spatial flow

Peri-urban territories as a socio-economic space with a combination of urban and rural characteristics are often known as surrounding areas where agricultural, urban, and natural systems are in stable and continuous interaction with each other. In these areas, there are various connections according to the conditions and economic bases. These connections can create development or anti-development effects for any of the urban or rural spaces (especially villages). By understanding the mentioned issue, this research aims to analyze these regional relations in the center of Zanjan province. Therefore, with a descriptive-analytical method, the method of mutual communication between the surrounding sample villages and the city of Zanjan has been studied, and in this regard, the relevant indicators that were extracted by trusted sources have reached acceptable validity and have been used for the analysis of the research. Documentary and survey information data was collected. AHP and TOPSIS models were used for data analysis. On the other hand, based on the collaborative method carried out by the researchers of this research and some available scientific documents and sources, the degree of dependence of each of the peripheral sample villages to the center of Zanjan city has been determined. The obtained results indicated that peri-urban settlements, despite their spatial integration with urban areas, can be distinguished from both urban and rural areas due to their rapid growth, dynamics, and mixed social, economic, and environmental characteristics. Also, the final results of the research indicate the high dependence of Valaroud village on Zanjan city, and the villages of Dovasb, Dizjabad, and Razbin are placed in the next ranks respectively.

Statement of the Problem:

 Interactions and spatial flows are within and outside the territory among different life patterns (between cities, villages, and nomadic spatial actors) at the level of geographical areas, including nomadic ecosystems. In this regard, interactions and development of nomadic ecosystems affect both sides of heterogeneous areas form a level of spatial integration, and provide a platform for innovation and creativity for sustainable spatial development planning.

The present study, in the framework of the network paradigm with emphasis on the regional network approach, seeks to analyze the patterns of spatial interactions in the nomadic ecosystem of the Babadi Bab Bakhtiari tribe.

The present research was applied and descriptive-analytical in terms of purpose and method. The method of data collection according to the nature of the research was library and field visits based on the number of spatial actors (summer-winter quarters) at the ecological level. The required data were collected using a questionnaire and the questioning technique. Then, the spatial network analysis method (which is based on the social network analysis method) was used. In the framework of this method, the basic criteria of analysis are based on the framework of socio-spatial criteria (location, distance, scale, and power). The UCINET software was also used for data analysis.

Based on the findings and the four criteria studied by socio-spatial actors in the ecosystem, spatial interaction patterns lacked integration. In this sense, the division of spatial labor has been spontaneous (without planning) in such a way that the flow center of the people is limited. Therefore, the middle centers (Mianbandha) ranked first and the cities of Chelgard, Farsan, Lali, and Sheikh Ali Khanranks ranked second, third, fourth, and fifth in the patterns of spatial interactions inside and outside the socio-spatial bio-realm. Influenced by the type and nature of the flow of people, the daily migration of nomads is subject to the centralized pattern (single-center) and one-way spatial interactions, and the seasonal migration of nomads follows the decentralized pattern (multi-center) and two-way spatial interactions. The later migration is far from the pattern of network spatial interactions because in most spatial actors, two-way links are established apparently.

Innovation: 

In this study, the analysis of spatial interaction patterns affected by the type and nature of people within the nomadic ecosystem and the relationship of the entire ecosystem with cities and villages, was considered spatially. In addition, following the discovery of the visible and hidden relationships of spatial actors of the nomadic ecosystem, people flow indices are categorized under the conceptual relationships of the combined elements of human relationship geography and social networks in order to analyze spatial interaction patterns in a dynamic network.