A Survey on Population Absorption Elements in Villages Surrounding Metropolitan Using Factor Analysis (Case Study: Qala Khiaban in Mashhad)

The world is constantly changing and rural areas are not exempted from this rule. Changes in the demographic structure and population absorption of the villages surrounding large city centers, metropolises and regional cities is considered as one aspect of rural development. Given that the surrounding villages, as supplementary arenas, eventually join to the city boarders, it is essential to identify the causes of population absorption and its sustainability to control the following changes. The present study aimed to investigate the causes of population absorption in Qala Khiaban- Bahonar state surrounding Mashhad metropolis. This research was based on descriptive- analytical methods, and the data were collected using both documentary and field studies. The questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS software and ARC GIS was used in order to create the maps. The study considered 149 migrant households of Qala Khiaban village in view of 27 identified causes of immigration. The results of factor analysis showed that, of combination of 27 primary variables, eight factors consisted 89.68% of the variance of population absorption reasons. Among eight identified factors, the first and most important was "cheap and affordable housing" which was about 21.24% of the variance. This shows the importance of first factor than other agents. Second and third factors were "employment and economic problems" and "location and access" with 18.6% and 14.6% of the total variance, respectively.Research limitation: The major limitation of the study is the lack of information about core population of suburban areas.Practical implications: As transitional communities, Villages around metropolises have more affecting and impressible roles than other factors. Therefore, identifying the causes of their vulnerability can be useful in organizing the residential areas.Original/value: the present work is original in view of analysis on some more general motivations of migrants toward suburban settlements.