Challenges and Strategies of Spatial Development of Informal Settlements in Intermediat Cities: A Case Study in Babol

AbstractExistence of different economical, social and cultural facilities in cities has made many villagers to leave their hometown and to immigrate to cities. This is when the expensiveness of land and housing makes the new immigrants to build shelter for themselves and to hide it from city officials and without out permission. This causes a lot of problems for other citizens. As a result, this study tries to provide necessary and functional strategies about development of informal housing while analyzing the challenges of place development of informal housing in studying region. For achieving this goal, analytical study approach was used and needed information was gathered by documentaries and field research. The population under study was the families residing in four neighborhoods of Muziraj, eastern and western Katy, Baghabadian and Sadat mahalle (14599) in 1390 that among them and based on typical Cochran formula, 310 people were given selected questionnaires and then according to the number of households in each one of the four neighborhoods, the questionnaires were distributed based on simple randomized method. Results of hypothesis testing indicated that there is a meaningful relationship between citizen participation in informal settlement with the level of development in different neighborhoods which means that the more residents participate in various activities related to the city, more the neighborhood problems are reduced and neighborhoods become developed and vice versa. Also the hypothesis test about the relationship between economic and social challenges and underdevelopment of neighborhoods indicated that economically, the lack of investment by public and private investors were the main challenges raised by residents. Also socio-culturally, the lack of access to recreational facilities was the main challenge raised by residents and environmental-physically the main challenge was the poor goal, status and quality of the roads in neighborhoods and this challenge was bigger in eastern and western Katy neighborhood compared to others. Keywords: Challenge, strategy, informal settlement, Babol city