Since comprehensiveness and integration of development can promise efficient use of the region's potential and improvement of living conditions; Therefore, the current research has aimed to analyze the pattern of integrated regional development at the level of Gilan province. In this context, based on contextual theory, the type of response to this objective was qualitative and based on documentary studies and in-depth interviews with 20 provincial experts including (policy-making, scientific and academic experts, private and government sector). Then, by using MAXQDA software as an effective tool in qualitative data analysis, open and central codes were extracted, and finally, selective coding was done using the potentials of the region and the opinion of elites. The findings and results from the comparison of the components of the desired model show that the key categories in the documentation-field dimension in the sections of causal conditions, focal core, strategies, and consequences, respectively, include cases of lack of synergy and integration of process and product, lack of perspective. Wide and extrapolated from the long-term development of the region, the sector-oriented model with a minimal approach to the place and space of development, the transformation of the spatial organization of the regional system. Also, in the ideological-theoretical dimension, the most important categories in the four sections, respectively, include things such as emphasis on the structure and pattern of decision-making (planning, policy-making, and management), political-territorial-organizational and departmental integration, the necessity of changing social and institutional management and Finally, regional organizations have been recognized as the main actors in coordination for the implementation, follow-up, and review of the sustainable development process. In addition, the relationship between abstract and operational dimensions has shown coordination and alignment in the causal and phenomenon parts and a lack of direct alignment in the strategy and consequence parts. For this purpose, suggestions such as the need to separate propositions and components by sector, territory (spatial areas), the need to rewrite and explain previously repeated codes, review the determination of priorities, real attention to attention to the integration between sectors, territories, Institutions and... have been considered.

The integrated endogenous regional model as favorable locative-spatial consequences and brings about balanced regional development in various dimensions. Due to the applied nature of this study, its objective as to examine the locative-spatial consequences derived from the integrated endogenous regional development model. Then, the strategic question revolved around the effects and consequences of the aforementioned model. To answer this question, the comparative strategy based on quantitative methodology was used. The statistical population of the study was comprised of the scientific and administrative elites and experts in Lorestan Province of Iran (Selseleh city), from among whom 30 participants were selected systematically and based on sampling logic. Data analysis was done through inferential statistics based on the measurement model fitness indicators and structural modeling in SmartPLS software. The results showed that measurement model indicators of “endogenous integrated model” and “spatial evolution” confirmed the measurement model of the study. In the structural model of the study, the accuracy of the relationship between structural variables / latent variables of the study based on T value was assessed and confirmed. Moreover, based on R2 confident of determination and F2 effect size measure, the strength and effect of the relationship between “endogenous integrated model” and “spatial evolution” was confirmed. In addition, the general goodness of fit (GOF) showed that the model had a strong fitness and the data confirm the experimental model of the study.

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.

Much quantitative research (and some qualitative cases) has been done on the role of small- and medium-sized cities in regional development. The present article is also in this line, but with a slight change in the structure of the breakdown in the approach to the subject and the analysis of the problem, and the multi-faceted analysis of the data using the Fuzzy Inference System. The purpose of this research, with regard to the title, is developmental-applicable and has a descriptive-analytical approach. The FIS application and increasing approach has four stages (in general): its Database and Fuzzification; the rules base; the engine; and the Defuzzification. In the glimpse (Knowledge Base), regional development indicators (10 indicators) and variables (more than 70 variables) in four pillars of regional development (economic, physical, infrastructure and human development) for the small- and middle-sized cities of Kurdistan province (9 cities of the city centers Except for Saravabad) were selected and mapped in 2006 and 2016, and then a detailed analysis of the process was performed on the data. The final result of this paper is that although fluctuations in the development of the inland region of the province have been observed, regional development changes (relying on economic indicators) have been consistent with changes in the urban hierarchy (demographic projections). Thus, with the decline of concentration and concentration in Sanandaj, we see an increase in the role of small- and middle-sized towns in the urban-regional development of the province.

Understanding how to distribute economic, social, cultural and other opportunities as first step in spatial development planning can improve service delivery and increase equilibrium between regions. This research aimed at study and analysis of 31 provinces of Iran based on social indicatros enjoyment. Therefore, the present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of nature and method of research. Required data collected through the statistical yearbook of 1395 (2016) in the form of 52 important social indicators including social, cultural, welfare, educational and health components. Shannon entropy, coefficient of variation (C.V), WASPAS used to Wheightining of criterias, analysis of indicators dispersion and determining the level of development of provinces respectively in the context of MATLAB. The result shows that there is a lack of social development balance between Iran provinces. Tehran, Isfahan, Khorasan Razavi and Fars are four provinces that placed at higher level of social development and Alborz, Zanjan, Chaharmahal Bakhtiari, Semnan, South Khorasan, North Khorasan, Ilam and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer Ahmad are placed at the most deprived areas of the country in terms of social indicators. Overall, the results show that social development status in Iran's provinces is not synonymous with social and spatial justice and requires proper and effective attention and management.

One of the important aspects of development from the spatial perspective is the evaluation of the effective long-term processes on the institutional mechanisms of a land and the determination of share of the respective areas in this regard. For many years, economy has been hurriedly moving toward a knowledge-based stance, and the countries that have neglected this movement have been deprived of fundamental developments. In this applied study, which adopts an analytical approach and a quantitative view, the necessity of the proposition of a strategic attitude to the two-way relationship between higher education and the industry sector of Iran is addressed. To this end, first an overview of the previous studies and theoretical principles are made. Then, following the questions and hypotheses and determining the evaluation and analysis methods, the detailed information on over 11 variables (including panel data of 31 provinces of Iran from 2016 to 2019) are collected. These are then analyzed and tested using Excel, Eviews, and Arc GIS through spatial econometrics, generalized method of moments (GMM), weight matrix and geographic-spatial correlation (λ), and KP-HET diagnostic tests. According to the results, the spatial correlation between higher education and industry in Iran is highly significant, and the shock resulting from the industrial and educational development is completely mutual. That is to say, the shock inflicted upon a given province has spread to other provinces of Iran. The findings of this study confirm the effects of the emphasis on the centralization policy stereotype and the prescriptive – rather than land-use-based – roles given to certain parts of Iran. In fact, the very high spatial correlation demonstrates that the nine less-developed provinces of Iran have experienced trivial industrial growth due to a lack of higher education infrastructure. On the other hand, the results of this study shows how the market demand for labor of the university graduates is aligned with the functions of the knowledge-based industries of Iran.

One of the important strategies that have been taken into consideration in the last half-century to counter regional imbalances, caused by the increasing growth of large cities, is the creation of small cities. Due to the availability of some facilities and services, small cities are considered as one of the important centers for bringing balance to regional development. The method of the present research is a descriptive-analytical one, and the purpose of this research is to study the status of changes in the urban system of the small cities of Alborz province in order to bring balance to the regional sustainable development. In order to find out the status of small cities in the urban system in a 30-year period (1986-2016), rank-size models, as well as entropy and balance sheets models were used, and then their role in bringing balance to the regional development was evaluated. The results of the study show that the Entropy coefficient without counting the small towns, will still have imbalances. The rank-size logarithmic model, by counting small cities with the slope of the line amounting to -1.94 and without counting small cities reduced to -1.21, indicating the undeniable role of small cities in the urban system. Also, the results of the balance sheet model show that component changes are mainly intra-class and are due to the growth of cities. Moreover, concerning the process of changing villages to cities, changes resulted from the formation of new cities can be seen only in 2006.

Due to the consequences of globalization, regional development, which has always been highly important in macro planning, requires new approaches that are flexible about regional change. Among these consequences is the emergence of powerful regional economies with high GDP that have drawn the attention of many planners to the concept of competitiveness. Using recently proposed approaches and the important aspects of the global economy, this study set out to explore this concept at the area level. The purpose of this study was to analyze movements and structural-functional relationships in order to develop a local pattern of clusters in Tehran province. This study was a developmental-applied research project in terms of purpose and an analytic-descriptive one in terms of methodology. The data collection was based on document analysis and library studies and the data was collected through note taking, available statistics, and documenting. Data analysis was carried out using cluster analysis and specialized index methods, and the results were used in identifying activity clusters after examining the natural capability of each county. The results of the analysis show that the pattern of activity in Tehran province is the metropolis-dominated cluster pattern, and the counties which are located in the province can be identified in the form of 5 regional-local clusters. The above mentioned clusters of activities can provide the basis for regional development in Tehran province by joint and purposeful planning based on the priorities offered in this article.

The present era is an era when rapid and amazing changes due to the rapid advancement of science and technology, political decisions by governments and other macro and micro factors arrive quickly which have a profound impact on the dominant trends. So, for the formulation of regional development scenarios in such era, realistic and systematic knowledge in the strategic area of ​​ planning seems to be essential. Using developmental approach and applying systems theory, the researcher in this study aimed to evaluate and analyze the development strategic variables of Mazandaran province as the main variables of scenario planning for regional development in horizon 1410. The methodology of this study is structural analysis. It is a qualitative research in terms of nature of the data, and a survey and documentary one in terms of methods of data collection. Cross analysis are used to analyze data by use of MICMAC software. The results indicate that the key and strategic variables of Mazandaran province development in Horizon 1410 includes: "the way of country’s macro management ," "inflation," "the way of managing the province", "Research & Development (R & D)", "level of IT (information technology)", "population", and finally "inter-institutional cooperation ". Meanwhile, the key capabilities and the priorities of the development of the province in Horizon 1410 include: "Crops", "gardens and nursery ", "aquaculture", "special economic zone of Amirabad", "tourism", "Fereidoon'kenar Port", "AmirAbad Port ".