Urban Planning
Akbar Asghari Zamani; Shahrivar Rostaei; Hojjat Mohamadi Torkamani
Abstract
IntroductionPlanning as a regulatory process between public and private goals, as a result of the actions of individuals and groups deviates from its regulatory path and acts in a specific direction. This competition, influenced by power, has its own manifestation in the urban environment.The urban revolution ...
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IntroductionPlanning as a regulatory process between public and private goals, as a result of the actions of individuals and groups deviates from its regulatory path and acts in a specific direction. This competition, influenced by power, has its own manifestation in the urban environment.The urban revolution and the consideration of the city as a spatial object, according to Lefebvre, put this socio-economic entity on a path that was increasingly attacked by capitalism, and the reproduction of artificial spaces for the accumulation of capital intensified.This reproduction is done in a set of rules and regulations and management policies that should, in fact, allocate space for public use, While the objective function of this city management organization has collapsed in favor of capital. This point has its own conditions in cities with rentier system. This is because in rentier systems, decentralization policies and, consequently, the strengthening of local institutions and urban management, in the absence of democratic conditions, have created a suitable environment for creating various types of rents and sometimes corruption.When urban space is considered as a commodity for possession, in this process urban management has its own impact. Sometimes as a law enforcement officer and sometimes as a competitor with private capital over urban space. All of this can be described as rent-seeking, in which individuals and groups try to divert resources to their advantage. All of these influences and everything that happens in the urban space are based on factors and contexts that seem to be rooted in the rentier political economy that governs the city system. Therefore, the present study tries to identify and explain the effective factors and contexts.Materials and methodsThe present study can be considered as applied in terms of purpose, although it has also been developed and theoretically explained. Also, the approach is descriptive-analytical, which based on the data obtained from documentary studies, as well as conducting interviews and using a questionnaire, has analyzed the context of rent in Tabriz Municipality.For conducting interviews, open-ended questions have been designed and presented to a number of managers and experts in the field of urban management in the metropolis of Tabriz.The results, after theoretical saturation and combination with the results of documentary studies, are extracted in the form of propositions and form the basis of a questionnaire that is left to the judgment of elites and experts to determine the importance and degree of effectiveness of each criterion in the occurrence of rent and rent-seeking phenomenon. For this purpose, the Mick Mac questionnaire was used. This method is based on the analysis of interaction / structural effects.Results and discussionThe requirement for analyzing variables using Mick Mac software is to determine their interactions in the form of an effect matrix that acts as software input. To do this, a 39 * 39 matrix was set and the relationships between the variables in terms of effectiveness were determined based on the opinions of selected experts in a purposeful sampling way. The number of repetitions considered in the software is twice and the degree of filling is 68.63%. This indicates that they have affected each other in more than 68% of cases. Out of 1269 relationships that can be evaluated in the matrix, 580 cases were unrelated (number zero), 379 cases were weak relationship (number one), 585 cases were moderate relationship (number two) and 305 cases were strong relationship (number three). The pattern of distribution of research variables indicates that the system is unstable.The distribution model shows that macroeconomic factors of political economy generally have high impact and low impressible, and in contrast, the factors that are most impressible are the result of decisions and macro-political and economic environment.Such a situation indicates the power of external and extra-organizational factors to determine the status of the system. impressible factors or results are also factors that are affected by the macro-political environment and political economy and operate mostly at the organizational and local level, in other words, they are the output of the performance of macro-decisions and events.In the structural / interaction analysis matrix, the sum of the row numbers for each variable indicates the effect of the variable and the sum of the columns of each variable indicates its Impressive. According to the matrix results, the variables related to the "political economy factor" have the most impact on the system (the occurrence of the rent phenomenon) and the variables related to the "psychological factor" have the least impact.Also in terms of impressiveness, the variables related to "organizational factor" have the most impressiveness and the variables related to "legal factor" have the least. Based on the results of direct and indirect effects, the variable of power centers has the highest score. Also, all the identified key variables from rank one to 16 are repeated in direct and indirect impact, and the differences are only in their rank.ConclusionThe present study seeks to identify and explain the factors affecting the formation of the phenomenon of rent and rent-seeking in the urban management organization. For this purpose, while conducting interviews with experts and managers related to urban management, first, 39 variables under 7 factors of political, political, economic, legal, organizational, socio-cultural and psychological economics were extracted.In the next step, using a questionnaire, the effectiveness of these variables was determined using the interaction / structural impact analysis method. In the next step, Mick Mac software was used to identify how the variables affect each other and identify key factors. The results of the software output can be summarized as follows;- Based on the pattern of distribution of variables, the system has an unstable state and the types of variables - influential, impressive, independent, regulatory and two-dimensional - can be identified in it.- The most effective is related to the variables of "political economy" and the least effective is related to the variables of "psychological".- In terms of impressiveness, the most impressiveness is related to "organizational" factor variables and the lowest impressiveness is related to "legal" factor variables. The key variables resulting from direct and indirect effects are identified as 16 variables, all of which are fixed and the differences are only related to their rank. These variables include;Centers of power, oil economy, lack of transparency, Clientelism policy, centralism, establishment of rentier state, weakness of popular institutions, government tenure, political influence, electoral assistance, desirability of rent-seeking among social groups, golden signatures, lobbying, the prevailing spirit of rent-seeking, the rule of the technocratic tradition among managers and the legal cases underlying rent.- Variables related to political economy are generally variables that have macro dimensions and in most cases are beyond the control of the local level of urban management. Local level variables are generally related to organizational factors that are generally the result of the performance of macro factors such as political economy. On the other hand, the variables related to political economy can be described as contextual variables that use their micro-organizational variables as tools to make their impact operational.
Urban Planning
Akbar Asghari Zamani; Shahrivar Rostaei; Mohammad Ali Koushesh Vatan
Abstract
Introduction Land use planning, especially land subdivision, plays a key role in making a decision on how to properly use the land and subdivide it. That is why such planning influences the state of the environment and can have positive and negative effects (Metternicht, 2018: 3). In simple words, with ...
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Introduction Land use planning, especially land subdivision, plays a key role in making a decision on how to properly use the land and subdivide it. That is why such planning influences the state of the environment and can have positive and negative effects (Metternicht, 2018: 3). In simple words, with different street network patterns, land subdivision creates various lots in different shapes and with various advantages. In other words, at the execution stage, land subdivision affects the land price. So, some lots will have a higher value due to their advantages compared to some other lots (Evans, 2004: 75). Considering what abovementioned, this comparative study aims: 1 – To evaluate the quality of the existing land subdivisions in the planned texture, worn-out texture, and informal settlements using the current land subdivision standards; 2 – To assess the correlation between the opinions of experts, real estate agents, property owners, and non-owners on the quality of land subdivision with the current status of the land subdivision based on research indicators; 3 – To evaluate the impact of human-managerial factors and the land value in the land subdivision process. Data and Method To collect data, a field study was used. To select blocks randomly as research sample, the Fishnet tool in ArcMap software was used. Totally, 353 blocks in district one and 386 blocks in district three were selected as research samples. To collect data on the status of the land subdivision in the selected blocks, a database was constructed for the study areas using the indicators of area, number of frontages, building orientation, chamfer or fillet, street width, street function, lot shape, aspect ratio, and distance to different land-uses, then the required analyses were performed. In the next step, using a researcher-made questionnaire, the three groups of experts, real estate agents and property owners, and non-owners were surveyed to align the observed advantages and disadvantages with the opinions of the three abovementioned groups. The validity of the questions was estimated using face validity. Its Cronbach's alpha coefficient was obtained 0.76, which was within the acceptable range. The statistical population included the total population of the two studied districts (n=448,121 people) and the sample size was estimated to be 384 people using the Cochran formula at 95% confidence level and with a 5% error. Also, SPSS software was used for questionnaire analysis. Results and Discussion According to the analysis carried out for the first aim, the obtained averages revealed the inappropriate residential and commercial subdivisions. In this issue, streets play a very important role, because different street network patterns significantly affect the characteristics of lots. As observed, for residential and commercial land-uses in both districts, the average width of the streets and the adaptation level of land-uses with the street function were below the standards, which also reduced the quality of access. According to the analysis performed for the second aim, it was found that experts' opinions on six cases in district one and seven cases in district three were significantly correlated with the current status of the land subdivision. Also, property owners and non-owners on five cases in district three and two cases in district one were significantly correlated with the current status of the land subdivision. Real estate agents' opinions on one case in each district were significantly correlated with the current status of the land subdivision. For the third aim, it was found that the respondents in district one and district three considered the land value and human-managerial factors as effective factors in inappropriate land subdivisions, respectively. In other words, it can be said that the land value and human-managerial factors, along with the lack of efficient solutions and proper surveillance of land subdivision, are considered as factors for inappropriate land subdivision in the study area. In addition, with an average of 3.5 in district one, experts and real-estate agents have assessed the land value more effective in inappropriate land subdivisions compared to the property owners and non-owners. Also, with an average of 3.7 in district three, experts and property owners and none property owners have assessed the human-managerial factors more effective in inappropriate land subdivisions compared to the real estate agents. Conclusion Findings showed that according to the land subdivision indicators used in our research, residential and commercial land-uses don’t meet the land subdivision standards. In this case, streets play the more dominant role than other factors. Measuring the alignment of experts, real estate agents, property owners and non-owners' opinions on the quality of land subdivision with its current status based on research indicators showed that with the highest frequency, experts' opinions on six cases in district one and seven cases in district three are significantly correlated with the current status of the land subdivision. Finally, according to the three abovementioned groups' opinions, the land value in district one and the human-managerial factors in district three were evaluated as effective factors in inappropriate land subdivisions.
Urban Planning
Akbar Asghari Zamani; Ebrahiem Sharifzadeh Aghdam
Abstract
Abstract Management of towns as wide organizations through local communities can be interpreted as a means of both mutual interactions and the effect of physical structure on individuals. In order to achieve sustainable urban development which is based on consultative management of developmental plans, ...
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Abstract Management of towns as wide organizations through local communities can be interpreted as a means of both mutual interactions and the effect of physical structure on individuals. In order to achieve sustainable urban development which is based on consultative management of developmental plans, an appropriate capacity needs to be built. Capacity building in urban neighborhoods can be conducted through understanding citizens' abilities and engaging them in urban plans. The communication between the citizens and urban governors plays the most important role in sustainable formation of urban neighborhoods, management of optimal quality of life, conditions of residential neighborhoods, and sustainable urban development. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of consultative management performance on physical sustainability of urban neighborhoods. Survey method was utilized to collect data. In so doing, a "structured questionnaire" that was designed based on internal and external sustainability indicators was applied. The target population included four main neighborhoods of Piranshahr. A sample of 382 individuals was selected through Cochrans' model. Statistical tests were conducted to check the sustainability of every single indicator. Then, the urban neighborhoods were ranked based on Vikor model. Finally, the results showed that the target indicators had a significant effect on the sustainability increase of the urban neighborhoods such that the people's participation affected neighborhoods sustainability in the town. Finally, based on Vikor model the results showed that neighborhood 2 with a sustainability rate of Q=0.55 had more favorable conditions compared to the other neighborhoods.
Seyedali Alavi; Mahammad Molayee Ghelich; Hadi Javadzad Aghdam; Bahman Najafpour
Volume 19, Issue 51 , April 2015, , Pages 247-266
Abstract
The city as part of a hierarchy of spatial systems and divisions of political-geographical in each country based on various criteria such as type of governance, management, knowledgement, social interest and public participation in decision-making system is formed. Since each element can be defined within ...
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The city as part of a hierarchy of spatial systems and divisions of political-geographical in each country based on various criteria such as type of governance, management, knowledgement, social interest and public participation in decision-making system is formed. Since each element can be defined within functional features, so according to different roles that is defined in the subsystems of urban systems, can be identified by a variety of constituting components of the system. According to the role of urban management as system of control and guidance of urban in metropolises, can be named the elements mentioned under the management of municipal areas as elements of urban systems. On the other hand, the extent and distribution of metropolises are needed to balance in the volume of operations with it. The purpose of this research is spatial priority of integrated urban management system in districts of Tehran to solve the problems of urban management. Method of research is descriptive-analytic. To achieve the goal of research is used multi-criteria decision making models such as AHP and VIKOR for ranking of districts of Tehran. Results of the research show that among the urban districts of Tehran, district 6 is one of the most problem areas. Subsequently, is located the regions of 2 and 14. Also The results show that regions 8, 16 and 22 have fewer problems than other areas. Finally, spatial analysis for prioritizing of integrated urban management system in study area has been studied and suggestions are presented.
Rasool Rabbani Khorasgani; Hamidreza Varesi; Mohsen Akhavan Mahdavi
Volume 18, Issue 48 , June 2014, , Pages 149-176
Abstract
The aim of the present study is the analysis of the role and position of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) as one of the prominent factors in citizens’ participation in urban management of Esfahan. The applied methodology in this study is of application one based on the purpose of ...
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The aim of the present study is the analysis of the role and position of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) as one of the prominent factors in citizens’ participation in urban management of Esfahan. The applied methodology in this study is of application one based on the purpose of the study, and survey one based on the process of data collection. The population of the study includes the citizens aged 20-49 who are living in Esfahan, and the sample size includes 384 persons, for which the Cochran formula is chosen. The results of the study show that the citizens’ E-participation is very low. The effect of the benefits of electronization, economic trust and information literacy on E-participation is significant in Structural Equation Model. Afterall the coefficient of the effects of electronization benefits is both negative and low, and the coefficient of the other factors is positive and moderate. The information literacy of 57 percent has had the upmost effects on E-participation. All the general and partial indexes are at the level of acceptability; therefore, the collected data support the specified theoretical model in a great extent. Generally, with the consideration of 48-percent prediction of E-participation and 23-percent estimation of dependent variable variance used by the factors of the study, the role of ICT in citizens’ participation is suitable. But the position of ICT in citizens’ participation in urban management and the framework of E-participation do not show any suitable condition.
Asghar Zarabi; Jamal Mahamadi; Jabbar Alizadeh
Volume 16, Issue 37 , November 2011, , Pages 83-109
Abstract
The current paper attempts to examine information and communication technology (ICT) in Esfahan’s central district. The research method is applied-developmental and the study method is survey-documental. To collect data, questionnaires were used and SPSS was used for analyzing data. The samples ...
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The current paper attempts to examine information and communication technology (ICT) in Esfahan’s central district. The research method is applied-developmental and the study method is survey-documental. To collect data, questionnaires were used and SPSS was used for analyzing data. The samples were selected from residents of Esfahan central district and its size was estimated 322 by Cochran method. Ultimately 400 questionnaires were provided from citizens and institutes. Findings show that there is a signficant relationship between information literacy and acceptance of ICT (correlation=0.47, Sig=0.000) that is to say, citizens do not have necessary knowledge to make use of ICT. Accessibility to ICT services in workplace (Sig=0.000) was suitable but in residencies, the case was not true (Sig=0.02). Citizens mostly fulfill their requests personally. The more the satisfaction of citizens with urban managers’ services, the more is involvement of citizens in urban management (correlation=0.43, Sig=0.000). There is a relationship between the use of ICT and the extent of citizen participation in urban management (correlation= 0.46, Sig=0.000). The more citizens were satisfied with ICT services, the more they tend to make use of these services. The results of current research is with the correlation of sig=0.031 are average downwards and it demands the care of urban managers. Finally, in order to promote this technology in urban societies, suggestions are presented.
