A Survey on the Effects of Rurban and Small Cities on the Regional and Rural Development(A Case Study: Neyshabur county)

1- Introduction The spatial demographic system in Iran has had relative homogeniety and a galaxy form up to 1335. There was an organic relationship among large and small cities in each area and among their urban centers. (Ziari, 2009: 94-95). However, since 1335, and due to the application of centralist development theories, an imbalance and an inequity in this system arose (Farhudi et al, 2009: 60). As a consequence of economic, social, and political changes in the country such as increase in oil production and income, investment in cities and land reform, there was an increase in centralization in the first top cities of the country that caused the concentration of resources and the stablishment of infrastructure in them, little investment in agricultural sections and villages and vast migration of rural settlers to cities (Kamrava, 2000: 75-82). To reduce the problem of metropolises, control urban migration, decentralization from socio- economic structures and a balanced regional development with regard to a regional development approach, development programmers have considered a collection of measures in the last four decades, such as spatial decentralization through regional Land Use Planning (management), and the development of medium cities, small towns, villages, etc. (Zebardast, 2007: 33) In Iran, the development of rurbans was carried out with the policy of changing big villages to cities (Taherkhani, 1999: 18). Altogether, the number of cities in the 1335 which was 200, changed to 1012 by1385 (www,sci.org.ir). According to official statistics during 1375 to 1385, Khorasan province and Neyshabour had been among regions that had undergone greatest number of changes from rural to urban areas in comparison to other parts of the country. Consequently, despite the division of the province into three parts, the number of cities changed from 47 in 1365 to 66 in 1385 (in addition to 16 cities in Northern Khorasan and 21 in Southern Khorasan). Furthermore, the number of towns in Neyshabour increased from 4 in 1375 to 7 in 1385. (www.sci.org.ir).Therefore; according to the quantitative development of rurbans in the country, the province and the areas of interest, and their various functions, the main questions of the study are as follows: 1. Have the creation and development of rurbans, led to a balanced distribution of population at regional level and resulted in any change in the priority of rural immigrants in the area? 2. What effects has the promotion of political, official and service role in rurbans had on the social satisfaction of rural settlers and their view point towards the development of the region? 2- Theoretical Framework The study of small cities and their relationship with rural development was first initiated by Johnson’s study in 1970 and the discussion about rural development centers began by Funnel (1976) (Fanni, 1996: 10). Yet, Friedmann’s study in 1967 and that of Barry in 1967, (Roknaldineftekhari et al, 2001: 37) and Friedmann’s theory of rurban areas in 1975 in Japan, played an important part on the accomplishment of this approach (Friedmann and Daouglas, 1984: 7) Inspired by Johnson’s views, Rondinelli (1976) proposed the approach of urban application in rural development (Ziari 2004: 162) by which he reemphasized the significance of the development of these cities. In 1980s, Rondinelli and Roddle, as the American consultant engineers of U.S.A.I.D. Institute, carried out UFord pattern in the Phillippines. Later on, the same approach was exercised on and reviewed in P.U.T.C. section in Bolivia, whose main aim was to reduce rural poverty and increase rural production and income (KharratZebardast, 1998: 27). Daouglass (1979) shed more light on the whole framework in an article entitled “Rurban Development, an Option to Regional Development in Asia”. In his next researches, Freidman (1981, 1996) referred back to this idea in a suitable model to rural development of Asian Countries. Furthermore, he introduced this development as a balancing factor for urbanization, the promotion of rural living standards, increasing occupational opportunities and reducing rural settlers’ migration to cities (IzadiKharameh, 2001: 236-237). 3- Methodology This study is an applied study using descriptive-analytical methods. The required data were collected through documentary research and field work. Observation, questionnaires and interviews were also used. Based on the Cochran formula, a sample size including 20 villages and 342 rural people (Householder), was selected. The study population included 2 districts of Neyshabur: Zebakhan (Ghadamgah and Kharv towns) and Mianjolgeh (Eshghabad town) and all the villages located within them. Data was analyzed using SPSS software package. 4- Discussion Well- known rural development theoretician believe the socio- economic gaps between villages and cities are vast and think the distance could be reduced with the invent of rurban communities, being socially closer to villages and economically closer to cities (Misra: 1366, 35). They believe that any kind of movement and activity in these centers would affect rural zones in the first place (Fanni, 1996: 53- 54). Urbanization rate in Neyshabour, with a rate of 19 in 1345, has trippled to 60.6 in 1390 and its urban areas, 4 in 1375, has increased to 7 in 1390, finally resulting in the creation of a new county, Firoozeh, and two towns called Hemmatabad and Garmab. Therefore, as much twice an increase in urban areas to 10, has had various effects on the types of the surrounding villages and newly created urban centers. The results of the study show that Ghadamgah with an index population elasticity of 2.08 has been relatively successful in keeping its population. But this index has been 0.55 for Kharv, and 0.76 for Eshghabad, which have had a relative correlation due to their economical problems and unstablishment of infrastructures. According to an entropy index comparison during / after the previous two periods, the development of rurbans has led to the movement of spatial populational system towards a balance which will continue in the future. T- Test results showed that there is a meaningful correlation between the promotion of official services in rubans, social satisfaction and the reduction of rural settler's gap from service performance. Field investigation also revealed that more than 80% of rural settlers believe that the improvement of administrative roles has prevented 60% of official-service commutes to city centers. Furthermore, parallel with an increase in the distance between cities, the probability of having economical and commercial services has decreased. The promotion of market role of rurbans and a reduction of agricultural products due to an increase in profitability of activities pertaining to this section have been some of the most important effects from an agricultural development perspective in the areas of interst. With the development of Ghadamgah's social services and tourist activities in Zebarkhan, an important portion of garden products which is less than 2 tons, is sold to retailers at a higher price. After the development of Kharv, the number of shopping and trade centers has increased from 14 to 31. Parallel with this evolution, transportation vehicles have also increased in number which in turn has caused a significant rise in agricultural trades, leading to a reduction in transportation expenses. In Mianjolgeh, more than 90 percent of rural settlers shave stated that, after the promotion of Eshghabad, 80 percent of merchants along with cotton, wheat and barely trade centers moved from Neyshabour to this city. Furthermore, delivering garden fruit to the local merchants has led to a reduction in transportation expenses up to 50 or 60 percents. Two other important services with which the rural settlers were satisfied were the distribution of agricultural seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, etc, and private veterinarian, and pharmacies. This furthermore, has significantly reduced the rural settlers’ referring to city and in turn has prevented higher expenses up to 30 –50 percents. According to Wilcoxson's Marked Ranking Test about the rural settlers view about the promotion of rurbans and the development of the area, it was observed that because the amount of P values in Zevarkhan (0.001) and in Mianjolgeh (0.022) was less than Alpha level (a= 0.05), the survey emphasizes on the rural settlers’ positive view towards the future development of the area due to the promotion of rurbans in these two districts. 5- Conclusion and Suggestions Deficiencies and rurban weakness mainly included a lack of sanitary, medical treatment, education, sports and well-fare services at high level, decision- making official and responsible services fulfilling rural settler's needs (official centralization for some services). The most important weakness was found to be their little financial capabilities to attract extra labor in villages. As a result, the following recommendations have been offered to solve the afformentioned problems: 1. Investment in economical infrastructures and the development of non-agricultural businesses such as: processing industries for agricultural products, building warehouses, fridges and packaging industries. 2. Establishing governmental offices and subgroup firms which are not active in rurbans, setting up governmental organizations with sufficient authorities)through new computerized facilities, the internet and internal communicative networks), the development of service- commercial centers (whole-sale centers and distributing cooperative centers), welfare, hostelry sanitary- health centers in order to fulfill rural settler's needs without referring to urban and provincial centers. 3. Improvement and promotion of communication paths, networks and public transportation. 4. Increase mutual, social communication in rurbans and surrounding villages such as creating parks, recreational and sports centers in order to attract more rural community participation in regional development