Explaining the factors affecting land use changes in suburban villages of Rasht

The rapid rate of urban development has led to extensive changes in land use patterns around cities. The effects of urban growth have been felt in both developing and developed countries. However, in developing countries, including Iran, this growth rate has been faster, and as a result, has led to extensive changes in land use. Land use change is mostly influenced by large-scale factors such as global economic and climate issues. In addition to these factors demographic change and local policies play a decisive role. Land use change means a change in the type of land use that is not always at the ground level, but also includes changes in land density and management. These changes are the result of the complex interactions of various factors such as politics, management, economics, culture, human behavior, and the environment. In fact, the potentiality of urban growth can be considered as the most important indicator describing land use change, especially agricultural land.

The present research is applied in terms of purpose, in terms of nature and method is a descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population of this study includes 37 rural settlements around the city of Rasht. According to the objectives of the study, 37 inhabited villages that share a same border with the city of Rasht were selected as sample villages. In this study, all 37 villages have been studied (total population). In this study, a researcher-made questionnaire was used to collect information. The research questionnaire was designed, after identifying the physical and environmental factors affecting land use change. Physical and environmental variables were investigated as the independent variables and the amount of land use change as dependent variable. This questionnaire was given to the respondents in the villages around the city of Rasht. Finally, 516 people participated in completing the questionnaires. Data analysis was performed using one-sample t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient and multivariate linear regression.

The results showed that among the independent physical indicators, the index of city proximity at significance level of 0.000 and with a coefficient of 0.874 had the highest correlation and relationship with land use changes. In fact, with the proximity of the village to the city, the rate of rural land use change will increase. The index of proximity to work and occupational centers with a coefficient of 0.811 and at a very low significance level of 0.000, had a very strong and positive correlation with land use changes. In this framework, the village facilities index had the lowest correlation with the dependent variable. The study of the correlation between independent environmental indicators and land use changes showed that the indicators of rural tourism capacity and inadequacy of rural land for agriculture at a significant level of 0.000 with coefficients of 0.834 and 0.803, respectively, showed the highest correlation and very strong relationship with change use of rural lands. This means that with the increase of capacities and tourist attractions in the villages around the city of Rasht, the desire of people to change land use will increase. In this process, the low capability of rural lands for agricultural activities also increases the speed of land use change. The results of multivariate linear regression analysis showed that among physical factors, the factor of proximity to the city predicts up to 67% of the changes in the dependent variable.  Indeed, two factors of proximity to work centers and communication routes access with coefficients of 0.548 and 0.511, respectively, were influential for land use changes. The results of studies for environmental factors showed that four indicators are effective on land use change. The tourism capacities of the village with the standard coefficient of 0.821 had the most impact. The unfavorable rural land for agricultural activities with a standard coefficient of 0.785 had an effect on changes in rural land use. Distance from irrigation sources and lack of access to water with coefficients of 0.613 and 0.568, respectively, were effective in changes in the dependent variable.

Studies conducted on the factors of land use change in the villages show factors such as economic, legal, natural and demographic. Each of the factors in turn has played a decisive role in the changes in land use. In general, the expansion of villages and changes in land use pattern of them were affected by population growth and elasticity due to high population threshold and short distance from villages to the city center and especially the center of Gilan Province, but the climate factor should not be neglected. The added value of agricultural and horticultural activities is totally incomparable with the income created by selling lands, especially in the villages adjacent to the Rasht metropolitan border and the villages adjacent to the main routes, which gets many farmers and gardeners to sell or separate their lands. Ambiguous legal framework and the lack of enforcement, as well as the vague position of management within the village borders, have exacerbated such issues. In general, land use changes in the villages around the metropolis of Rasht have been affected by physical and environmental factors, in which the role of physical factors is much greater than environmental factors.