Population distribution, economic functions, as well as the status and role of cities in the urban system change and evolve through their interaction with other cities over time. This change in the organization of the urban system is not a static one,   but rather it is a context-dependent issue. Alborz province has experienced highly rapid changes in the urban system that have led to the emergence of severe imbalances in the urban system, increasing population and functional concentration in its metropolitan area compared to other cities and the marginalization of other cities of the province in the urban system. The typology of urban system in Alborz province that aims at describing the spatial pattern in which the cities of this urban system are organized and proposing the possible scenarios for the future spatial pattern of this urban system are the subjects of this article. This issue has been pursued through the analysis of the morphological and functional spatial pattern of cities, the analysis of the grounds affecting the formation of the urban system, and for the examination of the possible futures for the urban system. This research had mainly a descriptive nature, relied on quantitative methods and spatial analyses, and emphasized both morphological and functional aspects. According to the findings, the main east-west corridor of the province is the most important factors in the spatial pattern of this province’s urban system. The urban system of the province might develop in future through three possible spatial scenarios. These scenarios include the corridor, polycentric, and monocentric development patterns. It seems that in the urban system of Alborz province despite the spatial concentration of the population and the majority of the provincial functions in Karaj metropolis, there are potentials for the realization of a more balanced development. The potential and tendency to the corridor development model around the east-west axis, which agrees with the natural, infrastructural, and economic structure of the region, is one of these tendencies that can create a demographic and functional balance in the urban system of the province and lead its cities to take various economic roles.

The dependence of the farmers and agricultural life on water resources and the existing crises has a direct relationship with various challenges of this macro-social structure. In the global water crisis, the cultivation type is simultaneously the major culprit and victim. The purpose of the present study is to examine the role of hydrological and population-related factors in preventing the aridification of an area as one of the most devastating environmental disasters. By its selection of the appropriate crop for any area (which prevents water wasting), water resources management can prevent the dependence of that area on the agricultural crops of other areas and help decrease unemployment rate. In order to manage the effect of water demand on the balance of water resources flowing in the Kuhdasht County, the topographic data was combined with other data through the geographical information system and using enhanced AHPFUZZY method. The purpose was to weight the hydrological and population-related data (including the sub-criteria of river, well, spring, residence, people, men, and women) and determine the location priorities based on the field data, satellite images, and the data existing in the Lorestan province related to the amount of water needed by various products. The intention was to create jobs while protecting natural resources. In addition to the prevention of underground water levels and the destruction of wells, springs, and aqueducts, the results of this study specify the conditions for scientific and principled cultivation, reduction of poverty, and creation of jobs through planned management in the research area based on the consideration of crop type, cultivation method, and cultivation time. According to the obtained results along with the consideration of the fact that agricultural activities are heavily practiced in the area (where dryland farming is performed in mid-level grasslands), the management of the area under study was classified into five levels, namely very weak, weak, average, good, and very good. This analysis can help the land managers to change the existing conditions toward a rule-based management of water resources.

Oil pollution in the pipelines transporting petroleum products is an inevitable consequence of population growth and industrialization of communities. In addition to negative environmental effects such as groundwater and soil contamination, it causes changes in the geotechnical properties of local soil. Changes in soil engineering properties can lead to soil rupture and poor performance of transmission lines. Therefore, this study intended to assess the effects of the oil pipeline in the north of Iran on the environment using environmental geotechnic parameters during operation. By analyzing the Iranian matrix, it was found that there were 5 negative effects and consequences in the row and column. The consequences in the column were related to the diversion of the river, creating dams, and spinning, while in the row, these were related to landslides and soil contamination. The results of laboratory studies to investigate the effect of soil contamination on geotechnical parameters showed that the uniaxial strength of samples is decreased by 22%. In addition, the analysis of soil rupture by PLAXIS software showed that by changing the angle of the reinforcements from 20 to 23 degrees, the slope reliability of the soil decreases to less than the minimum reliability in the regulations. Finally, it was suggested that in order to reduce the negative effects and consequences of the projects, the pipelines should not be crossed through forested and sloping areas as much as possible.

Environmental hazards, which encompass a wide range of natural hazards and human hazards, are among the barriers to development in different areas. Landslide is one of the hazards affecting different natural and anthropogenic factors and is one of the barriers to socio-economic and constructive development in each region. In this study, considering the different criteria, the potential of landslide occurrence in Tabriz city has been evaluated using FBWM model. The criteria used in this study are slope, curvature, elevation, fault, geology, vegetation, river and creek, roads, aspect, and land use. FBWM model is used to weight the criteria. This model is one of the newest multi-criteria decision-making models that weigh the criteria by comparing the criteria with each other and generating a nonlinear optimization problem. Finally, after weighting the criteria and creating standard maps, the standard maps and weightings were merged together and overlaid to produce the final map of landslide susceptible areas in Tabriz City. Based on the results, the north and northeast areas of Tabriz have high potential for landslides; these areas correspond to Valiasr town, Baghmishah, Einali Mountains, Pasdaran highway and the surrounding areas. On the other hand, the southern regions of Tabriz have a low potential for landslides. According to the results, 2.5% of Tabriz territory is located in very low potential areas for landslide occurrence, 15.16% is located in low potential areas, 36.04% is located in moderate potential areas, 40.97% is located in high potential areas, and 5.33% is located in very high potential areas for landslide occurrence. The results of this study have implications for organizations and organs such as Tabriz Municipality, Ministry of Roads and Urban Development, the Geological Survey and Mineral Explorations of Iran (GSI), and other organizations related to environmental risks.