Functional features and limitations of urban-rural constellations as functional regions The Case of Zia-abad (Qazwin))

One of the serious issues of spatial planning is to determine planning regions at different levels and on different scales. Hence, in most cases, the boundaries of administrative units or even their composition are the basis for measures. It can be argued that the fundamental problem arises when the question of planning is raised at the micro and lower levels of the provinces and districts, in the formal sub-regions and areas. The concept of the "constellation" has emerged in recent years as an alternative to these small levels of spatial planning, which represents the "district" unit. The key question in this regard is to what extent does the delimitation of the administrative divisions, which are often based on political considerations, conform to the requirements of planning? And can these units be considered as "functional regions"? In this context, this paper attempts to study these issues by considering the District Zia-Abad of Qazvin as a case study, while investigating these problems, using qualitative methods of discussion and relying on the “structural-functional dynamics” approach, to identify the opportunities and barriers to the formation of functional regions at the micro level, and the effectiveness of this level of space arena in the form of such administrative subdivisions. The results of the study show that the efficiency of constellations as functional regions depends not only on the deliberation of subdivisions, but also on the modification of infrastructure, the associated investments and effective support in the allocation of facilities and credits, the proper condition for the interaction and the functionality of existing settlements at the constellation level