Challenges facing unbalanced urbanization in Iran

Subject Areas : Geography and Urban Planning

MASOOD Safaepour ¹ , mohammad reza Amiiri ² , kazem denan ³

1 - Professor of Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2 - PhD in geography and urban planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
3 - PhD student in urban planning, Islamic Azad University of Isfahan, Khorasgan Branch, Iran

Received: 2017-02-01 Accepted : 2020-02-11 Published : 2022-02-20

Keywords: Sustainable development, Social Justice, Environmental destruction, multi-level ecosystem, Informal settlement,

Abstract :

In the last half century, in Iran, the development of capitalism within the framework of an oil-based economy caused the stagnation of the agricultural sector and the rapid growth of cities. This rapid growth of urbanization did not take place in a balanced way, but caused the growth of big cities and hindered the growth of small towns and villages. And despite the transformations in Iran's urban system, the image of settlement and establishment of the population and cities does not give a good picture. It is clearly clear that the rapid expansion of urbanization in Iran has turned the hope for a better future into a nightmare for millions of urban people in terms of their economic and social status. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method, tries to investigate the reflections of unbalanced urbanization in the urban areas of Iran and the effects of this process in the spatial dimension, and finally the effects of this process in the urban network of Iran, with a scientific and argumentative perspective. According to the scientific analysis of unbalanced urbanization, if this trend continues in Iran's urbanization, we will witness unstable social and economic development, including an increase in unequal income, resource alliance, environmental destruction, and damage to Iran's natural and cultural heritage.