Evaluation of Spatial Justice in Educational Services in Zahedan City by the Use of Geographical Information System (GIS)

Utilizing the spaces and appropriate distribution of them, in better words, spatial justice are important factors in urban planning. Accordingly, land uses and city services are of influential and beneficial factors in implementing the dimensions of spatial, social, and economic justice by responding to population requirement, increasing public benefits, and considering peoples’ merits, With a very short record of being called a city, Zahedan has had an asymmetrical growth that has paved the way for social injustice, especially in educational facilities among citizens in different parts of the city. Findings of present research indicate that there are crystal-clear differences in urban areas of zahedan in enjoying educational facilities and potentials regarding three parameters of compatibility (location and the surroundings, location and communication, location and detailed plan), desirability (structural quality of educational centers, locations and degree of accessibility, distribution and population density of educational centers, and the type of their ownership), and capacity (frequency of using educational centers and number of classes in these centers). That is, the second district of municipality enjoys the mentioned parameters the most, the first district enjoys an average extent, and the third district enjoys the least. The findings also indicate that the organization of educational facilities in Zahedan involves disequilibrium; centralization, and dire parity that lead to rapture in spatial justice among districts. It seems that the distribution pattern of and the accessibility to educational facilities in different districts of the city bear unstable situation. This issue can be a very serious warning to the city managers and curriculum developers since no change or development in urban areas is feasible without considering efficient labor and human assets. Efficient labor will only be effective when educationally equal opportunities are porvided. Systematic approach to the distribution of educational landuses, unified city management, intensive and short-range planning are important factors in removing injustice and difference. Similarly, planning medium and long- range programs, and increasing economic power of citizens are significant strategies in materializing justice in the city.