Defining the City-Based Regions in Iran- Case study: Fars Province, Iran

Nowadays, the region – oriented urbanization as a growing and epidemic phenomenon in regional planning and analysis of urban systems has attracted much attention. At present, the spatial order of regions is beyond the traditional categorizing of “core – periphery” and could not be interpreted by the processes of “Walter Kristaler central places theory” and patterns based on traditional “core – periphery” model. This is because these models are basically unable to justify space flows including information and economic flows. Thus, it is necessary to redefine the available realistic and operational processes. Realistic in the sense that explains the current processes and past procedures for the establishment of region and operational in the sense that it has the ability to identify, limit and stabilize neighborhoods and leads to an approach that determines the character of any area and can plan for it. Currently, region-oriented urbanization is a process that leads to concentration of activities, population, functions and flows which occurs side by side with social polarization and spatial dispersal. This study aims to present an analytical model to determine the foundation of the city and attempt to provide a realistic dialogue and explain the native method of identifying foundation areas of cities. Explaining the need for this model for finding city foundations shows a need for planning and management in these areas in order to maximize the functionality. Thus, the paper answers the following questions: 1- How can city – based regions be defined? 2- Which vernacular criteria and indicators affect the definitions of city – based regions?; and 3- What city – based regions exist in Fars province? From the point of view of research philosophy, this applied research can be categorized as a positivist one and the method of secondary data analysis was used. The necessary data was collected through document-based studies. Finally, using criteria and indicators such as city population, regional population density, density of urban settlements in regions, time interval between cities, goods and passenger flows between cities, and service dependence of cities, the city – based regions of Fars province was defined. In conclusion, the results reveal that in Fars Province only one “conurbation” exists and that centers in Shiraz city and five “Urban Agglomerations” exist in Abadeh-Eqlid, Fasa-Jahrom, Kazeroon-noorabad, Grash-Lar and Neiriz-Estahban. The pattern of spatial structure, the structure of road network and ratio (severity) of urbanization index in these city-based regions show that “Shiraz conurbation” and “Lar-Grash urban agglomeration” have Greater potential for the formation of a complete urban area compared to other city- based regions in the area. However, at the present time, what is important is taking into account the operational mechanism for planning and integrated management of these areas and to avoid administrative dispersion because of the number of cities and this requires complementary research.