Economy

Agricultural sector taking into account its role in GNP (11%), employment opportunities (23%) and food provision (over 80%) performs a critical role in Iranian economy. Water resources are being considered as a very prominent factor with respect to agricultural sector. This study aims to investigate effective indicators regarding agriculture development as well as water management in Tabriz plain. It is based on factor analysis. Statistical society is composed of 39 villages. Data gathering technique is predominately based on questionnaire and documentation. It is further supported by getting information from ministries of agriculture and water organization. This is followed by determination of 25 indicators for the assessment of agricultural development and 11 indicators regarding water management of the study area. Deducting the number of variables requires the application of principle component analysis. This study suggests that mechanization, cropping based on irrigation system, structure and performance are capable of explaining 79 percent of the variations pertaining to agricultural development. It is argued that surface water, deep wells, semi deep wells explain 61 percent of the variations regarding water management as well. It further suggests that those counties with comparative advantages with respect to agricultural products and simultaneously not experiencing water deficiency should emphasize agricultural plans based on high priority crops. However, those encountering with agricultural problems should stress optimum resource usages and preservationissue.

Rural regions have experienced varied changes and social and economic reconstruction during last three decades. There exists great tendency toward functional integration between villages and cities due to increase in mobility, improvement in communication information as well as rural services. This in turn, resulted in the expansion of urban function including construction mass housing units, production, services, recreations and tourism activities in these regions. These functional changes case conversion in the nature of rural areas based on agricultural production, into consumption-orientation center. This new entities are non-homogeneous. This situation is influenced by many factors including physical conditions such as geographic location, isolation, and characteristics, climatic and sometimes human differences responsible for rural economic and social variations. Taking into account these variations and nonhomogeneities in rural area, efficient and optimum development plans are nonexistence. Increase in urban-ruralization around Tehran metropolitan has led to major physical, economic, social and cultural consequences. Lack of identification of the major relevant roots and sources has led to expansion of these negative consequences to other identical places. This in turn, demands the identification of the responsible factors and its change processes and mechanisms. Thus, the identification, explanations, exploration of those laws and frame works pertaining to urban ruralization as a major topical-spatial phenomenon is highly recommended. The first step in this regard is the determination, definition and assessment of ruralization and more specifically urbanruralization. The study area is Roobat Karim located in the vicinity of Tehran metropolitan. It is followed by determination of degree of ruralization as well as majorresponsible relevant factors.

Taking into account the nature and the objective of the study, descriptive-analytical method was chosen. Based on theoretical foundation of the study, there exist different methods and indices regarding the identification and classification of ruralization. This study concentrates on two dimensions including village’s functions and population and its growth during 1976-2011. It is followed by application of PROMETHEE multi indices decision making method in order to determine village’s functional status through emphasis on agricultural activities. This study further demands hierarchical clustering technique for classification of the villages. Finally, Clack ruralization indices as well as field survey were applied for determination of the village type in this regard. Furthermore, with respect to those villages which urban ruralization occurred, qualitative method of base theory that is Grounded theory was applied in order to identify the responsible factors. At first step interview with rural key official persons and with those with long history of residency (31) was implemented in order to find the casual conditions pertaining to formation and expansion of urban ruralization phenomena. In the second step, taking into account the methodology of the base theory, open coding was done. Regarding this step those relevant raw data were both labeled and conceptualized. Following, the second and third steps sub-classes are divided into broad concepts and those were divided into nodal concepts.

This study concludes that based on application of base theory in 8 villages, many factors including life desirability comparing with place of birth and adjacent settlements, lack of special costs, inexpensive business, lack of cultural barriers, variation in job opportunities, existence of different rents, economic and political structures are among some of the influential factors regarding urban-ruralization phenomena. It is furtherargued that income and saving level, the nature of center-periphery theory, capital accumulation system, discrimination with respect to poverty issue, imbalanced distribution of power, wealth, income and access to job opportunities are other determinant factors as well. Incapacity with respect to attraction of external capitals for creation of job opportunities, shortage of complementary jobs to combat seasoned unemployment, lack of potential for absorbing educated and well equipped social capital, lack of technical and vocational training related to appropriate agricultural technology, shortages of ample suitable agricultural lands and lack of knowledge of environmental conservation are among other responsible variables in this regard. Moreover, lack of appropriate and efficient agricultural market systems as well as cooperation’s and ware houses, need for government and other institutions supports, incapability in formation of industrial clusters, lack of tendency regarding economic background good for villages, management, the formation of two different construction types, land price and its relevant speculation, property rent, lack of effective control upon rural physical development, economic household participation and lack of social responsibility and self-reliance and easy accessibility to Tehran metropolitan all are responsible regarding degree of ruralization of Roobat Karim.

Current trend regarding tourism spatial development both at macro and micro regional level, following the county spatial development structure is relatively chaotic. There exist an imbalance with respect to access to different opportunities as well as resources and benefits. The consequences of this disorder is exemplified itself in low performance of peripheral tourism destinations as opposed to tourism poles. This in turn, will lead to concentration of growth in prominent tourism destinations and lagging behind peripheral ones. These gaps and spatial discrepancies associated with passing problems and challenges from undeveloped spaces into well-developed tourism destinations. Effective utilization of tourism capabilities as well as attaining an appropriate spatial arrangement of tourism destinations, relationships and linkages, having control over growth and development, and achieving sustainable tourism, all demand tourism spatial planning. This not only paves the way for satisfying tourists varied needs in accordance with tourism capabilities at national and regional levels, but also would be very beneficial for host communities as well, taking into consideration the tourism development driving forces. This spatial balance could an affect image formation of destination one could illustrate and cluster different sectors of particular destination via spatial arrangement including nodes, axes and areas. The comprehensive analysis of these spatial arrangements and clustering could lead to location identity and providing a transparent image for destinations. This study predominantly aims to focus on spatial arrangement with emphasis on optimization of the organizational arrangement as well as associated activities and corresponding linkages. The study area that is Torgabeh Shandiz in Khorasan Razavi experiencing spatial disorders and imbalances regarding tourism resource distributions, attractions, products, supportive and logistics services. This study further tries to find the missing links and existing gaps regarding spatial organization of the current tourism destinations stating and propose balanced and

Taking into consideration the objective of this study, analytical-descriptive research method were applied. This is followed by documentation as well as field works. The statistical society includes 34 potential and active tourism destinations (2 towns and 32 villages) in Torgabeh Shandiz. Based on relevant literatures three components – “destination potentials”, “destination functions”, and “destination accessibilities” and 8 indexes including “the quality of tourism assets” the quantity of tourism assets, “tourism functions regarding provision of services”, “public services functions”, “accessibilities”, “quality of accessibilities” spatial dimensions “physical situation” were identified. This is followed by application of AHP for determining the magnitude of each yardstick. Final scoring and ranking destinations further demand PROMETHEE technique as well as clustering analysis. It finally supported by fracture point theory through application of GIS.

This study suggests the existence of four unorganized levels systems in spatial organization of the city. This means, there exist two prime destinations that is Torgabeh and Shandiz. In order to alleviate this case, the application of strategic principles of spatial organization is recommended. This could be done through comparison of the current situation with abstract one and further to modify it in accordance with regional characteristics. The proposed spatial organization of Torgabeh-Shandiz could be help full regarding investments in social-economic infrastructures and provision of complementary – rational and justice relations among different destinations. The proposed spatial organization is based on four hierarchical levels in which the first level corresponds with tourism poles (Torgabeh and Shandiz). The second level is associated with tourism growth centers (Virani, Kang & Azghad). The third level includes (Mayan Vosta, Dehno, Sar asiab, Kelate ahan, Kelate ebrahimkhan & Khanrood). The base ofthis proposed system is comprised 18 sate lite destinations.