The Effect of the Integration of Villages and Reverse Immigration on the Development of Binalood New Town

IntroductionOne of the most important consequences of rapid growth of urbanization and physical expansion of cities in Iran in recent decades has been the disintegration of the distribution system of urban services centers. The increase of urban population and the need for creating new city centers which can accommodate the added population to large cities are effective factors in establishing new towns. Considering the growth of urbanization in the present century, the subject of establishing new towns has been introduced and implemented as a necessity for absorbing urban population overflow and de-centralizing population and employment in Iran and the world, which has had a lot of consequences. Increase in citie's population was the direct result of increase in migrants and population, particularly in developing and underdeveloped countries. The rapid population growth in developing countries during the last three decades has resulted in different consequences and problems such as density, pollution, unemployment, and shortage of housing and urban services. Expansion of urbanization and, consequently, the special problems of urban life made necessary the finding of some solutions for optimizing citizen’s lives. In the majority of historical periods, from the start of civilization, new towns have been built in different part of the world. Construction of the new towns in Iran can be studied in two periods of before and after the revolution. This research investigated the factors affecting reverse migration to the new town of Binalood as the second new town around Mashhad metropolis.
Theoretical FrameworkIn the majority of historical periods, from the first civilization, new towns have been built across the world. Construction of new towns in Iran could be surveyed before and after the revolution. After revolution, the project of new towns construction with forward planning was proposed by Ministry of Housing and Urban Development as a solution to the problems of metropolises in the late 1980s, and was approved by the government. Therefore, in different provinces of the country, construction of 17 new towns and further construction of 12 new towns in later years were started.
MethodologyThe descriptive-analytical research method was used in the present research. The main aim of the research was to study the impact of integration of villages on the development of Binalood new town and its economic effects on reverse migrants. Binalood new town which was built to accommodate Mashhad’s extra population is located 55 Km to the southwest of Mashhad city.
FindingThe master plan of Binalood new town was approved by the Supreme Council of Architecture and Urbanism in 2002.2.28. Although this new town was anticipated to be populated from 2003, it had no population until 2005 and from this time onward, it started to be populated as a result of the primary provision of the required infrastructure so that its population reached 264 by the end of 2006. This number reached 3454 and 3818 by the end of 2008 and 2011, respectively. Primary investigations showed that 54 households of Binalood accounting for a population of 205 are considered as reverse migrants who were the inhabitants of Avareshk and Fakhr-e-Davood villages which are now integrated in Binalood new town. The previous city where these migrants have been living was Mashhad, and the main reason for returning to Binalood was employment. It should be noted that the reason for over 13-fold increase in the population of this new town is the addition of two villages of Avarshk and Fakhr-e-Davood to the legal limits of Binalood new town in order to use the potential of the population of these two villages. Personal satisfaction rate with living status in the new town of Binalood was higher than that of the previous place. The highest frequency based on the time duration of the returning inverse migrants to Binalood new town with 57/4% is related to more than 4 years. This time of their return was simultaneous with the start of the activities of Khorasan's Iran Khodro and the creation of appropriate occupational opportunities in the new town. The main motivation and reason for the return of migrants to Binalood has been employment with the highest frequency of 75/9%. The start of the activities of Khorasan's Iran Khodro and Binalood's Industrial Town created a suitable situation for native people seeking jobs.
Discussion and ConclusionAccording to the results of this research, it was concluded that the master plan of Binalood was unsuccessful in achieving its aims by the end of 2011. Investigations on the evaluated indicators showed that none of them was realized completely, so that the rate of realization of the anticipated population was 5.66%. Analyzing the economic status of the migrants before and after immigration to Binalood showed that their economic status improved after returning to Binalood. Moreover, housing status of the majority of emigrants improved significantly compared to the past, and now they have their own houses. Furthermore, the satisfaction rate of these people with their living situation in the new town of Binalood was high in comparison with their previous place. Finally, in order to achieve the aims of this new town, the most important problems in the way of their implementation, i.e., insufficient infrastructures and equipment and shortage of different services, must be solved.