Network Analysis of Spatial Flows in Zanjan City

Over the past few decades, we have seen a change in the view of planners and geographers from a place-based and basic attribute view to a network-based approach and based interaction. Therefore, rural and urban areas cannot be examined separately in studies and planning. And it needs to be checked in a network way. Based on this, the main goal of the research is to identify spatial flows between urban and rural relations in Zanjan city. The present research is based on the nature of discovery and based on the method, descriptive-analytical. The required data and information have been collected using the field method, questioning technique and with the questionnaire tool and the information of different administrative agencies of the city. In the next step, the collected data and information are analyzed in the NodeXL software environment. The results of the research showed that the city of Zanjan is in the first position of attracting flows within and outside the city due to its high level of services, shopping and selling market, in the city of Zanjan, so that all flows go to the city of Zanjan. It has become polar and is the strongest current in the city. Also, the results of the flow analysis indicate that the flow pattern is one-way relations towards Zanjan city and complementary, two-way and synergistic links have not been formed at the city level. This pattern is in accordance with the growth pole theory and is still far from the regional network pattern.