A Discussion Over the Concepts of Space and Organization of Spatial System of Rural Settlement

Space and spatial organization are among the topics that have entered the world's geographic literature since the 1950s. - Imbalance in urban and rural development and in distribution of their benefits; - A comprehensive view of various natural, economic, social and physical aspects in dealing with the problems of human societies; - Lack of ability of spatial structure and organization of geographic areas, especially in rural areas of the Third World and backward countries, to respond satisfactorily to contemporary issues and needs; - Acquiring reasonable scales in investment and economic-social planning; - Balanced distribution of population, services and activities with regard to actual and dormant potentials at homogeneous spatial levels; And ... can be considered as among the most important reasons for planners and geographers to show significant inclination toward studies with spatial dimensions. Without any doubt, with the passage of time and emergence of the daily increasing disappointments of polarization and central planning in achieving balanced development, the necessity of spatial integration, especially for rural areas of developing countries such as Iran, is ever more felt. In this regard, the organization of spatial system of rural settlements was considered as one of the projects which, considering its especially comprehensive view of rural environment and zone-based attitude, if seriously addressed, would be able to pave the way for solving many issues in our country's rural areas. In this article, while exploring the concepts of space, rural space, spatial organization and structure, the background and objectives of spatial organization of rural settlements in Iran and its results have been discussed.