The Role of Government Policies in Strengthening Urban-Rural Links and its Impact on Structural-Functional Developments in Rural Housing in Marivan Township

In geographical studies based on systemic approach, each area is considered as an open system in which villages and cities are the two main components of the residential system. Villages and cities have structures and functions that evolve through the interaction of the natural environment and human groups. These structures and functions in Marivan Township have undergone many changes due to government intervention and policies. Government interventions have taken the form of rural development and post-war reconstruction programs (expansion of communication networks), security, and the strengthening of economic foundations (opening of informal border markets). The aim of the present paper was to investigate the impact of the mentioned policies on the structural-functional changes of rural housing. The present study is applied in terms of purpose, descriptive-analytical in nature, and methodologically based on the positivist approach. The statistical population includes households living in 121 villages with more than 20 households (2016 census) in Marivan Township. The sample size was determined using Cochran's formula in two steps. First, 52 villages were selected by cluster sampling method in proportion to the share of the western and eastern areas of the township, 27 and 24 villages, respectively. Then, out of a total of 6305 households, 307 were selected by simple random sampling. The results showed that the housing in the western areas has undergone more structural and functional changes. According to the t-test, the average difference in changes related to the pattern of construction and form (4.64 units), biological elements (8.99 units) and livelihood (20.69 units) of rural housing in the western area is greater than the eastern part of the township.