An analysis of Socio-economic and physical aspects of Slum areas in Ahar city

Over the last few decades، urban marginalization has been a major challenge in the metropolitan and large cities. After various experiences of forcible contact، what is recommended by international organizations is an empowerment approach which focuses on the empowerment of squatters instead of financial support. In this study، Ahar squatters were identified and investigated in 4 neighborhoods. Using Cochran formula، 320 samples were chosen randomly and their economic، social، physical and spatial characteristics of neighborhoods were collected by questionnaires and then analyzed by SPSS software. Besides، using SWOT approach and identifying problems، strategies of Empowerment in different dimensions was presented. Results showed that Shileboran and Nirugah neighborhoods have more problems regarding socio-economic and physical status، whereas Chalabverdi neighborhood has better situation than other neighborhoods. Ownership issue، poor housing conditions، access problems and poor sewage system were serious problems for residents of these neighborhoods. Theoretical bases: In the second decades of 1980s، empowerment strategies along with improvement in informal habitat settings are recommended to overlook the poor economic condition of families and also the inability to use the collective power. Therefore، a great leap was created in modern approach which is based on the improvement of local communities and macro policies. The entity of the empowerment approach is based on the reduction of poverty and in human-oriented sustainable development it is based on the citizen participation. The problem of informal settlements in Ahar city because of its geographical location as a city in northeast of Azerbaijan province and its situation in the middle of bundles of small and big villages has been accelerated to the extent that solving the problem has been a real challenge. Investigation of the situation of these districts shows that economic، social and physical situation of these districts aren’t in a good condition. Due to poor sanitary condition and free flow of sewages، keeping animals in some residential units، the possibility of infectious diseases and their development to other parts of the city are increasing. The results show that more than 90% of the residents of these neighborhoods immigrated from near villages which in Shileh-boran involves nearly 95% of residents. Furthermore، more than 80% of the immigrations are of familial form and individual immigration is rare in these areas. Considering the occupational status of these immigrants، 45% are workers with the average salary of 100-150 thousands tomans. In addition، results show that Shileh-boran and Nirougah neighborhoods have poorer economic، social and physical conditions. The problems of ownership، poor housing situation، sewage system and access can be regarded as the important problems in these areas. The analysis of the results of the SWOT show that despite the serious threats and fundamental weaknesses such as high percentage of workers in primary jobs، hidden and seasonal unemployment، high dependency ratio، limited role of women in economy of the family، poor intensity، lack of financial facilities in improving neighborhoods، disorder of streets margin space، lack of balance in void and solid spaces، narrow passages، compression of texture، inefficiency of network access، weak and inappropriate studding، facade and form، low educated ratio، migration of majority of residents، bad sanitary condition، high rate of crime between young people، there are some opportunities for empowerment of the residents and improvement in neighborhood. These opportunities can be the inclination of the municipality in improving neighborhood، government''s attention to organizing the informal habitat، international aids for empowerment activities، the existence of the sense of public participation of the residents for improvement and support of the government in creating local loan boxes، can be one of the solutions for neighborhoods problems.