Comparative Study of Obstacle to Formation of Rural-Urban Linkages in Iran The case of Marvdasht (Fars) and Kuhdasht (Lurestan) Areas

Though policy makers and researchers are increasingly acknowledging the potential role of rural-urban relations and linkages play in alleviating inequality between rural and urban environments, still research and policy discussion surrounding the matter have been unfortunately hampered by oversimplification of these issues. The both terms “relations” and “linkages” are used frequently in the literature and in policy discussions, yet definitions are largely situational and case specific and provide little basis for a unified understanding of what constitutes these relations and linkages. The rural-urban linkages are characterized by a series of flows, like people, technology, goods, capital, natural resources, and information. In fact, the notion is that activities or interventions in one area have consequences in the other. On the other hand, creative policies can turn liabilities into resources and bridge the rural-urban divide. Yet, because of continuation of traditional relationships between urban centers and countryside, the formation of positive and reciprocal rural-urban linkages are hampered. This article tries to discover the main causes affecting this process.