Changes in the Administrative Structure of Iran's Space (from the Achaemenid Period to the present)

Spatial planners are all unanimous in identifying some kind of chaos and unsustainability as far as Iran's space is concerned. The manifestation of this chaotic situation is evident in the unbalanced pattern of regional development and environmental crises. If we treat a country as a system, we will realize that environmental changes usually emerge with a relatively long delay, and that environmental systems sometimes take a few decades to respond to these alteration. Thus, for a better understanding of spatial changes occurring in Iran today, we would do well to cast a glance at the past so that we might hopefully gain some deeper insight. Paradoxically, spatial changes in Iran must be attributed to our modern period as most of them has been imposed consciously and in tune with predetermined plans. About a century has passed since initial attempts were made provide a spatial planning for Iran through designing eleven development programs. We are now in a position to sum up the alleged achievements that the Iranians claim to have gained as a result. Population has increased fivefold. Nomadism system have been virtually destroyed. Rustic- urban proportion has undergone displacement. Fossil fuels have multiplied twenty- one times. Food consumption has increased nine fold. Decrease in six million hectares of forest country. Reduction of thirteen permanent river to three seasonal river Pollution of large cities for one hundred and fifty days. Disintegration of Iran into thirty one administrative sections. Now the question that spatial planners of Iran are faced with is this: What has been the major factor of these spatial changes? The results of this research, which has attempted to analyses such changes in a phenomenological perspective and on the basis of a historical approach. Reveal two crucial point. 1. The spatial changes in Iran stem from changing administrative structures and state divisions over the past hundred years. 2. The changes in the administrative structure of Iran over the past hundred years have resulted in spatial imbalance, growth of city dwelling, local- social identification, change of public to state ownership, reduction in variety of social organization, and environmental damageability of Iran.