The evaluation of competitiveness enhancement Strategies ofMetropolises ofIran based on CoopetitionCase study: Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Ahvaz and Zahedan

In thecontemporary globalized world, the new structure of space economy has created major changes in the dominant paradigm of socio-economic development of cities.So cities have accepted strong role in the national andtransnational arena. Following these changes in urban planning forms and development strategies, a new concept, "Competitiveness," was formed. In fact, nowadays, cities are dependent on competitiveness because the more a city has the potential to compete in the national and transnational arena, the better compatibility with the socio-economic crisis it will create. In Iran, the issue of the promotion of competitiveness has entered in to the literature of policy making of the country since the fourth development plan. However, according to the latest Global Competitiveness Report (2017), the rank of Iran has fallen and the presence of Tehran's metropolitan area in the field of competition, individually and without the benefit of the potential of the co-ordination and linking the competitive capabilities of other metropolitan areas.Therefore, the present study was an attempt toassess the capability of metropolises to enhance their position and aims to evaluate the Coopetition strategy between metropolitan areas of Tehran, Mashhad, Tabriz, Ahvaz and Zahedan with their urban area.The research method in this study was descriptive-analytic and using Delphi technique, "fuzzy hierarchy analysis", and "Vikor" ranking. Findings showed that the more the central mother-city is competitive, the capacity to cooperate with the urban area will be reducedand contrary.Finally, it has been suggested that reconsidering the current model of metropolitan competitiveness by forming a "Coopetition”,and paying attention to the "competitive advantages" and "local capacity" dependent on "location