Ancient cities have always possessed inherent distinctions from contemporary cities, which are evident in their physical structures and overall layouts, allowing them to be easily differentiated from their modern counterparts. These distinctions, influenced by economic, political, cultural, and social conditions, have resulted in varying degrees of change in the urban structure and have given rise to two types of urban growth. Organic growth is characterized by a continuous and coherent expansion that prioritizes form in relation to function, in stark contrast to the fragmented and discrete nature of global cities in the modern era. This study seeks to address whether it is feasible to apply the characteristics and developmental patterns of ancient cities in today's world by examining the evolution of urban form throughout history up to the present day. Alternatively, can a favorable outcome be achieved by integrating certain characteristics of ancient cities into contemporary urban environments? Based on this objective, the study explores the evolution of urban form across three historical periods - pre-Islamic, post-Islamic, and the modern era - with a particular focus on the establishment of governmental centers in the central desert of Iran. The comparative method of induction is employed to discuss the subject matter in line with the research assumptions. The findings indicate that the first and second hypotheses have yielded more significant results in a greater number of unsuccessful experiments. Conversely, the third hypothesis has been more successful in a wider range of experiments with diverse outcomes. Moreover, considering the success rate of 0.100 and the absence of unsuccessful experiences for the Kerman experiment, it can be argued that this hypothesis is relatively superior and preferable for assessing the success rate of related projects.

By employing urban growth and development modeling, it is feasible to delineate a developmental trajectory that aligns with the specific circumstances of a city, considering environmental factors, natural elements, and population dynamics. The aim of this research is to propose an urban development model for Shushtar, which can serve as a valuable tool for analyzing the intricate processes of urban transformations. To accomplish this objective, two datasets were utilized: urban land use maps (including educational spaces, healthcare facilities, residential areas, etc.) and Landsat satellite imagery for key land uses such as rivers, barren lands, and forests, spanning three time periods: 1991, 2004, and 2014. These datasets were processed using GIS and MATLAB software. Existing urban land use maps were digitized and subsequently updated using Landsat satellite imagery. Subsequently, influential parameters in urban development were introduced as inputs to the Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) algorithm. After training the model for the years 1991 and 2004, the predicted results of urban development using the algorithm were compared with the actual situation in 2014, demonstrating a high accuracy of 93.7%. The land use change map, resulting from the change detection process, can be generated based on multi-temporal remote sensing images and their integration with urban land use maps, enabling an analysis of the associated consequences. The use of intelligent algorithms in this research has facilitated modeling with a high level of accuracy. The obtained results are deemed acceptable, and this development has also been predicted for the upcoming years.

In the era of knowledge, the rapid advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) is considered a crucial factor in addressing the growing environmental, social, and economic challenges in urban areas. Knowledge-based cities, leveraging this technology, are at the forefront of enhancing the quality of life for residents and the efficiency of services towards achieving sustainable urban development. This study aims to explore the potential and application of ICT in knowledge-based urban development. The data analyzed were collected through a survey of 66 experts from the Deputy of Urban Planning in the 22 districts of Tehran Municipality, ensuring theoretical saturation. Structural equation modeling and the partial least squares approach, utilizing SmartPLS3 software, were employed for data analysis. The findings indicate that the variables of ICT application and potential, as well as knowledge-based urban development in Tehran, and their respective components, scored an average ranging from 3.5 to 4.3 on a 5-point Likert scale, suggesting a relatively stable status. Furthermore, the coefficient for the impact of ICT application and potential on knowledge-based urban development exceeded 0.96, confirming the main model of this research. The outcome suggests that investing in research and development of ICT can serve as a solution to overcome the limitations of knowledge-based urban development in the Tehran metropolis.

Geotourism is one of the important types of ecotourism with a responsible and conservation-oriented approach that emphasizes the popularization of earth sciences and the cultural, social, and economic development of the local community. In order to evaluate and explain the geotourism conditions of a region and the capabilities of a destination to become a geopark, it is necessary to present and explain the optimal and desirable model for the development of geotourism destinations. Firouzkouh County, with its numerous earth heritage assets, is considered one of the areas susceptible to geotourism. Given the high potential of geotourism for development as a geopark and the lack of necessary utilization of these capabilities in the development of the county, it is necessary to present an optimal model for analyzing the development of geopark capabilities in the county. In this research, through library and survey methods and using geotourism evaluation methods including the Facilas method, the GAM method, and the terrestrial diversity sites method, the county's geosites were evaluated and analyzed from the perspective of different values. The results show that most of the geosites in the region, despite their high representation, educational potential, and aesthetic value, have a weak connection with the local community, and their vulnerability and risk of extinction are increasing. Also, from the perspective of assessing the geopark capabilities, it was determined that this county currently does not have the capability to become an independent geopark. Accordingly, a model for developing the county's capability to become a geopark has been presented, which mainly emphasizes participatory management, entrepreneurship, multipurpose tourists, and geotourism typology, etc.

Urbanization and the increase in urban populations, resulting from both natural population growth and rural-to-urban migration, have led to the concentration of significant material and spiritual human capital within urban settlements. Concurrently, various natural and human-induced crises pose threats to these capitals. Urban management has initiated a range of programs to address these crises, with a contemporary focus on enhancing the resilience of cities. The concept of resilience can be examined across various dimensions, including physical, economic, social, and environmental aspects.
The present study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach with the objective of assessing the physical resilience of metropolitan areas in Tabriz and determining their status relative to one another. To achieve this goal, multi-criteria decision-making methods (MADM) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) have been employed. Additionally, three models—Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), VIKOR, and Complex Proportional Assessment (COPRAS)—have been utilized to rank the regions in terms of physical resilience. Ultimately, the Copeland model was applied to integrate the results from the aforementioned models. The findings indicate that regions 2, 8, and 9 collectively exhibit the highest levels of physical resilience, followed by regions 1, 10, 3, 7, 5, 4, and, lastly, region 6, respectively.

As cities develop and expand, their encounters with various topographic and geomorphological units and related issues increase. Geomorphological units are always related to the dynamics and dynamism of the natural environment, and any action taken in the direction of the development and construction of cities in some way intersects with the aforementioned dynamics and dynamism and, as a result, with morphological phenomena. In this encounter, if some essential principles and points are not observed, the morphodynamic balance of the environment will be disrupted and major risks will threaten the majority of urban equipment and facilities. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the role of unevenness in coastal city planning by comparing the two analytical hierarchy process methods, AHP and AHP FUZZY, in the city of Noor. The research method is descriptive, analytical and field-based in terms of applied and developmental purpose and in terms of data collection, in which the researcher-made questionnaire was used as a tool. The result of the sensitivity analysis showed that AHP is sensitive to uncertainty in the decision model; However, the comparative analysis shows that the differences between the criteria rankings in the two models do not necessarily result in the selection of different options (as focal points), but rather differences in the spatial extent of the selected options are more important. The findings provide a new direction for the selection of MCDM methods for urban planning. If the planning objective is to identify priority areas for development as focal points, then simpler MCDM methods such as AHP should suffice; but in more detailed planning where the identification of spatial boundaries is required (such as determining the master plan), a multiple approach using two or more MCDM techniques would be ideal.

A sense of belonging to an environment is an emotional connection that takes place between people and the external environment. Many studies have shown that the existence of this connection and its deepening between the person and the environment has a significant role in promoting the physical environment and the emergence of positive social behaviors. Therefore, recognizing the sense of belonging and the factors affecting it and ways to improve it is one of the issues that can lead to the improvement of living conditions and physical environment. Among the many factors that affect the sense of belonging, the time factor as one of these factors can be effective from two perspectives; Duration of residence and age of the environment. In this study, while researching the effect of each of these factors on the sense of belonging of residents, a comparison between these two factors and the intensity of the effect of each on the sense of belonging has been done. The present study is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in terms of method. In order to collect the required data and information, library and field methods and questionnaire tools were used. The statistical population of the study consists of citizens living in the six studied neighborhoods in Zanjan. The sample size was estimated to be 300 people using the Cochran's formula. SPSS software was used to analyze the data. The results showed that the sense of belonging in the study areas is moderate to low. The results also showed that the duration of residence and the age of the environment have a positive and significant effect on the sense of spatial belonging and its components. Among the variables, the effect of the environment variable on the sense of spatial belonging is greater than the length of stay, so that the age of the environment predicts 27.1% of the variance of the variable of spatial belonging.
 

One area of activity that receives considerable attention in municipalities, particularly in metropolitan regions, is the management of properties assigned to municipalities for the implementation of detailed plans, comprehensive urban development strategies, and revitalization and renovation initiatives for deteriorated areas. Annually, municipalities engage in the construction or enhancement of road infrastructure and the establishment of recreational and cultural facilities in alignment with urban development and city expansion objectives. The objective of this research is to elucidate the legal issues associated with property ownership in deteriorated areas of historical significance as managed by the municipality of Sari. This study adopts a descriptive-analytical framework, employing an applied-developmental research approach grounded in survey and field methodologies. The data collection strategy utilized in this research comprises library research, document analysis, and field surveys, employing questionnaires administered to a sample of 384 citizens of Sari. Data analysis in this study employs chi-square statistical techniques using SPSS software. The findings reveal that the primary organizational challenges encountered by the municipality in terms of property ownership in deteriorated areas of Sari include insufficient awareness of laws and legal procedures, lack of coordination in implementation processes, failure to regularly update property pricing tariffs, delayed and unplanned project execution, and the absence of legal analyses in project preparation. Consequently, the municipality of Sari should prioritize the enhancement of its internal structure and operational performance, addressing identified weaknesses and fostering structural and functional coherence in property ownership as part of revitalization plans for deteriorated areas, rather than concentrating exclusively on external and inter-organizational dimensions.

The effectiveness of urban management plays a crucial role in the sustainable development of cities from various perspectives. A significant and influential dimension of urban management is the quality of life experienced by citizens across different neighborhoods. The enhancement of quality of life through management performance can be achieved via citizen participation, service provision, and transparency, among other factors. Consequently, this study aims to assess the impact of urban management performance on the quality of life in informal settlements within Miandoab City. The research employed a descriptive-analytical methodology, utilizing field data collected through a structured questionnaire. The validity of the questionnaire was established, and its reliability was determined using Cronbach's alpha, which yielded a value greater than 0.79. The study's statistical population encompassed 11,545 residents living in 10 informal settlements in Miandoab City. Utilizing Cochran's formula, a sample size of 313 was determined. The results indicated that the urban management index was statistically significant, with a p-value of 0.000, which is less than the threshold of 0.05. The average difference was calculated at -1.403, and the T-statistic was -54.8568, confirming that the urban management index for informal settlements in Miandoab is deficient. Furthermore, the regression model demonstrated that the urban management index, comprising five variables, has a coefficient of 0.901, indicating a 90% efficacy in enhancing the quality of life in informal settlements.  Among the variables, the participation variable, with a coefficient of 0.231, accounted for 23% of the variation in the quality of life in neighborhoods. The urban facilities and infrastructure variable predicted 21% of the quality of life, while the financing, provision of municipal services, and environmental cleanliness and hygiene variables contributed 16%, 18%, and 11%, respectively, to the improvement of quality of life in informal neighborhoods.

Climate change is a significant environmental concern due to the sensitivity of glacier melting processes and snow density to climate variations. Currently, a range of satellite sensors, including AVHRR, MODIS, GEOS, and MERIS, are employed for snow monitoring and are extensively utilized to analyze fluctuations and changes in global snow cover. The MODIS sensor is particularly favored for its extensive global spatial coverage, suitable spatial accuracy, and frequent temporal coverage across various scales. Consequently, this study utilizes snow products derived from the MODIS sensor. In this investigation, data on snow-related days from the statistical period of 1989 to 2018 were collected for three provinces: Kermanshah, Ilam, and Lorestan. This data was processed using MODIS snow cover information pertinent to the Middle Zagros region, in conjunction with remote sensing techniques. The study provides a detailed examination of snow cover changes within the specified area. The Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI) was employed to detect snow cover within the MODIS sensor products. To differentiate pixels and identify various phenomena, the acquired images were processed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology. Analysis of seasonal snow cover changes using MODIS sensor imagery indicates a significant decreasing trend in the majority of the studied area, particularly in the elevated regions. Notably, only the western and southwestern regions of the study area exhibit no discernible decreasing trend. Furthermore, the examination of snow-covered days throughout the study period reveals a decrease in snow cover in the Middle Zagros, with these changes intensifying in recent years, especially in the snow-covered areas of the region. Changes in snow cover during the winter months, particularly in elevated areas, were observed to be more pronounced compared to other seasons and regions within the study area.

The objective of this research is to investigate the factors that enhance the attractiveness of tourism destinations in Tehran. This study is applied in nature and employs a descriptive-analytical methodology. The data collection methods include the use of questionnaires and interviews. The statistical population comprises tourism experts and specialists, and through the application of Cochran's formula and simple random sampling, a sample of 210 tourism experts was selected. Data analysis was performed utilizing descriptive statistics and logistic regression tests.  The findings of the research reveal that, out of the 210 tourism professionals in Tehran, 91 individuals, representing 43.3%, perceived the attractiveness of Tehran's tourism destinations to be at a high level; 29% assessed it as moderate; and only 27% regarded it as low. Furthermore, the results concerning the factors influencing the enhancement of attractiveness in alignment with tourism development indicate that, among the four factors considered, the most significant were: 1) innovative business opportunities, with an impact coefficient of 0.613; 2) the city's natural, cultural, and historical assets, with an impact coefficient of 0.577; 3) the development of tourism infrastructure, with an impact coefficient of 0.497; and 4) urban development, with an impact coefficient of 0.473.
 

 

In the process of urban space creation, there exists a continuous exchange of ideas concerning the current state of that space and the desired conditions as articulated by its inhabitants. Improvements in the challenging realities of urban environments are often manifested through physical changes, one of which is urban regeneration. Given the proliferation of urban regeneration projects in recent decades, it is imperative to consider the social dimensions inherent in these initiatives. In this context, social capital, recognized as a significant social asset within neighborhoods, has assumed particular importance in the discourse surrounding regeneration. This research examines the role of social capital in the regeneration of urban neighborhoods, with a specific focus on the Islamabad Karaj neighborhood. The methodological approach employed in this investigation is descriptive-analytical. The primary objective of this study is to analyze the influence of social capital on the regeneration processes within the Islamabad Karaj neighborhood as perceived by its residents. Data collection for the theoretical framework was conducted using documentary analysis, while the empirical component involved a survey utilizing a questionnaire. The statistical population comprises individuals aged 15 years and older residing in a neighborhood of over 25,000 inhabitants, from which a sample of 410 respondents was selected through simple random sampling, employing Cochran's formula. For data analysis, Spearman's correlation coefficient and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS software. The findings indicate a strong correlation between social capital and urban regeneration within the Karaj neighborhood of Islamabad. The implications of this research highlight the necessity to focus on the components of social capital and to implement policies aimed at its maintenance and enhancement to facilitate successful urban regeneration in the Islamabad Karaj neighborhood.

Earthquake resilience, defined as the capacity of societies—including social, economic, institutional, geographical, and other dimensions—to withstand and recover from seismic events, is a critical issue that demands attention across various societal contexts. It is essential to acknowledge that attitudes toward resilience and the analytical frameworks employed to assess it significantly influence both the understanding of underlying causes of resilience and the formulation of policies aimed at risk reduction and management. The objective of this study is to evaluate and rank the earthquake resilience of new urban developments within the Isfahan Metropolitan area through the utilization of a combined index. Given the nature of the subject matter, the research adopts a descriptive-analytical approach. The study's statistical population comprises six new urban developments: Shahin Shahr, Majlesi, Sepahan Shahr, Foolad Shahr, Baharestan, and Shahid Keshvari. This research is characterized as applied in nature, and information for the literature review was gathered through library research methods. According to the results derived from the Potentially Optimal Solutions Evaluation Technique (POSET) analysis, the rankings of the urban developments based on the combined index of resilience to earthquake risk are as follows: Majlesi (3), Baharestan (6), Foolad Shahr (7), Sepahan Shahr (8), Shahin Shahr (11), and Shahid Keshvari (14). Consequently, to mitigate the adverse effects of earthquakes on communities, it is imperative to consider the unique capacities of each urban development, thereby reducing potential human and financial losses resulting from such events.

Policy-making in tourism development planning necessitates the adoption of innovative methodologies within the domain of urban governance. In alignment with this framework, it is imperative to implement policies that focus on the processes of "developing a good governance model for tourism in the post-COVID-19 era in Iran." This approach aims to mitigate the challenges posed by the pandemic, which has imposed significant strain on the tourism industry by reducing the evaluation of tourism governance indicators and establishing a foundation for their implementation. The methodology of this research is descriptive-survey with a practical focus, employing both documentary studies and field research. The qualitative component of the study utilized interviews as a tool for data analysis and the examination of relevant tourism indicators. The statistical population comprises experts and stakeholders involved in the tourism sector in Iran, with a sample size of 14 individuals selected through a combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed through a process of open, axial, and selective coding until theoretical saturation was achieved, leading to the categorization of main and sub-categories. The data analysis was informed by the grounded theory methodology. The findings of this research, which identify indicators of effective governance and elucidate the causal conditions for the application of such governance in Iran's tourism industry, provide a foundation for potential outcomes, including the enhancement of the business environment, particularly in the aftermath of the economic downturn experienced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These outcomes may lead to the creation of competitive advantages through the establishment of conducive platforms, including organizational measures, infrastructure development, technological enhancements, and the implementation of information and communication management strategies, marketing strategies, and oversight mechanisms, all of which are articulated as a comprehensive model.

This study investigates the impact of the OLR MJO Index (OMI) and the Real-time Multivariate MJO (RMM) of the Madden-Julian Oscillation on the frequency of dust storms in the stations of Abadan, Ahvaz, Bostan, Bandar Mahshahr, Dezful, Ramhormoz, and Masjed Soleiman, located in Khuzestan province, during the period from April to September 1987-2021. Pearson correlation coefficients were computed to assess the relationship between dust data and the indices, and the findings were depicted through zoning maps. Subsequently, the frequency percentage of each index for both positive and negative phases was quantified. The results indicate a direct and significant correlation between the positive and negative phases of the indices and dust occurrences (with the exception of Dezful station), particularly during the positive phase of the OMI and the negative phase of the RMM. The highest correlation coefficients, ranging from 0.77 to 0.72, were observed for Bandar Mahshahr and Dezful stationsduring the positive phase of the RMM index. Analysis of the relationship between the Madden-Julian Oscillation and dust storms revealed that between 51% and 59% of dust storms in Khuzestan province occurred in the negative phase of the OMI index, while 40% to 49% occurred in the positive phase. In the case of the RMM index, 56% to 63% of dust storms were associated with its negative phase, in contrast to 37% to 50% linked to its positive phase. Notably, the negative phase of the RMM index exhibited a higher percentage of dust storms compared to the negative phase of the OMI index. According to the results of the Monte Carlo test, the displacement of the positive and negative phases of the RMM index significantly contributes to the occurrence of dust storms at most stations in Khuzestan province. Furthermore, tracking the pathways of dust entering Khuzestan province using the HYSPLIT model indicates the movement of particles originating from Iraq, Arabia, and the eastern regions of Syria toward Khuzestan province..