Analyzing physical changes of rural settlements in Guilan province (formulating a physical development pattern)

The main challenges of rural sustainable development in Iran can be categorized in five groups of economical, management and programming, environmental, social, and physical factors. Physical changes of rural Iran, and accordingly rural Guilan can be viewed through two perspectives. A significant part of changes are related to government attempts regarding the preparing and implementing the physical projects. The other part is related to rural society itself and its organic characteristics that are formed during the ages. The mentioned changes have created other massive changes in functions of rural settlements such as alterations in agriculture system, relations between settlements, urban-rural interactions, and changes of form and pattern of housing. The important point is the impact of geographic conditions on all kind of changes with their spatial appearances. The present study applies a qualitative method to answer the following two questions: first, how can physical changes of rural settlements create barriers for sustainable development? And second, what are the strategic prefrences of physical development for rural Guilan?
Findings of the present study show that main physical challenges of rural Guilan during the last three decades are: 30% reduction of agricultural lands which is resulted in 40% rise in number of urban settlements, higher rates of vulnerability against natural hazards, and changes in rural settlements functions. There have been many valuable attempts to materialize the physical development in rural areas during the last thirty years; however, the lack of a strategic planning method has blocked the formulation of a proper pattern of physical development in Guilan province.