The vulnerability appraisal is one of the prerequisites of risk analysis in disaster management. Vulnerability to earthquake, especially in urban areas, has increased over years due to the existence of complex urban structures and rapid development. In order to take preemptive measures and reduce the damages of earthquake, the determination of vulnerable areas and implementation of necessary measures seem inevitable. Accordingly, the present study set out to examine the vulnerability of Tehran urban blocks via a location-base model. To attain this objective, first the criteria effective on the evaluation of earthquake vulnerability were divided into three groups, namely exposure, sensitivity, and adaptation capability (16 location criteria in general). Using the expert opinions and network analysis model, the importance of each of the criteria was determined. Fuzzy functions and ordered weighted averaging method were used to normalize the criteria map and develop vulnerability maps under various scenarios. Finally, the sensitivity analysis of the criteria was carried out. The results showed that vulnerable population density and average slope were the criteria with the most and least importance, respectively. The vulnerability maps demonstrated that the areas to the north of the area under study are in the vulnerable class under all scenarios. The stability and dependability of the output results were assessed using sensitivity analysis. The results indicated that changing the weight of the criteria does not have a significant effect on the model outputs, a finding that clearly proves the stability of the model.

Despite having abundant wealth, power, and resources and making great efforts to bring about regional balance, there is a deviation from spatial equality in Iran’s structure, which has led to the establishment of center-periphery structure as the dominant model in Iran. This structure has been created due to many factors, forces, and currents. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to present a theoretical model of spatial inequality in Iran using Lynham’s theorizing method. There were five steps in the application of this method. In the first method, i.e., conceptualization, the theoretical model was developed using meta-synthesis method and MAXQDA software. The obtained model entailed a host of concepts and components. These included  context-based  theory-driven discourse, centralization and making the periphery dependent, the reverse results of development plans, unequal power relations, inequality of benefits and wealth (economic inequality), inappropriate policymaking and management, weak local and regional management as opposed to central power, unbalanced distribution of population and activity in geographical spaces, and unbalanced distribution of natural resources. These concepts, grouped into ideological, economic-political, and contextual discourses, have created spatial inequality and center-periphery relationship in Iran.

As one of the most important and influential urban planning approaches, comprehensive plans can be considered from the different and relevant dimensions and aspects such as the planning system, the content of plans, preparation-approval process, and execution procedure. Hence, this research focuses on the reasons for the inefficiency of comprehensive plans, especially concerning the nature and the substance of this urban planning approach. To this end, in addition to reviewing relevant theories and views, objective instances of the mentioned reasons have been pursued. Therefore, Nowshahr’s Comprehensive Plan was assayed for the ex-post evaluation of plan implementation to assess its efficiency and feasibility in certain aspects, including social and physical dimensions. Following a linear and one-way procedure, inflexibility and lack of realism, single vision and mostly physical solutions, providing too many details based on static and solid frameworks, and the impossibility of accurate predictions are the substantial critical reasons for the inefficiency of urban planning based on comprehensive plans approach. These factors are the challenges that Nowshahr’s Comprehensive Plan also suffers from them identically. The unrealistic approach in determining the city limit, an incorrect policy of using open spaces and increasing density in contradiction with the ecological, touristic, and port nature of the city, failure to realize most of the proposed land uses, and consequently, a severe shortage of service spaces, are among the most apparent objective instances regarding the inefficiency of Nowshahr’s Comprehensive Plan according to the mentioned substantial reasons. Considering the reasons for inefficiency and analysis of the objective instances are an essential strategy that can differentiate the substance of urban plans, especially ones prepared based on the evolution in urban planning and substitution of new approaches, from the old and traditional cases and make them successful more than before.

The usefulness of many forms of spatial studies relies on the nature of the topics under study. Geographers and urban planners have a long-lasting tradition of studying the data derived from spatial issues at regional and urban levels. Nonetheless, no standard has been offered so far on the provision of statistical results in the form of spatial units. Therefore, the results of the previous studies in this field have been influenced by the scale and zoning effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze the effect of scale and zoning on the spatial unit results. To this end, the rural areas located in the southern parts of West Azerbaijan province were selected. This study adopted the critical positivism approach and used quantitative data collection and analysis. Moreover, this research project was descriptive-analytical in terms of method and applied in terms of purpose.  The statistical population of the study included 1143 villages with an overall population of 418948 in 9 southern cities of West Azerbaijan province. The study was done using 8 indices of rural services, which were composed of 77 indicators in total. Then, the effect of scale and zoning on the results was analyzed. The results showed that the value of Moran’s statistic related to the overall index of rural service distribution level has been 0.39 at city, 0.06 at rural district level, and 0.05 at village level. Accordingly, the distribution of rural services has been clustered at the city level, but has been random at rural district and village levels. Moreover, the results of the rural services overall index was 15.09 at city level, 10.88 at rural district level, and 2.31 at village level. This shows that by changing the spatial unit scale, the results of the spatial distribution of services has totally changed. This finding is true for zoning, too; with a change in the zoning pattern, the results of spatial units have changed. These findings show that the nature of rural service distribution alters with the change in the scale and zoning models.

In order to explain the ecological-sociological strategy of Tehran land use network/ land cover, the present study was tried to identify the spatial process of the change in the landscape mosaic pattern and its effect on carbon sequestration over the course of 3 decades from 1990 to 2020. In this study, the role of landscape measures in the identification of landscape mosaic spatial pattern changes and its combination with data obtained from ecosystem service modeling was shown. To this end, after examining the process of structural-functional changes in landscape mosaic using decision tree algorithm and InVEST model, the complexity of the relationship between landscape spatial pattern and the quantity of carbon sequestration regulatory services at the two levels of class and landscape was addressed using the measures and data obtained from InVEST model. The findings indicated that the volume of carbon sequestration regulatory services in all periods had reduced due to the effects of the spatial process of “accumulation” in construction strains. Moreover, in the 1990-2020 period, the highest rate of carbon storage loss (291656 tones, 9.58%) occurred due to the effects of the spatial processes of “deletion” in green lands and “fragmentation” in barren lands. In the 2000-2010 and 2010-2020 periods, the volume of carbon storage reduction were 182209 (6.62%) and 159688 (6.22%) tones, respectively. Pertaining to this discussion was the finding that the effect of the change in the index of strain numbers in green and barren lands for all periods was accompanied by increased fineness, which indicates its reverse relationship with carbon sequestration rate. On the other hand, the reduction of other measures in green and barren lands reveals the existence of a direct relationship with the loss of a volume of carbon sequestration in the foregoing period. At the landscape level, the reduction of heterogeneity and simplification of the landscape mosaic spatial pattern led to the reduction of carbon sequestration. From this perspective, it is necessary to prioritize the identification of the spatial processes effective on the landscape structure model in the completion of the processes of the evaluation of the urban development effects on the carbon sequestration service current.

Air pollution is one of the most important problems of industrial cities. The existence of large industrial factories, official and industrial facilities, National Iranian South Oil Company, National Iranian Drilling Company, etc., have turned Ahvaz to one of the main industrial centers and one of the most polluted cities of Iran. Coming into contact with airborne microorganisms is related to a host of negative effects on the human health. This study was carried out to find out the effect of oil industries on air pollution and its optimal locating through the environmental approach in Ahvaz metropolis. In this study, SCREEN3 software was used to find out and analyze the distribution of Sox, NOx, and CO pollutants. Based on expert opinion, the main criteria were determined as climatic, natural, environmental, and economic factors. After calculating weights through the AHP model and attaining the information layers, the GIS software capabilities to combine and overlap the maps were used. This led to a map depicting the optimal location of oil industries congruent with the environmental approach in Ahvaz metropolis. According to the obtained results, there should be no residence-based activity in at least 5000 meters distance from the oil industries, where air pollutants have a considerable density. That is to say, within this distance, the animate and inanimate creatures will be damaged the most. The most optimal areas for the establishment of oil industry facilities are located on the west, south, southwest, and parts of east and north of the area under study.

The main purpose of this study was modeling the suitability of recreational services in order to identify the high-priority areas for the development of recreational activities. To identify the spatial patterns of recreational services, the landscape attractiveness index, visit rate estimation, and access distribution were combined using a set of sub-indices. Moreover, the weight of each index was calculated using CRITIC weighting method and the importance of each index in the formation of recreational services spatial suitability was determined. The results showed that the presentation of highly recreational services is mainly done in the areas with forest ecosystems, protected areas, and aquatic ecosystems such as rivers and wetlands that have diverse landscapes. On the contrary, urban and human-built areas have the least potential for the provision of recreational services. Getis-Ord Gi* statistic was used to model the recreational suitability, identify recreational suitability clusters, and zoning. With its very low suitability, Zone 1 covers 19.9 percent of the area under study. This zone is mainly filled with agricultural lands (54.7%), grasslands (36.1%), and urban lands (6.8%). In contrast, with its very high recreational suitability, Zone 5 covers 16.5 percent of the area under study. The main uses of the lands in this zone are forest lands (55.5%) and aquatic layers including rivers and wetlands (17.2%).  Zone 3, which has an average suitability rate, covers more than half of the area under study. The approach presented in this study helps identify the development priorities in the light of the recreational potentials of the ecosystems existing in an area. Thus, it can be used to improve the spatial planning of recreation and tourism in order to preserve ecosystem services and sustainable use of them.

Hospitals are among the most important service centers, and the selection of the optimal site for them is a very important (yet complex) undertaking, as it can bring about optimal spatial distribution of hospitals and can make them optimally accessible for citizens. In the present study, in order to optimally locate hospitals in District 5 of Tehran metropolis, a combination of the geographical information system, objective weighting methods, and multi-criteria decision making method was used. The geographical information system was used to analyze and manage the optimal hospital locating criteria, the CRITIC weighting method was implemented to account for the correlation between the criteria, and Shannon's entropy method was used to model the existing uncertainty in the criteria. CODAS multi-criteria decision making method was used due to its novelty and the evaluation of alternatives based on two criteria. Based on the results obtained from CRITIC weighting method, distance from health centers, and based on the results of Shannon's entropy method, distance from industrial areas were the most important optimal hospital locating criteria. The results of ranking the candidate sites using CRITIC-CODAS and Shannon’s entropy-CODAS were almost the same, and both methods identified the sites on the western side of the District (that did not have any hospital) as the appropriate sites. The results of the study indicated the high accuracy of combined objective weighting and multi-criteria decision making methods in optimal locating of the hospitals. It might be asserted that these methods can replace thematic weighting methods such as analytical hierarchy process.

Sustainable development has gradually and over time brought about various approaches with different goals. Ecological city is one of these approaches that has a stronger emphasis on environment issue as well as the relationships between city development and nature. The purpose of this study was to determine the local factors effective on the achievement of ecological city in order to sustainably develop Darcheh city. This study was mixed-methods (qualitative-quantitative) in terms of paradigm, and descriptive-analytical and exploratory in terms of nature. Data was collected using document analysis and field study through two means: interviews with experts using the Delphi method and a questionnaire. In the qualitative phase (the Delphi method), 30 experts and specialists were interviewed. In the quantitative phase, the statistical population of the study was comprised of Darcheh citizens aging over 15, who were 37367 individuals in the year 2016. From among these, 375 participants were selected using cluster sampling. The face validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by the urban planning experts, and its reliability was corroborated through Chronbach’s alpha coefficient. The results of the study in both phases (qualitative and quantitative) showed that the environmental and economic dimensions – with the average scores of 4.23 and 4.11 and (beta) regression coefficients of .345 and .349 – best describe the achievement of ecological city, there is a relative homogeneity among various neighborhoods of the city in terms of ecological city indices, and the ecological city development can be attained through a clear model. Moreover, according to Pearson correlation coefficient, the citizens who have had a higher educational level have shown a higher tendency (.585) to help implement the ecological city project.

One of the policies that has been taken into account by many countries to develop sustainable tourism is the development of touristic towns and villages in a centralized manner and the prevention of haphazard, unplanned contractions that destroy environment, sociocultural context, and economic structure of the touristic attraction sites. This policy was enacted by the Iranian cabinet in 2017. The purpose of this study was to present a methodology to identify the spaces suitable for the development of touristic towns and villages. The study was applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of methodology. As the input of the analytic model, the spatial territory of Mazandaran province was divided into 23007 spatial units, each covering 100 hectares. Then, the development of touristic towns and villages were evaluated and prioritized. In this article, the combined index of “the priority of the development of touristic towns and villages in Mazandaran province” was made by combining exploratory factor analysis and network analysis (F’ANP) based on 14 factors effective on the development of touristic towns and villages. The resulting map was then trimmed based on four control indices. The findings of the model showed that the three factors of “environmental potential and transportation infrastructure,” “the quantity and quality of serving the tourists,” and “tourism investment potential” are effective on the prioritization of Mazandaran province spaces in order to develop touristic towns and villages. The results of study demonstrated that the development of touristic towns and villages in this province is possible in the middle and eastern side of seashore, in limited areas in the eastern plains, and in the eastern and western mountainous lands.