Spatial imbalances and spatial inequalities exist at different levels, and the realization of spatial and social justice at these levels depends on eliminating these imbalances through spatial planning. Service organizations to clients and, most importantly, the Welfare Organization, may have a lot of data and figures from their clients, but in many cases, existing data does not have a spatial dimension, and they are purely descriptive. The main objective of this research is to analyses spatially clients covered by welfare in the scale of Mashhad, in both regional and neighborhood level. The statistics required for this study are collected from the Department of Welfare of Khorasan Razavi and Mashhad. The methods used for spatial analysis are the standard deviation elliptic index, regional and neighborhood demographic density, kernel density, basic graphic statistical methods including the nearest neighbor's index, spatial autocorrelation measurement models such as general Moran I and LISA. The results of this research, presented in various maps and diagrams, show that the welfare beneficiaries in the city of Mashhad have not been distributed equally and different regions and neighborhoods have a significant difference, with the highest number of clients in regions 2, 3 and 4, the city of Mashhad where tjeay are located in the north and northeastern parts of the city. Also, at the neighborhood level, Shahid Ghorbani, Northern Tabarsi, Derevey and Bahman neighborhoods include the most welfare-clients population. In a general analysis based on the kernel density analysis, it can be stated that four condensed nuclei and a subunit formed in the city of Mashhad. Also, the results of Moran indicator and others indicate that the spatial distribution pattern of welfare clients in Mashhad is quite clustered and in particular parts of Mashhad, which mainly coincide with the informal settlements of the city and the eastern and northern parts of the city are distributed in cluster form.

Prioritizing sub-basins in terms of flooding potential has an important impact on catchment management. The purpose of prioritizing flood basins below basins is to provide a model to reduce flood hazards and evaluate the role of sub basins in peak discharge hydrograph of outflow from basin. In this study, flood potentials of sub-basins were determined based on 12 morphometric parameters and prioritization of Gadar sub-basins based on combined morphometric analysis method and statistical correlation. Initially, values ​​of 12 morphometric parameters and index (Cv) were calculated and sub-basins were zoned for flood potential. Then, the relationship between the parameters and the effect weight of each were analyzed using Kendall's blend correlation and weighted sum analysis (WSA). Finally, Sub-Basin Prioritization Index (SWPI) was calculated based on WLS method for each sub-basin. In order to validate the results, past destructive flood location data in the Gadar catchment were used. The results showed that in the flood potential method based on 12 morphometric parameters calculated under Sheikhan tea and Sufian tea basins with high flood potential, sub-spring source basin with medium potential and Godard tea basins and Nalivan creek basins have They have little potential for flooding. In fact, 33.83% of Gadar basin area has high risk potential, 14.28% has moderate risk potential and 51.88% has low risk potential. The results of morphometric parameters and statistical correlation showed that sub-basins of Sheikh tea and Sufian tea with 24.1 and 21.10 priority sub-basins were identified respectively. Comparison of the results of the two methods with the morphometric and geomorphologic conditions of the sub-basins shows that the results obtained by relying on 12 morphometric parameters are more in line with the geomorphic conditions of the basin.

The ecologic capability evaluation determines which human activities can be performed on which area of land and conversely, which activities are impossible, economically unviable, or detrimental to environmental sustainability. This study set out to evaluate the land ecologic capability in Golestan province of Iran to develop agriculture (cultivating wheat) through land use planning and to investigate the factors effective on the agriculture ecologic capability. The study was exploratory in terms of method and applied library research method for data collection purposes. The identified factors include climate, precipitation, temperature, evaporation, topography (altitude), slope, slope direction, land use, water resources, flood zones, land types, erosion, and soil. Then, the optimal location of land for wheat cultivation was done in four stages using ARC GIS software and its tests in order to zone the lands appropriate for what cultivation. To this end, the raw data of the intended layers was extracted and examined, and the areas appropriate for cultivation were determined and classified. The appropriate values were assigned to the aforementioned layers so as to generate the final layer map to zone the lands appropriate for wheat cultivation. Finally, via overlaying the wheat-cultivated lands on the intended layers, the ecologic capability map of the area was made. These were then classified into three categories, namely lands with appropriate and high capability (about 13%), lands with medium capability (over 80%), and lands with low or no capability (about 5%). The intermediate territory of the province has the most fertile lands with semi-humid, temperate Mediterranean climate (Alborz highland plains). As a result, the best cultivation areas of this province are located in its intermediary and southern parts that have deep, high quality agricultural soil and adequate rainfall.

Equitable distribution of services at the regional scale and achieving a balanced spatial structure in the region are among the most important goals of sustainable regional planning, especially in developing countries such as Iran. In this regard, one of the most important strategies and policies in regional spatial planning is the decentralization of development. The purpose of this study is to identify the most important urban areas of Fars province in order to determine the priorities of development and decentralization of the unipolar development of the province. To this end, the regional network modelling based on graph theory and the concepts of social network analysis are used to conduct the spatial analysis of Fars province. The data used in this study includes  the Fars province road network extracted from the OSM open source system, as well as the spatial information of the urban and rural areas of Fars province extracted from the website of the Statistics Center of Iran. Regarding research methods, Pandas Library and NetworkX Library were used in the Python programming platform to form the network graph and analyze the centrality indicators, while ARC GIS software was for final processing and visualization of data and information. According to thenetwork centrality indices and the location of the province cities, notwithstanding Shiraz as the main hub of development in the province, Zarghan, Sadra, Kavar, Lepui, Khane Zenian and Noorabad are the main development priorities. In addition, the Shiraz-Marvdasht and Shiraz-Khaneh Zenian roads were determined to be the most important transportation paths and communication corridors. The results and findings of this study showed that network-based modeling and the use of graph-based analytics (in particular, social network analysis techniques) can be useful and effective as new analytical methods in regional studies and planning.

Due to the growing importance of environmental problems and increasing human interventions in natural environments, it is necessary to use spatial planning and sustainable development approach in order to conserve natural resources and move along with the land and its productive capacity. The rough topography of Lorestan Province has caused a large part of its lands to be recognized as national lands due to their steep slope and the necessity of preventing the destruction of natural resources. However, there some activities such as agriculture, industry, tourism, etc., which are possible if certain conditions and criteria are met. Regarding the dependence of the region's economy on agriculture and the increase in unemployment, these lands can be used to develop agricultural activities based on their environmental potentials using spatial planning approach. The purpose of this applied study was to determine the potential of national lands of Chalancholan basin in the east of Lorestan Province for the development of agricultural activities. We used tools and data such as topographic maps, geological maps, climate data, pedology, hydrology, and Arc GIS software to determine national lands with agricultural potential based on the guidelines and standards of the Forests, Range, and Watershed Management Organization of Iran, taking into account the local conditions. To this end, first, the land units (geomorphology) were determined and then, the allowable land uses were specified in each of the homogeneous environmental unit. Next, different variables were used to assess the suitability of national lands for agricultural land uses. The study results showed that national lands under study are more suitable for dryland agriculture compared to irrigated agriculture and horticulture, the reason of which is poor pedogenesis‎ due to geological characteristics of the region and limited water resources. The study results indicate that the lands located in the plains and alluvial sediments are more suitable for irrigated agriculture and horticulture, while the lands surrounding the plains are more suitable for drayland agriculture.

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.

Integrity and connectivity of habitats are among the important factors for the conservation of plant and animal populations within protected areas, particularly when the habitats are connected. Investigating on the integrity of these areas could help interconnecting islanded patches and preventing the negative impacts of fragmentations. This study aimed to quantify the fragmentations of different regions within the protected area of Jajroud. Land-use map was extracted using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques. The acquired data were employed to study the fragmentation of the regions considering the landscape metrics. The results indicate that the northern parts of the region, including the national parks of Khojir and Sorkheh Hesar, in general, possess larger patches and a higher level of connectivity, while the southern part is tending towards small-grain structure. In addition, results support the applicability of landscape metrics in assessing the management of the protected areas and identifying the protection patches in order to prioritize the protection of landscape patches.