نشریه جغرافیا و توسعه ناحیه ای
سال هفدهم شماره 2 (پیاپی 33، پاییز و زمستان 1398)

Geography has always played an important role in human affairs. It has shaped or hindered the identity, nature, and history of national governments, helped or hindered their social, political, and economic development, and played an important role in their international relations. As such, political entities have a special status in terms of their natural and human geographical features and characteristics which, in terms of their role in the international system, interact with other countries, especially with world powers positively or negatively. Paying attention to the characteristics and factors of geopolitics will make politicians aware of their weaknesses and strengths and their national power in general. They will have the necessary goals in adopting political and international policies, and pursue interests in accordance with their capabilities, role, and position in the international arena. The important thing is that decision-makers in foreign policy, with complete and accurate knowledge of geopolitical factors, make the best possible decision, take full advantage of the positive factors in order to realize the national interests and minimize the adverse effects of the negative geopolitical factorsAccordingly, the present study, derived from a doctoral thesis, seeks to answer the question of what the geopolitical factors influence foreign policy.

There has been a lot of work done on the geopolitical factors influencing foreign policy, and each has developed its own perspective. Some of these are as follows:Hafeznia et al. (2011) have made a good relation between politics and space. In this book, the basic concepts of politics and space has been stated, as well as the interaction of politics and geographical space. In other words, understanding the processes and quality of geographical space formation under the influence of political ideas and decisions, the effect of space requirements on policy formation has expressed. Etaat (2006) has devided the geopolitical factors affecting the foreign policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran into two general parts: fixed factors (position, size, topography, shape of the country) and variable factors (humans, population, resources, political and social context, the characteristics of the international system (transformation of the centers of world power)), the requirements of these factors in the direction of the country's foreign policy has take into account. Iran's foreign policy during the First and Second World Wars was explored from a geopolitical perspective. Navazani (2012), referred to the relations between Iran and the United States, and discussed the behaviors of the United States before and after the Islamic Revolution. He provided a comprehensive overview of US behavior, but pays little attention to Iran's geopolitical capabilities and does not explain the impact of these capabilities on US behavior with Iran.

The present study, as a basic research, attempted to identify the geopolitical factors affecting foreign policy using a descriptive-analytical method. Data was collected through the use of expert opinions through reference books, articles, and websites. Then effective geopolitical factors in foreign policy were identified and introduced.

The regulation and direction of foreign policy of countries involve various factors and variables that are undoubtedly useful for understanding what is going on in a country's machine and policy making system (Kazemi, 1999). Among these influential factors, geopolitical factors are of high importance. A look at these factors indicates that they are incomplete. To attain the geopolitical factors influencing foreign policy, related theories and perspectives were thoroughly explored and some factors were added by the researcheres. These geopolitical factors comprise 56 factors that, for better understanding, are divided into seven sections: geographic factors, demographic factors, economic factors, political factors, defense-security factors, regional, and global factors, and scientific program factors.

The changes and alternation that have taken place in the world over the last decades in various forms have given rise to the increasing dependence of countries on each other. This dependence is to the extent that it is impossible to achieve national interests and national security without active and powerful role-playing in preventing effective and realistic foreign policy in the regional and global arena. In order to have an effective foreign policy, it is important to identify the factors that influence foreign policy and strive to strengthen these factors to achieve national goals. Among the factors affecting the foreign policy of countries, geopolitical factors are among the most important ones. According to the increasing importance of geopolitical factors influencing foreign policy, there has been no adequate scientific research in this area that can fully recognize and explain the geopolitical factors influencing foreign policy in the context of new developments and provide a model of the factors affecting foreign policy. Therefore, in order to achieve this model, the present study has attempted to study the geopolitical factors influencing the foreign policy of countries according to developments in recent decades by examining the theories and work done in this field and present it in a new segmentation format. The geopolitical factors affecting foreign policy obtained through this include 56 factors that are outlined in the following seven sections for better understanding: geographical factors; demographic factors; economic factors; political factors; defense- security factors; regional and global factors.Overall, developments in the global arena have significantly increased the status and impact of geopolitical factors on countries’ foreign policy. As the surveys show, to the extent possible that realistic and effective foreign policy prevention is in line with geopolitical factors, achieving national goals and interests at regional and global levels will be easier.

Earthquakes are natural disasters that take place during a short time and may bring about considerable damage. In Iran, rural areas are significantly subject to damages caused by earthquakes. Due to their close connections to the natural environment and limited capacity against environmental threats, rural communities are more vulnerable to environmental risks such as earthquakes. Subsequently, during the past few decades, special attention has been paid to the identification and presentation of essential strategies to confront the earthquake phenomenon in different scales, at both global and domestic levels, in the form of new management methods such as risk management. Izadkhast region of Zarrindasht town is located in Chah Reza Fault, in the middle of the high seismic area of Zagros; therefore, the region is significantly subject to earthquakes. The occurrence of this natural disasters have brought about considerable damages to human settlements in this region, particularly in rural areas, times and times again. As a result, the present study seeks to examine the views of local settlers and investigate the vulnerability status of rural communities to earthquake risks; to this end, it is attempted to provide answers to this question: Have risk management indices been effective on reducing the vulnerability of rural settlements?

In the recent years, there has been a paradigm shift in the majority of studies on disasters and risks from “reducing damages and casualties” to a more comprehensive model involving risk management based upon social systems and social problem-solving approaches. It should be noted that the science of risk management has offered numerous potential and practical capabilities in this regard; consequently, it is considered as a necessity with regards to the subject at hand. In a study conducted as a comprehensive plan for earthquake risk management in Mumbai, Sinha, Goyal, Shinde and Meena (2012) assessed the risks and the reduction of damages. Their results showed the significant effect of construction type and economic characteristics on reducing the vulnerability of the region.Wen-co and Ling (2013) evaluated the earthquake risks and efficient management strategies of earthquake risks for the Heitech Region in Taiwan. According to the results, an efficient risk management strategy should be designed in order to calculate the total costs of annual earthquake risks. At the same time, Dixit, Yatabe, Dahal and Bhandary (2013) examined the initiatives for earthquake risk management at Kathmandu Valley and showed that the major factors that contribute to the vulnerability of the region to earthquakes include lack of trained personnel, building inspectors, engineers and architects to ensure earthquake safety improvement.In Iran, Roumiani, Einali and Salehi Mishani (2015) investigated the role of management in the development of rural communities in confronting earthquake risks in Zagheh Village, Khoramabad Town. Based on their results and the views of rural authorities, the presence of weaknesses in economic capacities and strengths and hence, the low income of rural residents at the region have reduced their ability in strengthening the houses located at their settlements.

The present applied study was conducted using the descriptive-analytical method. In order to obtain the people’s opinions to assess risk management at earthquake-stricken areas, document and field studies were carried out using instruments including questionnaires and interviews. The total population of the study included 2,381 rural households living in Izadkhast region and seven villages located at the vicinity of fault including Mazaijan, Darreh Shour, Golkouyeh, Dehno, Chah Zebar, Bon Dasht, and Panj Chah. The sample population was calculated as 350 households using Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed via descriptive and inferential methods such as one-sample t test, Freidman, and multi-variable regression.

According to the results obtained from the examination of the vulnerability status of rural communities to earthquake risks and Friedman test, the calculated mean value was below average and the significance level was below 0.05. Therefore, the vulnerability of the sample community to earthquakes is confirmed as significant. The results obtained from the examination of the most important factors of rural settlements’ vulnerability to earthquakes according to Friedman test suggested a significant difference among the mean values of economic, social, institutional, and physical-environmental vulnerability variables at 0.01 alpha level. Meanwhile, the highest and lowest rating averages belonged to physical-environmental and institutional variables, respectively. The regression method was used to examine the effect of risk management indices on reducing vulnerability. The results demonstrated that the variable of buildings’ resistance against earthquakes had the highest effect on reducing vulnerability of the studied region.

The present study was conducted with the purpose of examining the role of earthquake risk management in reducing the vulnerability of rural communities in Zarin Dasht Town. The findings of the study showed that the extent of vulnerability to earthquakes is below average at all dimensions including economic, social, institutional, and physical-environmental. The following recommendations are listed below based on the obtained results in line with reducing the damages caused by earthquake risk within the framework of risk management indices:Empowerment of local people and authorities in various affairs prior to earthquakes;Reinforcement of vulnerable buildings using the capabilities of local authorities;Improving awareness, particularly awareness of the time of earthquake occurrence using local and modern scientific capacities.

In the era of the emergence of knowledge-based economies, the process of continuous and rapid transformation is one of the most important trends in human life and it is one of the most important features of this phenomenon. Innovation, which is the basis of change and transformation, plays a fundamental and determining role in this field. So, in recent years, the only effective solution in the field of employment and rural economy of the country is the prosperity of entrepreneurship through innovation. The shortcomings related to rural area, specially weakness in the upgrade of direct employment power in that domain requires improvement of entrepreneurship by the way of innovation, which is the only solution. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify affecting innovation in the entrepreneurship in Faruj in order to make important steps for development of rural areas.

Regarding the subject some researches have been conducted. What can be concluded from the studies is that entrepreneurship is interdisciplinary in nature and, depending on the views of experts, each of the studies have focused on specific aspects of this the phenomenon. None of the studies mentions a specific model and only a part of the entrepreneurship has been investigated from related fields of study. Moreover, one cannot find an innovative research in Iran on entrepreneurship and only are there some researches on creativity in entrepreneurship. No such research can be found in rural studies. Regarding researches conducted in or out of Iran, except for only a few, others have considered entrepreneurship as employment, job creation, and activity boosting or they have taken a creative approach, though rare in Iran, emphasized on technology, equipping, and modernizing and there has been little mention of empowering and strengthening the scientific foundation based on local considerations. As a new work, this research provides a good combination of entrepreneurship and innovation, especially currently in which Farouj city in particular and Iran in general have a strong need to improve production and employment levels.

The study used mixed (descriptive analytical) method. The sample was all entrepreneurs and innovators of the city, nominated as entrepreneurship creative and innovative individuals of North Khorasan province in the last 10 years (63 persons). For qualitative analysis, two other groups including 22 university professors and 21 experts in rural affairs of Iranian organizations were interviewed. The validity of research tools is proved by help of experts’ opinions and its reliability was approved by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient (&=898/0). For data analysis in two levels of descriptive and inferential statistics, SPSS software was applied. Considering the variables, Chi-square, Friedman, one sample t-test analysis of variance were used.

In this study, descriptive statistics showed that individual and family characteristics index with score of 3.44 and education and research index with score of 3.37 have the highest averages as structural indicators of rural innovations. Friedman test results showed the significance of the test; therefore, the individual and family characteristics have the highest priority. Moreover, the results of single sample t-test showed that all rural innovative indexes are above the theoretical average (that was 3). Meanwhile confirmation of a signification difference between the three target groups opinion, ANNOVA proved that the main factors are "transnational and external" factors from the viewpoint of university professors, experts in rural affairs of organizations, and "individual and family" factors from the innovators’ perspective.

The results show that from among the three groups, there is consensus among university professors and experts in rural affairs that emphasize on transnational and external factors as the most important factor influencing innovation in the entrepreneurial process. Declining status in global rankings, such as productivity, innovation, and competitiveness, indicate this fact. On the other hand, the choice of individual and family factors as the most important factor by rural innovators indicates the effects of the village and smaller environments. Therefore, it can be said that strengthening individual and family factors in the rural environment and enhancing international relations and greater global interactions can raise the level of innovation in the region.Therefore, the growth of individual and family factors of innovation in rural environment and the strengthening of foreign and international relations and further global interaction can raise the level of innovation in the region. Because strengthening the above-mentioned factors will lead to the development of rural areas, increase in production, economical boom and job creation. Finally, recognizing and strengthening the structural factors affecting innovation can be effective in reducing the rate of rural-urban migration and reducing the level of unemployment and poverty in future.

The economic structure of Iran is shaped by agriculture. Agriculture accounts for more than 20% of the country’s both gross domestic products and employment. There are many economic activities that are dependent on agriculture such as marketing, processing industries, and agriculture product imports. The majority of farmers in Iran possess small lands that yield small amounts of agricultural products; therefore, these farmers have an insignificant share in the market and subsequently, their gains are insignificant as well. Since 1960, the Iranian government introduced two modern farming systems including rural production cooperatives and Farming Corporation. By 2017, the number of these farming systems reached 1369 rural production cooperatives with 402177 members and 3191507 acres of land along with 30 agricultural stock companies with 7847 members and 775321 acres of land.

The farming system is a social organization consisting of a set of interconnected elements that enable the production of agricultural products through unified identity and administration under the social and natural conditions of its environment. Adherence to the capacity of natural resources is the main condition for farming system sustainability. In fact, sustainability analysis involves specifying this capacity and can be considered as a logical criterion for indicating environmental standards that control the extent to which resources should be utilized. Sustainability analysis somehow indicates and expresses the extent and criterion regarding the distance between the sustainable and new state of a natural phenomenon. In sustainability analysis, resource capacity and economic sustainability are examined, analyzed, and controlled simultaneously with respect to the intended production requirement. Sustainability evaluation is a complex process and encompasses the complicated interactions among technologies, the environment, and society. Sustainably refers to ecologic health or compatibility which guarantees the preservation of the living forces present within agricultural ecosystems. Agricultural sustainability can be analyzed through a variety of dimensions including social (population, education), economic (economic growth, investment, and employment), natural (land, water, and biodiversity), and agricultural (cultivation and production patterns). There are five different methods put forth for sustainability evaluation including prescriptive approaches, timeline, various quantitative and qualitative indices, and system simulation. In general, there are no comprehensive methods in line with analyzing or evaluating the sustainability of all systems; however the only common technique among all methods is the utilization of an all-inclusive sustainability assessment by taking into account the environmental, economic and social dimensions.

The present inquiry is a mixed, applied study in which data collection was carried out using the descriptive method; it is also a survey study conducted using the cross-sectional method. Total population of the study includes 242 operators and members of the rural production cooperative, 635 operators and members of the Farming Corporation, and 1025 smallholders. Sample population was calculated using Cochran’s formula. Shannon’s entropy method was used for sustainability analysis.

The entropy method was used to indicate the weight of each examined index. According to the literature, the key effective indices in the sustainability status of farming systems including smallholders, production cooperative and Farming Corporation include economic, social, and environmental dimensions. Shannon’s entropy method was employed to prioritize and indicate the weight of each examined index through the perspective of each farming system.

The development and sustainability of the rural society is not only an essential requirement, but also an inevitable end; results of studies suggest that such an end would not be attainable unless via reforming the farming system in line with the principles of sustainable agriculture, as the core of agricultural developments. In this study, the required data to achieve robust answers were collected from farming systems including smallholders, rural production cooperative, and Farming Corporation. Given the obtained results, the Farming Corporation has a higher relative sustainability compared to the two other systems in terms of economic and environmental dimensions. In the social dimension, the smallholder farming system enjoys relative sustainability as a result of high level of participation in rural areas’ agricultural and public affairs, the extent of memberships in local communities, high percentage of the employed household work force in agricultural activities, the extent of social agreements and solidarity, and the presence of social capitals. The Farming Corporation system is at a semi-sustainable state in social and economic terms while in environmental terms, it is found to be unsustainable. Increased use of nitrogen fertilizers, phosphates and agricultural toxins have resulted in the unsustainability of all three types of farming systems in environmental terms; however, the severity of this unsustainability is lower in Farming Corporation compared to other systems due to adherence to the technical principles of cultivation and maintenance, and more utilized application of production factors. Subsequently, the following recommendations are presented:Given how the index of the average total income produced by farmers is considered as an unsustainable index in the examined region within the smallholder farming system, the specification of a guaranteed price proportionate to production costs can be effective in improving the income levels of the farmers.
Considering the unsustainability of the Farming Corporation in the social dimension, it is recommended to adopt a participatory approach in the formation of the new Farming Corporation.As the majority of agricultural activities are carried out by smallholders, then smallholder agriculture organization should be prioritized.

Today, tourism has become one of the most rapidly growing industries in the world that plays an influential role in sustainable development. Rural areas have always been in the center of sustainable development. Planners in this field also seek a secure framework to develop the tourism industry in different rural regions and gain a correct understanding of futuristic and effective strategies in line with the growth of the industry. One of the ways to identify and evaluate the status of tourism is the use of foresight approach. For many years, tourism development planning in Iran has been devoid of such futuristic analyses. In the majority of studies, rural tourism fields have been regarded as unsustainable areas with weak economy and a lack of specific policymaking. Accordingly, there are major challenges with respect to the rural environment, economy, and community; challenges that can also be traced in processes of planning and implementation present in Khorasan Razavi planning records. Having more than 57 tourist destination rural areas in different regions, this province has a special potential to raise incomes generated from this field. Subsequently, the present study was conducted on Dizbad tourist destination village located in the Eastern Zebarkhan section of Khorasan Razavi province to provide answers to the following question: What are the key propellants affecting rural tourism development in Dizbad?

Review of Literature

Rural tourism and its development process refers to any event or process through which a considerable population from surrounding areas or outside the region would relocate and move to observe and enjoy historical, cultural, economic, and untouched natural attractions, while their presences can generate a suitable amount of income for locals and residents. The importance of this industry in rural areas are very significant, to the extent to which the decline in traditional rural industries such as agriculture, mining, and forestry during the past three decades have led rural communities to seek alternatives so as to strengthen their own economic bases. One alternative in this respect is tourism (Sajjadi and Ahmadi, 2013).Kadiver (2017) identified 59 rural fields with tourism capabilities in Khorasan Razavi in the form of tourism products and demand markets using MS-SWOT. He concluded that the investigated rural areas involve maximum attractions and at the same time, maximum structural deficiencies which required modifying invasive strategies in this context for their mitigation.In another study titled, Karami Dehkordi, Mirakzadeh, and Ghiyasvand Ghiyasi (2015) showed that seven factors including governmental planning, participation, culture and society, economy, health and environment, security, and promotion and utility explain 72.04% of the variance in effective factors on tourism development in the province.

The present, descriptive-analytical study was conducted using documents-library studies, field observations, questionnaires designed under the Delphi model, and cross impact analysis matrix in MicMac foresight software. To this end, 20 individuals were selected among the scientific and executive experts who had sufficient knowledge on the subject of the study and the tourist area of Dizbad Olya as the sample population using non-random purposive sampling. In the first step, studies conducted in this area were used to collect variables. Next, 20 questionnaires were distributed among the sample population who were asked to rate variables from a score of 0 to 3 based on their effectiveness under the cross impact analysis matrix (a 20x20 matrix was drawn in this regard). In this rating system, scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3 respectively showed “no impact”, “low impact”, “average impact”, and “high impact”. The letter “P” was used to denote potentially direct and indirect effectiveness. Then, ratings were placed inside the cross matrix. The MicMac software was used to evaluate the effectiveness (direct and indirect) of each variable and their subordinate variables with other factors; ultimately, the required output charts were obtained by specifying the key propellant forces.

According to the results of analyses, the highest direct effectiveness on examined variables in the study belonged to indices including the L5 index (the commitment of responsible institutions to their legitimate duties in the area of rural tourism and refraining from administrative bureaucracy) with a final score of 50 and L3 (lack of enforcement of the present law and selective treatment of development rules and policies), L4 (lack of belief in innovations in policies and regulations related to rural tourism), C2 (limited investment from the public sector and the private sector’s unwillingness due to the undesirable profitability of this sector), and C5 (unwelcoming reception of tourists by local residents) factors, each with a score of 48. Furthermore, following the calculation of the probability of variables’ dislocation across the tourism development system within the target rural area, indices including L5, L3, L4, C4, and C5 (the commitment of responsible institutions to their legitimate duties in the area of rural tourism and refraining from administrative bureaucracy, lack of enforcement of the present law and selective treatment of development rules and policies, weak transportation and parking infrastructure, and unwelcoming reception of visiting tourists by local residents) were found to be the first five priorities in the extent of direct effectiveness at the state of dislocation.  

An examination of variable distribution in analyzing the direct and indirect effect-dependence along with an explanation of key propellants showed that the tourism system in the area is unsustainable and parameters are unsuitably distributed. Accordingly, the following recommendations can be presented:Correcting and enhancing the promotion approach to attract tourists in the area;Providing infrastructure for accommodation, reception and parking to improve and develop tourism;Increasing public and private investments in rural tourism;Editing legal upper documents of rural tourism development in Khorasan Razavi province.

The concept of pavement was introduced in the 1950s to ease the traffic congestion of old downtown streets to competed with suburbs. The primary purpose of the present study is to investigate the feasibility of making the current historical pedestrians of Qiyam Street walkable and analyze the potentials of the regeneration of walkability in historical passways. This study determines the impacts of making Qiyam street walkable on the regeneration of the historical tissue of Yazd. Against this background, the research attempts to answer the following key questions:Which dimensions and indicators should be prioritized in making Qiyam street of Yazd walkable?Can the historical tissue of Yazd be regenerated by improving the walkability of Qiyam street?

Due to the importance of historical buildings and urban tissues, extensive efforts have been made to eliminate the factors that pose a risk to monuments in the world. At the forefront of these activities was banning cars from entering historical sites and around valuable buildings. In line with the global actions, some similar steps have been taken in Iran. In this regard, one can infer that the first steps were taken during the Second Pahlavi era when cars were prohibited from passing on historic bridges such as Khaju Bridge in Isfahan. What is certain is that the role of the pavements in preserving historical monuments and textures is not negligible. The results of previous studies indicated thet these factors are of great importance: 1. social-management issues; 2. environmental equipping strategies; 3. relaxation; 4. pedestrian priority; 5. public transport; and 6. safety and infrastructures.

The present study is applied-developmental. It is descriptive-analytical regarding nature and method. Library, documentary, and survey methods were used to collect data.

In this study, three basic steps were designed to evaluate the feasibility of walkability and its impact on the regeneration of the historical tissue of the study area. The first step was the AHP (Gaussian preference function) method. In the second step, the overall preferences were calculated using the Prometheus method. In the third step, the regression analysis (ANOVA) was used to correlate between improving the pedestrian capability of the historical pathways and the regeneration of the historical tissue of the study area.Overall, the results of this study were not consistent with the findings of Stangl (2011), Monteiro and Campos (2012), Sapawi and Said (2012), Kermanshahi, Azizi and Darzi Ramnadi (2016), Habibi and Haghi (2018), and Ghorbanpour, Zali, Yordkhani and Azadeh (2018), who suggested that walkability design and planning requires attention to socio-managerial issues, environmental strategy, relaxation, pedestrian priority and public transport, safety and infrastructure. This study concluded that accessibility should be taken as a priority when planning for the walkability of Yazd. It was also in line with the studies of Pikora, Giles-Corti, Bull, Jamrozik and Donovan (2003), Kalantari Khalilabad, Soltan Mohammadlou and Soltan Mohammadlou (2016), and Rabbani Abolfazli, Rahnam and Khakpoor (2017), who concluded that walkability planning leads to public health and quality of life. This study similarly found that planning for walkability can lead to the regeneration of the historical tissue of Yazd.

Four hundred people (experts and pedestrains who had passed on the sidewalk of Qiyam street of Yazd) were asked some questions via questionnaire. They responded according to their different conditions. Based on AHP (Gaussian Preference Function) and Prometheus analysis, interviewees showed that the level of walking paths, cleaning, illumination in day and night, continuity of walking paths and the slope of sidewalk, as well as accessibility, have to be highly prioritized due to their higher weight. In contrast, the indicators of lack of passage barriers, the existence of windows overlooking the sidewalk the development of various applications for the use of pedestrian facilities, and the relationship between transport and pedestrian use should be low prioritized according to their lower weights. Besides, the regression analysis (ANOVA) was used to correlate the improvement of the pedestrian capability of the historical pathways with the historical texture of the study area. Therefore, it can be inferred that enhancing the pedestrian capability of Qiyam Street in Yazd through the appropriateness of pedestrians’ width, pedestrian crossing, encouraging people to walk, etc. can lead to the regeneration of Yazd’s historical issues.In Yazd, in order to take proper advantage of the walkability approach in the historical areas of the city, especially in Qiyam street, understanding the importance, position, and function of pedestrian spaces are of importance. It is necessary to organize these spaces according to a holistic approach and using the principles of shortening and localizing trips, providing complete and varied coverage of pedestrian networks in the city, maintaining continuity of routes, improving road safety and comfort, providing the necessary visions, providing the necessary equipment and providing social reinforcement.

According to the World Health Organization (World Health Organization, 2014), one eighth of global deaths is because of exposure to air pollution. This is more than twice the previous estimates and confirm that air pollution is currently the greatest threat to the health of the urban environment in the world.Particulate matter is one of the major air pollutants. These particles have sizes ranging from 0.000002 to 500 microns, whereas particles smaller than 2.5 microns have significant health and health effects because they are capable of accessing the respiratory system of the human body.The purpose of this paper is to use statistical methods such as cluster analysis to determine homogeneous time intervals of Particulate matter as the main pollutants of Mashhad. The results can be used by urban planners and decision makers in the discussion of air pollution management, especially planning for the control of air pollution and reducing air pollution.

Concerning the use of statistical methods in air pollution discussion Saksena Joshi and Patil (2002) examined the spatial patterns of air pollution change in New Delhi by cluster analysis method and concluded that there was no statistically significant relationship between pollutant concentration and station type. In another study, Ojeda, Cortina-Januchs, Barrón-Adame, Quintanilla-Domínguez, Hernandez, Vega-Corona, Ruelas and Andina (2010) applied PFCM to clustering algorithm to investigate air pollution in Salamanca, Mexico. Also, air pollution in Bangkok, Thailand, was analyzed using cluster analysis. Using a Geographic Information System (GIS), they mapped air pollution in the area (Prapassornpitaya, Jinsart, & Sanguansintukul 2011).To reduce costs and better management of air quality stations in the Kanto region of Japan, Iizuka, Shirato, Mizukoshi, Noguchi, Yamasaki and Yanagisawa (2014) performed cluster analysis on air pollution data and found that NOX and O3 pollutants can be classified into eight clusters. Each cluster has homogeneity in terms of spatial characteristics and temporal behavior.Ismaili (2018) investigated homogeneous areas of Mashhad air pollution in terms of particulate matter load over a two year period using GIS and cluster analysis method. Results of this study identified three separate homogenous regions for Mashhad.

In the present study, for the temporal analysis of Mashhad air, 10 air quality stations located in the city of Mashhad were used. Hourly data of suspended particles smaller than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5) were collected and arranged in matrices with temporal and spatial scales. Then a hierarchical cluster analysis was performed. Euclidean distance method and Ward method were used to calculate the degree of similarity. The resulting groups were then shown as a dendrogram.

The results of cluster analysis on PM2.5 data of Mashhad showed that three clusters or homogenous groups were recognized. The first cluster is distributed throughout the year. The second cluster with a frequency of 113 days is more mid-year. But the third cluster, which represents the highest concentration of suspended particles, often occurs in the second half of the year, with a frequency of 34 days per year.But on a monthly scale, Shahrivar, Aban and Azar are in the first cluster, and spring months and Mehr in the second cluster. Finally, Tir and Mordad and winter were clustered to the third group.Weekdays are divided into two main groups, with Friday alone in one cluster and other days of the week in the other group. At a lower level, four homogeneous clusters can be identified. Friday and Sunday are in the first and second clusters, respectively, Tuesday and Thursday in the third cluster and in the fourth cluster are Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday.

In this study, particulate matters smaller than 2.5 microns were analyzed using clustering techniques on a scale of days, months, days of a week and hours of a day. The results of hierarchical analysis by Ward's integration method showed that 365 days of the year can be divided into three separate clusters. Also 12 months of the year can be placed in 3 clusters.Months Azar, Aban and Shahrivar are in one cluster, and spring months and Mehr are in the other cluster. Tir and Mordad and months of winter are in the third cluster.Days of the week can be grouped into four categories: Friday and Sunday, respectively, the first and second clusters, and the third cluster, including Tuesdays and Thursdays, and finally, Saturdays, Mondays and Wednesdays. At hourly scale, the results of the study showed that the hours of daylight hours can be divided into homogeneous periods of dawn, morning, evening, and night. The lowest air pollution in the city of Mashhad is in the evening cluster (13-17h). Most of Mashhad air pollution is recorded in the night time, between 18 and 24 hours.

Today, tourism is considered as an important economic activity across the world. Among various types of tourism, geotourism and geopark are newly growing branches which are related to geological activities (Hose, 2008; Alexandrowicz, 2006; Gordon, 2012). In geotourism, geological heritage are protected and operated within a range surrounded by specific borders called geoparks; it is accompanied by education, development, and economic growth of local communities (Amrikazemi et al., 2017). As a branch of tourism, geotourism is studied by examining and identifying the locations as well as protecting geological heritage (Amrikazemi, 2012). This type of tourism has the most significant connection to humans’ everyday activities; mines have also been closely connected to the changes and developments of human life since past to present. These places can be introduced in the form of geotourism within mining-centered geoparks. Accordingly, Tabas geopark is introduced as a mining-centered geopark and its potentials are assessed.

In geoscience and its different subjects related to tourism (particularly geotourism), it appears essential to gain a thorough understanding of its developments and evolution during various points of time. The identification of each would guide humans towards a better recognition of different earth-related processes. One of such instances is the present study which can be referred to in tourism studies and planning, particularly in mine geotourism. There has been a number of different researchers studying geotourismpotentials and the geopark at this region (Nazemi, 2009; Orouji, 2012; Abdi et al., 2013; Yahya Sheibani & Zamaniyan, 2014; Salmani et al., 2015; Nazemi & Maghzinajafabadi, 2010; Sheibani & Zamaniyan, 2016; Sheibani et al., 2016; Yahya Sheibani, 2017; Yahya Sheibani et al., 2018). The geological background of this region demonstrates a number of valuable and rare potentials, the likes of which have scarcely been found across Iran; subsequently, there has been very few studies conducted in the area of tourism and the importance of mines at this region through a technical perspective. The results of the study showed the existence of an extensive variety of mining attractions alongside other geological and natural potentials as well as historical-cultural attractions. 

To identify the mines and mineral geosites in this study, many trips have taken place during a few years. In addition to mineral potentials at each mine, special attentions has been paid to their surrounding attractions such as rural areas and historical-cultural, natural and geological attractions. Two types of mines including active and old, abandoned mines were taken into account. Moreover, the assessment indices laid out by Fassoulas, Mouriki, Dimitriou-Nikolakis, and Iliopoulos (2012) were used to carry out quantitative examinations and assessments on mineral geosites.

Given the large area of Tabas County, its diverse types of rocks from various geological periods, and a broad spectrum of diverse minerals, Tabas can be considered as a collection of minerals. The most significant active mines in this region include Parvadeh fully-mechanized and open-air Mazino coal mines, Kamarmahdi Fluorite, Kalmard incombustible soil and bauxite, construction stones, and Chirouk foundry sand; the most important abandoned mines in Tabas includes Ozabkuh and Chah Sorb led and zinc mines and Gazou copper. Seventy six percent of the total coal supplies in Iran are located in Tabas; as a result, the county is known as the coal industry capital of Iran. Kamarmahdi fluorite mine is considered as one of the largest fluorite mines in both Iran and the Middle-East, in which fluorite veins have appeared with a variety of colors (green, yellow, purple, amethystine, and white). Kalmard incombustible soil and bauxite mines along with the geological position of Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic formations with beautiful appearances and stunning wrinkles as well as Kalmard and Robat-e-Khan Inns and deserts occupy a valuable position in Western Tabas. Furthermore, marbles and travertine with diverse colors are among the most important mines for construction stones. Chirouk foundry sand mine is one of the largest, most valuable mines in Iran given its production of natural, spherical foundry sands. In addition, Ozabkuh and Chah Sorb led and zinc mines at the north of Tabas, and Gazou copper mine at the south-east of the county are valuable instances of old abandoned mines which are capable of attracting any visitor to their unique attractions.The method proposed by Fassoulas et al. (2012) was used to assess mineral geosites. According to the results obtained from the evaluation of 9 mineral geosites, the highest scores related to educational indices respectively belonged to Parvadeh coal mines, Ozabkuh led and zinc mines, and Kamarmahdi Fluorite mine. Moreover, Ozabkuh and Chah Sorb led and zinc mines and Chirouk foundry sand mine obtained the highest scores in tourism value index. Finally, the highest scores on protection necessity belonged to Parvadeh coal mines, Kamarmahdi Fluorite mine, and Chirouk foundry sand mine; there should be more attention paid to these sites in terms of protection necessities.

There are a number of highly diverse geological, cultural-historical, natural, and mineral attractions in Tabas County. This city has numerous known and unknown mineral potentials, to the extent to which it occupies a special position among Iranian cities in terms of diverse mineral capabilities in high quality and quantity; the county is also known as the coal capital and one of the most important mineral centers of Iran. The most significant mining geotourism locations include active mines such as Parvadeh coal mine, the open-air Mazino coal mines, Kamarmahdi Fluorite, Kalmard incombustible soil and bauxite, construction stones, and Chirouk foundry sand mine. Furthermore, the old abandoned mines include Ozabkuh and Chah Sorb led and zinc mines and Gazou copper. As a useful instrument, the quantitative assessment method in this study can be employed for sustainable management and protection of geological heritage. In this method, the highest scores on educational indices respectively belonged to Parvadeh coal mine (21.1), Ozabkuh led and zinc mines (20.1), and Kamarmahdi Fluorite (19.3). In tourism indices, the highest scores respectively belonged to Ozabkuh and Chah Sorb led and zinc mines (16.9), Chirouk foundry sand mine (15.3), and Kamarmahdi Fluorite (14.8). Moreover, Parvadeh coal mine (16.33), Chirouk foundry sand mine (15.66), and Kamarmahdi Fluorite (15.33) obtained the highest scores in protection necessity. In addition, all mines are at a suitable conditions in terms of aesthetic aspects and landscape. However, for a more comprehensive plan, using other assessment methods appear to be of necessity by experts in different areas. One of the significant results of this applied study involves the introduction of Tabasgeopark mineral geosites in line with the preservation of geological and mineral heritage of this region in Iran; the findings can be useful in achieving future purposes at this region.

Nowadays, more than 80% of imports and exports are carried out through seas; therefore, it is of utmost importance for nations to have coastal positions alongside free seas. To attain more sea territories, countries such as China and UAE have attempted to construct artificial islands in the past few decades. Through construction of facilities, China has transformed eight coral islands on the South China Sea with a total area of 3.625 million m2 which has been opposed by other nations around this sea including Taiwan, Vietnam, Philippine. Malaysia, and Brunei as well as other trans-regional nations such as Japan and the US. It should be remembered that adherence to the rights of other countries is a necessity for justice and fairness at regional and international levels; a principle that has been increasingly overlooked by the global, international system. Consequently, the following questions were formulated in the present study: What are the reasons that has drove Chinese policymakers to construct artificial islands on the South China Sea? What are the reasons behind the Chinese government’s significant focus on this sea? Has china adhered to the international rights in this sea? Is china seeking to become a sea power?

In his theory of Sea Power, Mahan deemed marine and oceanic spaces influential in the formation of sea powers, global powers and control. He proposed six fundamental elements for a nation to become a sea power: 1. geographical position, 2. physical conformation, 3. extent of territory, 4. size of population, 5. character of the people, and 6. character of government (Hafeznia, 2006). Albeit, marine strategists have added conditions such as economic power, technological capabilities, socioeconomic culture and dependency on maritime trade and water resources to these elements. These features can determine whether a government/nation is willing to make use of sea powers properly (Zeinalabedin Amoughin, 2017).The construction of artificial islands and governments’ control over them do not create a right to produce new sea territories; however, since the claim to territorial sovereignty requires border lines on the map (Braden and Shelly, 2004), perhaps nations such as China is seeking such claims prospectively through the construction of artificial islands and placing them on political maps. The Law of the Sea is one of the oldest branches of Public International Law; yet, as it has been said that this body should be examined through developments in international rights and the fact that the Law of the sea is part of the customary law that has been gradually compiled Later (Tanaka, 2016).

The present qualitative study was conducted using the descriptive-analytical method in which library sources and websites were employed. This inquiry seeks to provide answers to the following question: What are the reasons behind China’s construction of artificial islands on South China Sea? Accordingly, the following hypothesis can be formulated; the reasons behind China’s construction of artificial islands are to become a superpower an increase the country’s sea power in the world.

China has extended its sea power beyond its own regions. Given China’s maritime trade of over five trillion dollars per year, the Chinese government offers a number of economic justifications with respect to its military presence throughout remote waters; accordingly, any maritime insecurities could jeopardize China’s economy. Subsequently, the nation believes in its rights to extensive military presence at seas. Currently, China’s economic resources in the world and the motivation to assume the position of a global superpower have created a covert security competition between China and the US (Fallahi and Omidi, 2017). In 2014, the Chinese Government refused to take part in in the international court of arbitration on the Philippine’s claim to a section of Spratly Islands, pointing out its rights to the South China Sea as non-negotiable “major benefits”. Moreover, China’s actions have been aimed at ensuring hierarchy rather than independent equality; because hierarchy has been a longstanding principle in the Asian historical international system and China has been accustomed to be positioned at the top of the hierarchy (Mitchel, 2016).According to Robert D. Kaplan, Chinese authorities and policymakers greedily study Mahan’s theory of Sea Power which indicates how global dynamics are changing; now, they follow Mahan’s theory even more than Americans. They are currently building fleets designed for armed confrontations at sea; meanwhile, European navy forces look at sea power only through the law enforcement perspective. Kaplan asserts that since then, as the Chines naval forces have grown larger and more long-range, orientation towards Mahan has also intensified in Beijing (Kaplan, 2018).

Given the results of the study, Chinese authorities and policymakers’ progress is based upon Mahan’s theory of Sea Power. This is due to the fact that their construction of artificial islands and claims to their sovereignty over them indicates China’s adherence to sea power strategies and demands for maritime superiority within the Asia-Pacific region. A large volume of trade between China and Pacific nations are carried out in South China Sea, through the Strait of Malacca. Therefore, the strategic location of the South China Sea and Paracel and Spratly islands necessitates coastal nations to pay sufficient attention to dominion and authority over sea territories whilst taking the international Law of the Sea into account; yet regional and international controversies and conflicts can be observed among these nations which are due to Beijing’s claim to sovereignty over other nations’ sea territories and infringement of their rights at this sea by constructing artificial islands and demanding sea and airspace for them. Inevitably, China’s actions throughout the South China Sea involves an 80% sovereignty claim and construction of artificial islands which would guide China towards becoming a sea superpower. Ultimately, the following recommendations are presented:1. The Chinese government should realistically acknowledge the sea territories of the South China Sea’s neighboring nations and do not separate them from their rightful territories;2. Coastal nations can establish a regional cooperation organization in line with more collaboration;3. Coastal nations should attempt to resolve their maritime issues irrespective of the views and interference of trans-regional countries.

The agricultural sector in the less developed countries on a national and regional scale affected by the national, regional and global economy, facing many challenges in terms of its functioning. This issue has limited food security and local and national development because agriculture in the marginalized and deprived areas of these countries is often of a kind of retail and traditional agriculture. Therefore, understanding the nature and dynamism of the rural and marginal areas of the less-developed countries, which are heavily influenced by several factors, including ecological conditions, not only requires awareness of environmental and structural changes, but also requires awareness of the effects of decision-making institutions and the spatial changes resulting from it. In less developed countries, including Iran, low productivity and low yield factors are considered the main challenges facing agricultural sector. One of the major challenges affecting the production function, especially in the field of date palm gardening, is the ecological and climatic conditions. Such a condition cannot be disrupted by human actions. Makkoran Area is climatically located in a dry, warm and very hot desert area with special conditions of rain (monsoon rainfall). Palm tree farming activities in this area faces many challenges, particularly in terms of adaptation to the climate. The present study seeks to trace and construct spatial relationships (networks) involved in the climate adaptation of date palms and emphasize its functional development in order to develop local economy in Makkoran Area of Iran.

Previous researches have examined production efficiency in date palm gardening often in two dimensions. Some have examined production efficiency related to structural and human factors (such as institutional barriers to achieving subsidies, access to agricultural services, production costs, etc.) and few studies have examined the distribution of date palm trees and the possibility of its economic production under the influence of climate change.Lutfi (2010) examined the effect of production performance on date palm trees productivity in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Tunisia and Iraq, and showed that replacing them with high-quality cultivars is one of the main problems in reducing date palm productivity. Al-Abbad, Al-Jamal, Al-Alawi, Al-Sharid and Belifa (2011) investigated the economic feasibility of date palm trees cultivation in Saudi Arabia. They argued institutional barriers for accessing subsidies as a major threat. Shabani, Kumar and Taylor (2012) probed the effect of climate change on the distribution of date palms in the world and based on the results, some countries and regions such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and southwestern Iran will face restrictions in the future in terms of date palm trees climate adaptation. But so far no study has investigated how the spatial relationships between actors (human and inhuman) shape the date palm economy especially in the production sector and  how it is possible to define the climate adaptation mechanism of date palm via a relational (network) approach. Therefore this issue is strongly felt in Iran especially in economic agricultural and geographical studies.In the present study, the actor-network theory is considered as a theoretical framework. The main theme of the actor-network theory is that the action of the combination of human beings and non-human substances in a network is created. This means that the theory combines all (human and non-human) actors and denies purely social, technical, or purely natural affinities. It deals with the detection and tracking of links between a variety of actors (human, non-human, material, and discursive) that allows actors, events and processes to emerge as they are. Nowadays researchers, including geographers, follow a similar path that tracks heterogeneous strings of things to understand the construction of the social within the public. Instead of a social actor, this theory focuses on the social and material world in which the social-material actor is called the actant, and instead of a stable network with nodes, it shows the fluidity and unpredictability of the cohabitation of actors who have adopted the intellectual root of Deleuze.

This research was conducted based on a mixed-methods (sequential strategy-variable) approach. The statistical population consisted of 17493 exploiters of date palms in the villages of Makkoran Area. The purposive-probabilistic method was used for sampling. For determining the sample size at the qualitative stage, the "adequacy of information" criterion and in the quantitative stage, the "representativeness" criterion was employed via the Cochran formula. Sample size at the qualitative stage was 111 exploiters of date palms and 16 experts. In the quantitative phase, 376 exploiters of date palms and 32 experts answered the quantitative questionnaire. The type of mixed analysis in the study is “the mixed-methods sequential explanatory analysis" based on a qualitative-quantitative strategy. Qualitative data were analyzed using "NVIVO" software, and quantitative data with statistical methods in SPSS software environment. In the final stage, analysis and inference of data were done according to Latour's (1987) arguments of the "translation" method.

Findings showed that there are complex and multi-faceted spatial relationships occur between human and non-human actors regarding the climate adaptation of date palm trees. In this regard, the geographic location and climatic actors are restrictive actors and barriers for the adaptation of indigenous date palm types are beneficial actors and provide favorable conditions for the production of dates.Also, these restricting actors are involved with other varieties of date palms (non-indigenous types) and mediated by the exploiter and the government (the Agricultural Jihad Organization) has become capable or opportunity-constructing actors. In other words, date palms, as a key actor due to geographical location and climate action, both restricts and provides conditions for the emergence of newer opportunities (the cultivation of new, compatible and exportable types). Hence, each one of the actors has a force field that influences the other and takes action on other or resist against other’s action in the form of pressure and reaction of date palms’ climate adaptability. Therefore, date palms have multi-faceted and reciprocal power relations in terms of pressure-resistance concept with geographic location (latitude and longitude) and climatic actors, which are mediated by exploiters, economy, government, land, and water.

Among the actors of the geographical and climatic location, the relative humidity, altitude, latitude, temperature, rainfall, intensity of the solar radiation, and longitude have a wider and stronger spatial network and, as main determinants play roles in climate adaptation of date palms. Other climate actors, such as evapotranspiration, monsoon flows, and wind speed are also less restricting and weaker in spatial relationships. Therefore, spatial relationships between actors showed that date palms, exploiters, climate, geographic location, government (the Agricultural Jihad Organization), water, capital, and land are key actors in the adaptability of date palms, respectively.

Space and the people living within the confines of a country constitute the domain of the political system and its rule. Governments inevitably need to divide space into a hierarchical form with the corresponding administrative organization to govern space and settlements and exercise their sovereignty. In the meantime, cities are among the man-made spaces that are always taken into consideration in different dimensions, among which the organization, management of urban space are more prominent and visible. Getting organized in the urban space requires a variety of issues and considerations and political management of space is of the utmost importance in organizing the space of cities. Because, with the expansion of cities as the base of human lives that have attracted large populations, it is important to organize these spaces to create better living conditions for citizens. Accordingly, the present study attempts to analyze the factors of political management in the context of understanding political space management, the pattern and form of political space management, the rules and objectives of political space management in organizing urban spaces.

Numerous works have been done in the field of city management, and each of them has discussed the issue in accordance with its point of view. Some of these are as follows:Zaki and Heydari Mosloo (2014) taking a geopolitical approach explain the role of political space management in urban development programs with emphasis on Iran. The results show that political managers in urban space should be able to have a good understanding of urban development policies and proper city planning. Lotfi (2015) sought to explain why the two islands were not homogenous in terms of development and the relationship between political space management and regional development and the relationship between political space management and heterogeneous development in Qeshm. The results of this study show that Kish Island, with the integration of the space organization, has been able to enjoy the operational level and unilateral decision-making. But Qeshm, due to its two-way management, has not been able to have significant growth and development indicators. The existence of an institution for organizing space in Qeshm in all dimensions is necessary. Ghaederhamati and Morshedi (2016) evaluated the political management of space in new cities of Iran, relying on recognizing all factors affecting optimal political management in new cities. The findings of this study show that its importance in the model of political management has had a high place in fulfilling justice.

The method of the present study is descriptive-analytical. Data collection tools are collected in the form of a library (using the resources available in libraries and using documents related to the subject and exploring on Internet sites) and field through a questionnaire.

Spatial organization is not only the object of local-spatial phenomena but also the relationships between them as well as the development, and evolution of the elements and structures of each geographic space according to the socio-economic conditions. From this point of view, spatial organizing seeks to establish order as a fundamental concept in urban systems (Amanpour & Sajjadian, 2016). Urban spaces produce culture and culture produce urban spaces, and if there is spatial disorganization and social disorder produced in an urban space then divergence of spatial proximity and social proximity will occur and quality and utility of life in that space will be lost in the dialectical space of the two, and the inhabitants will not feel the desirability of life. Tunisia, a German sociologist, believes that urbanization is a transitional society based on bloody circles into an organized society. There is rationality in it, in which study and science and a wise look at the path and stage feel relations between rational (Fathi, 2014). In order to achieve this rational space and to organize it, it is necessary to pay attention and recognize its main actor, namely the political management of urban spaces. Understanding the political management of space and its characteristics is one of the basic requirements for achieving urban space organization. Extraction of effective indicators on the political management of space to organize urban spaces through a review of past work was done through theories, books, dissertations and articles. These extracted indices include 30 factors that are presented in three dimensions for better understanding.The cognitive dimension of political management of space Pattern and form of political management of space The requirements and goals of political space management The extracted indices in each dimension were given to experts and executives in the form of a questionnaire and evaluated by T-test

Cities, as the most prominent geographical areas in the present era, need to be regulated in order to form a habitable space for citizens. The most important factor affecting the organization of urban spaces is the political management of space. The results of the present study indicate that the political management of space in order to achieve its goal (organization of urban spaces) must be recognized in three dimensions: the pattern, shape and form of political space management and the needs and goals of political space management to strengthen themselves so that they can achieve their purpose. In order to assess the importance and position of these three dimensions in the organization of urban spaces, 10 indicators were extracted for each of the dimensions of past work in this area and a questionnaire was provided by experts and elite officials in this field of study. The results of the library data indicate that all three have a prominent role in organizing urban spaces. On the other hand, the results of the T-test based questionnaire show that all the indicators considered for the above three dimensions have been approved by the elite experts and executives.

Nation states have long practiced diplomatic functions such as facilitating communication, negotiating agreements, gathering information, preventing conflicts, and taking part in international society. Cities are now using similar tactics, mirroring and engaging with state-level diplomacy and tackling issues such as local infrastructure needs or bottom-up approaches to peacekeeping. Cities are increasingly capturing the attention of major international actors such as UN agencies, EU and World Bank, now regularly featuring in high-level talks such as the negotiation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Cities are increasingly held responsible for dealing with city-level issues that have global implications such as pollution, health, safety, climate change, migration, and economic well-being. In response, cities are formalizing city-to-city cooperation on the international stage and developing networks and partnerships to develop solutions to these challenges. Today there are at least 200 city networks connecting local authorities across borders and continents, and the political-economic clout of cities is growing. All of these new roles for cities and local governments have developed within the context of the concept and literature of urban diplomacy. Urban diplomacy is a tool for maximizing the benefits of state and non-state actors within the space of flows by placing cities as the practical arena of national and global interactions.Urban diplomacy has been introduced and expanded in Iranian urban research literature for nearly a decade. Initial examination of these studies shows that many of them replicate some sort of uniform literature, and this uniformity and repetition has led to a lack of creativity and little help to advance the field. In addition, research is still not too much, and it is important to read through the appropriate set of studies and to combine their features to help guide future research while finding potential inconsistencies. Therefore, this article, by gathering and reviewing the researches on the subject of urban diplomacy in Iran, attempts to extract the characteristics of the work done by qualitative meta-analysis approach and to describe the situation and provide a proper formulation of these studies.

City diplomacy is generally understood as a form of subnational diplomacy. It is an interplay between “diplomatic and urban practice”2 that seeks to impact the international environment in a way that benefits the safety, security, and prosperity of local citizens and advances their global interest and identity. As subnational actors, cities can also help to promote a nation’s international image and interest.3 City diplomacy is achieved through cities’ engagement with other “glocal” actors and embodies a wide range of practices, including “facilitating communication, negotiating agreements, gathering information, preventing conflicts, and taking part in international society.”4 The phenomenon is nothing new; what is new is that the nature and scope of city diplomacy have deepened and broadened.  Wang and Amiri (2019) Have identified five key functions of city diplomacy as it is currently understood and practiced based on goals and organization in USA cities: Economic Development; Diplomatic Representation and Protocol; Global Policy Collaboration and Action; Community Engagement and Civic Empowerment; and Hosting Special International Events. Among these five general functions, Economic Development and Diplomatic Representation and Protocol are broadly pursued across cities, while the strength of the rest varies based on the local and political context in each city. Therefore, the capacity of urban diplomacy for Iranian cities is also enormous, which should be realized in an appropriate way. This article attempts to study and analyze all the research on urban diplomacy in Iran.

The present study was carried out using scientific databases including: Humanities Comprehensive Portal, Noor Specialized Journals Database (Noormags), Iranian Publications Database (Magiran), Iranian Institute of Information Science and Technology (IranDoc), and Academic Jihad Scientific Information Database(SID). In total, 32 studies including books, articles, dissertations and theses were identified. Of these, 10 were related to theses and dissertations, which were excluded from the qualitative analysis process due to difficulty in accessing them, with the dissertation usually published in paper form. The analysis of the status quo using descriptive statistics and qualitative analysis are based on Norman Blaikie's three questions.

The results show that the focus of the research has been in the form of two research papers and theses. 52% of the research has been done in the fields of political geography, political science and international relations. 71.9% of the research methods were descriptive-analytical. Qualitative analysis of research based on Blaikie's segmentation also shows that the researches with the 'why' question are the largest among the researched studies that have explored the why of urban diplomacy and its effects. Then there is the "what" research, which is more concerned with defining urban diplomacy and describing its features, dimensions, and indicators. And finally, research on the "how" question that has more seriously addressed how to change the existing practice of urban diplomacy.

The proposals in this paper to change existing practices to implement or enhance urban diplomacy are discussed in two general respects: defining a roadmap for urban diplomacy and providing its legal and institutional infrastructure at the national level, along with measures that At the local level, such as: establishing a specific organizational structure for municipal diplomacy in municipalities, formulating appropriate vision and strategies in line with national roadmaps and specific local conditions for urban diplomacy, prioritizing actions to achieve formulated goals and vision, serious support for members city council of activists of urban diplomacy in municipalities, continuous and useful use of diplomacy and international relations experts in municipalities, active and purposeful presence of municipal representatives in programs related to international NGOs.