Analysis of Urban Functions in Rural Development (Case study: Rudbar County)

Subject Areas : Rural and nomadic studies

Manouchehr Nasiri Moghadam ¹ , Tymoor Amar ² , Parviz Rezaei ³

1 - PhD student of Rural planning Department of Geography, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
2 - Associate professor Rural planing Department Geography, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
3 - Associate Professor of Climatology Department of Geography, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

Received: 2021-06-25 Accepted : 2021-11-01 Published : 2021-11-01

Keywords: Rural Development, Entropy model, urban function, Rudbar, elasticity model,

Abstract :

AbstractThe role of small towns in development of rural areas is known to everyone. Urban functions manifest in areas such as services, exchange of factors of production and complementary role in rural development. In this regard, planners pay special attention to problems, such as spatial decentralization, reduced regional disparities, urban-rural dichotomy in developing countries, to adopt strategies to overcome these problems. The studied area is Rudbar County, Gilan province. The data used in the study included demographic indicators such as the number of households and the growth rate during 1966 to 2011. Using quantitative models, entropy and elasticity, this study evaluates the role of seven cities including Rudbar, Manjil, Lowshan, Jirandeh, Bareh Sar and Tutkabon in development of the surrounding villages. The results of data analysis show that Bareh Sar has a favorable effect on balanced distribution of population and rural settlements, leading to balanced urban hierarchy and spatial distribution. Tutkabon and Manjil are partly able to balance the urban hierarchy. However, Rostamabad, Rudbar, Lowshan and Jirandeh cause population density. It was found that population density is higher in cities due to the available economic and social services.. LQ of Roudbar County is >1 for agriculture and industry and export of manufactured products, while <1 for services, indicating a dependence on other towns. Based on the concentration index, levels of villages in Lowshan, Manjil, Rostamabad and Bareh Sar are regular, while the villages in Jirandeh and Tutkabon are irregular. In addition to administrative and political relationships which result in dependence of villages to cities, people of these towns are referred to other towns of the county for economic, social and cultural relations.Key words: urban function, rural development, Rudbar, entropy model, elasticity model