نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسنده
استادیار گروه شهرسازی، دانشکده معماری و هنر، دانشگاه گیلان، رشت، ایران.
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسنده [English]
The study of the consequences and trends of the increasing number of small urban settlements, which has intensified over the past three decades, has always been a concern for regional planners in Iran. This research seeks to redefine the cycle of underdevelopment in small cities in Iran, aiming to identify their structural challenges and inherent potentials, and to propose fundamental strategies for their emergence from this cycle. This study was conducted with a qualitative approach, employing the Grounded Theory (data-driven) method. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 experts in the field of regional planning and analyzed using MAXQDA software through three stages: open, axial, and selective coding. The results from the analysis were summarized and presented in five categories: contextual conditions, causal conditions, intervening conditions, consequences, and strategies. The findings indicate that many small cities in Iran are dependent on an economy based on benefits derived from traditional agriculture in their adjacent rural areas, which suffers from low productivity. This low productivity is considered the most significant factor destabilizing the status of these cities. Vulnerability to climate change and water scarcity is another contextual threat facing these cities, which has intensified over the past few decades and manifested itself as widespread migration from small cities. The consequences of this situation have manifested as the migration of young populations to metropolises, local economic collapse, the destruction of indigenous culture, and environmental instability. The strategies derived from the research data, formulated to address these conditions, can be categorized into four main areas: enhancing preparedness against environmental challenges and climate change, empowering the local economy, fostering social dynamism, and improving governance efficiency. The findings are applicable for policymakers, urban planners, and managers who are seeking to reduce regional inequalities. Given the high importance of studying the effects of urban population growth until 2050 and the threats posed by climate change, this research fills the existing gap in the literature on the development of small cities in Iran by providing a context-specific model, and proposes solutions to strengthen the role of these cities within the national urban system.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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