehistoric settlements are sited in areas with the good and very good environmental capability for establishing settlements and the most of these places are located on the central parts of Jajroor fan. Being located on alluvial deposits, suitable soil for farming and pottery, gentle slope, convenient access to streams, sufficient distance from the apex of the alluvial fan and being safe from flood risk And having better weather than the southern part of the alluvial fan are such factors That create suitable environmental conditions in these areas.
Urban settlement planning with baseline scenario approach (case study: West Azarbaijan)

Volume 23, Issue 1 (5-2019)
Abstract
Extended Abstract:
Introduction
The spatial structure of the urban settlement system in a geographical domain requires a good foundation to achieve maximum productivity. By this way, the aim of the current research is to study the urban settlement planning of West Azerbaijan which is highly uncertain due to its geographical location, ethnic diversity and environmental issues. Economic freedom in the Maku Free Zone, the expansion of markets at 7 border areas of the province, the development of the Miandoab-Tehran communication network, the creation of a railway roundabout, the economic development of the Baneh region, policies to deal with ever decreasing agricultural activities due to the water and environmental crisis, making decisions on creating special economic areas in Mahabad, Urmia, Salmas and Miandoab ...are regional and local trends that have caused uncertainty in the settlement pattern of the province and the human space flow, goods and services. In a nutshell, the study aims to identify settlement scenarios of the province and the framework for the deployment of services, infrastructures and flow of capital, goods and humans in the region for spatial planning.
 
Methodology
This is a type of applied research and, in essence, based on new scientific, analytical and investigative methods. The statistical population of the study is 30 professors, experts and specialists in the field of spatial planning. The data gathering method was used to examine the effective factors on the urban settlements system of the province, both in documentary (secondary data) and survey (primary data), for which questionnaire and interviews were used as a survey method. To analyze the data, a combination of Delphi methods, Cross-impact analysis, and Mick-Mac software were used.
 
Results and Discussion
45 variables were found to be the main and strategic ones affecting the planning of the urban settlement system of West Azerbaijan province that were analyzed via Mick-Mc software.Finally, 11 effective factors were identified with 33 statuses. Accordingly, the midway and the pessimistic assumptions in the best possible range were defined to be the worse. Given theoretical foundations of the proposed study, the spatial scenarios of the province in terms its geographic extent and severity, multiplicity of cities, location and regional potentials can be summarized as follows:
 
First Scenario (Polar Scenario): By choosing this scenario, the future settlement system of the province will have following outcomes:
- Deletion permissions to settlement perimeter will be too low due to high concentration and security reasons and high ethnic diversity in the province as well as its inappropriate form and shape.
- The polar scenario is an illustration of highly-concentrated settlement system in which responsibility for decisions, policies, management and their implementation will be simultaneously focused on the city of Urumia.
- Urumia is practically the center of commodity exchanges at the provincial level and will be a key link for each settlement in the city.
 
Second Scenario (Cluster Scenario): The obvious features of this scenario are as follows:
- Although the centralization dominates the province, by coordinating and collaborating widely between settlements, reduces the focus on the province's space relative to the radical scenario. One of the main reasons for this decrease is the existence of large urban centers such as Khoy in the north, Urumia in the center, Miandoab in the south;
- In this scenario, a number of larger settlements compete with the center of Urumia, and play a central role for its surroundings.
- The headquarters of each cluster manages its communication.
 
Third Scenario (Archipelago Scenario): In general, the typical features of this scenario in West Azerbaijan province are as follows:
- The lack of extensive cooperation between settlements, spatial dispersion of housing, as well as the developmental equality of settlements causing communications flows mainly carried out within limited areas (cities and regions).
- The scenario of the archipelago is an image of the West Azerbaijan province as an island facing local markets and urban areas
 
Fourth Scenario (Multi-center): The typical features of this scenario are as follows:
- In a multi-centered scenario, focusing on the province's space is due to the development of some settlements and the wide-ranging collaboration between them. However, due to inappropriate form and body and some restrictions in different areas, there is a relative dependence on clusters.
- In this scenario, the urban complexes of the province have changed from one central space to a multicentre urban complex. Due to high convergence between central settlements and their interaction with each other, macro policies are taken collaboratively by central settlements of main areas.
 
Fifth Scenario (Network): The typical features of this scenario are as follows:
- This scenario presents a picture of a networked city complex (both in urban and rural settlement).
- Each settlement itself manages its connections with other settlements.
- In this scenario, no settlement is dependent on other settlements.
 
Conclusion
Considering the current status of central and star structure of the urban system of West Azerbaijan province, the multi-centered urban network is suitable especially due to potentially powerful cities of Khoy, Mako, Miandoab and Mahabad, the northern- southern stretch of the province, geopolitical location after realizing the multi-centered model and providing an appropriate infrastructure and substrate. The transition from the multicenter model to the network will be provided. To reach the multi-centered urban network, which is the scenario of choice for the provincial urban system, the cluster and hierarchical stage of the city's network must be reached in early phases of the province's development. Once an appropriate infrastructure and substrate is provided, the multi-center urban scenario will be realized.
 

The Paleolithic Survey of Holeylan, Central Zagros, Iran
Davoud Davoudi, Rahmat Abbasnejad Seresti,
Volume 23, Issue 3 (7-2016)
Abstract
An insight into the geomorphological characteristics of Holeylan as well as its suitable environment in the Central Zagros convince us that it has a capacity, more than ever shown, in presenting Paleolithic sites. Thus, the necessity of doing an intensive archaeological survey in this valley with the aim to explore the Paleolithic sites became apparent and was achieved only in the autumn of 2015.
The research questions are mainly based on the number of sites, their type and size, geographical variables influencing the site selection patterns among the Paleolithic societies, tool making techniques and identifying raw material sources in Holeylan. 
During the survey, 103 sites, including 24 caves and rock shelters as well as 79 open air sites were identified with utilities such as residential compounds, seasonal camps and hunting ambushes. Among them, only one of the rock shelters was situated in the eastern most part of the valley. The open air sites formed on the natural hill tops with terraces overlooking Seymareh and Jezman Rivers and their tributaries. Climate and tectonic features seem to be the two main reasons that made Holeylan as one of the most important valleys of central Zagros during the Paleolithic era. Moreover, water resources and its elevation above the sea level were the most important components which led settlements access to raw materials. Chert pebbles and cobbles accumulated in the bed by rivers were resources of tool making in Holeylan Valley during the Paleolithic period.
 
 
Factors Affecting the Qajar-Era Fort Settlements in Iran's Sistan Region Due to Hydrographic Changes in the Hirmand River
Mohammad Ebrahim Zarei, Seyyed Rasool Mousavi Haji, Naghmeh Behboodi,
Volume 23, Issue 4 (10-2016)
Abstract
Locating fort settlements in Sistan region, Iran, during different historical periods have always been associated with changes in the direction of Hirmand River which have occurred due to various natural and human factors. This study aims to identify the relation between the Iranian province of Sistan hydrographic networks of fort settlement in the Qajar era. The research method is descriptive - analytical, historical – comparative, documentary, library and field study in Iran's Sistan area. Our focus is mostly on the issue of changes in hydrographic network of Hirmand River. The main question is to what extent have the changes in the direction of hydrographic network of Hirmand played a role in locating fort settlements of Qajar era in Iran's Sistan region. Records, documents, data and historical information related to the Qajar era were collected and comprehensively compared and analyzed regarding the current and the past situations in the Geographic information system (GIS) using ArcGIS software. The results show that the highest number of the locating and the density of fort settlements in the Qajar era are related to the hydrographic basin of Sistan river. The main reason is branching of the Hirmand River Hydrographic Basin through the Sistan canal or Sistan River in the West. Also from 6 to 12 AH in both the northern and southern Delta region of Sistan, Iran, there have been settlement areas. However in Qajar era 100 percent of settlements in the northern Delta area have been site selected.
Future research on the formation and growth of informal Settlements with the approach of land planning (Case study: Mashhad metropolis)

Volume 27, Issue 3 (10-2023)
Abstract
Nowadays, informal settlements in cities have brought about enormous problems before urban management. Mashhad as a metropolis is no exception to this phenomenon. The increasing urban living costs, migrants’ intake and high population concentration at the outskirts have encountered Mashhad with danger which could further led to complex challenges in the future. The main purpose of this study is to identify the key drivers and formulate future scenarios of informal settlements in Khorasan Razavi province and its capital city Mashhad. Identifying the future situation and compiling the settlement expansion scenarios under the futuristic framework is one of the comprehensive approaches in regional planning. Addressing the factors affecting the future of informal settlements by determining the role of other settlements in the province is an issue that has received less attention in researches. The method is descriptive-analytical where data is collected through questionnaire and analyzed by Mic Mac software. The target research population is 30 people including municipal experts and faculty members of universities. The findings indicate 5 factors: " laws, programs and policies at the national level", "Integrated management of local institutions", "drought and agricultural activities", "unemployment" and "inflation" which are important for the future of informal settlements. The results show that in different scenarios, economic and management factors have the greatest impact on the future of informal settlements in Mashhad and the development of other settlements in the province.

Investigating the Environmental Conditions of Peripheral Settlements of Shiraz Metropolis

Volume 27, Issue 4 (12-2023)
Abstract
The rapid growth of the urban population in Shiraz over the past few decades has caused the physical expansion of the city and its enchroschment on sorrounding villages and settlemnts leading to numerous challenges and inadequacies in the pheripheral regions there. Some of these problems are poverty, marginalization, rising housing prices, lack of adequate facilities and welfare services, environmental pollution and overcrowding. Using different indicators, the present study tries to evaluate the inadequacy of peripheral settlements of Shiraz metropolis. Thus, in order to manage urban growth and its related difficulties, developing countries have decided to implement various policies such as family planning, rural development, controlling rural-urban migration, limiting the growth of large cities, symmetrical urbanization and new city development. Nevertheless, most developing countries have witnessed rapid population displacement to mega cities in recent decades
On the other side, despite metropolis’ role in national development, increasing process of metropolitanization in most developing countries has cussed many problems which resulted in many challenges in the end. City sprawl and relocation of activities and populations from centre to outskirts of the city as well as the population distribution is one of the most important sustainable challenges in metropolitan areas. In developing countries, growth and expansion of metropolis space has been associated with various issues and resulted in different types of environmental problems such as reduction of life quality, rapid growth and mis-management of low-income settlements on the outskirts and continuation of such problems will worsen the existing situation in the not too far future.

 

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