Balancing the Collaborative Urban Network in the Regional Spatial System through Emphasizing the Role of Small Cities Using Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Analysis Methods: A Case Study on Kermanshah County

Small cities in developing countries are one of the weakest segment in regional development. If development is a tool for the sustainability of areas, to maintain the development chain, it is necessary to pay more attention to the weakest segments. In Iran, including the county of Kermanshah as a political and natural area, small cities have a very weak position compared to large cities. Metropolises have been the focus of economic, social and spatial development plans. This special attention has been focused on large cities in the light of economic growth theories such as the growth pole. In this regard, the present applied research, using a descriptive-analytical method, intends to investigate the balancing role of small cities in the spatial system of the region with an integrated regional development approach. The data has been collected through documentary and field research and multi-criteria decision analysis methods have been used to analyze the data. The results show that most of the economic potential of Kermanshah is concentrated in rural areas. These capabilities have not been used properly due to the lack of small cities that can mediate development between large urban areas and rural areas. Therefore, in this study, the small cities have been identified as one of the main priorities for investment in the development of regions. According to the findings, Qale City has the most investment capacity as the mediator in this district.