فصلنامه جغرافیا و پایداری محیط
پیاپی 44 (پاییز 1401)

Groundwater resources are the second largest freshwater source in the world after the polar glaciers. The study of groundwater fluctuations has significant importance in the planning and sustainable management of each region. The purpose of this study is to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in groundwater levels in Damghan watershed concerning land-use changes. This study is conducted using geostatistical methods and remote sensing and routing of changes using R software in the statistical period of 1994-2020.  Groundwater table data were collected for 1760 wells including deep wells, semi-deep wells, and main wells of qanats. After controlling the accuracy and quality of data and checking the data normality, interpolation was performed. The Kriging method was used for interpolation and Inverse Distance Weighting, and changes were routed using R software. Land-use changes for 2000, 2010, 2015, and 2020 were studied using remote sensing and their relationship with groundwater level changes was analyzed. The results show that the groundwater level has decreased in most parts of the basin, including the east, north, and southwest. In these areas, the groundwater level has decreased by 14.7 m, over 26 years, which means an average of 56 cm per year. Also, the most land-use changes have occurred in these areas in that the area of gardens has increased by 10016.37 hectares, urban areas have increased by 637.02 hectares, barren lands have increased by 76907.4 hectares, and surface water resources  -due to the construction of the dam - have increased by 453.15 hectares, and rangelands have increased by 30337.58 hectares, forests have decreased by 48325.86 hectares and agricultural lands have decreased by 90350.47 hectares for the time interval between 2000 to 2020.

In recent years, the levels of spatial analysis in human geography have undergone new changes and the concept of translocal relations and studies has emerged and become increasingly popular as relationships that a settlement or a local community establishes with higher spatial levels (regional, regional, national and international). However, the analysis of the knowledge network (co-authorship and co-occurrence words) of translocality has been neglected, despite its necessity and its role in the development of rural geography research, which is examined for the first time in this study. Systematic analysis of the translocality knowledge network and its mapping can identify its sources, trends and shortcomings. In this regard, the data were collected and refined from the Scopus information database and was analyzed with algorithms based on social network analysis in VOSviewer software. The findings showed that of more than 1135 scientific documents and 1364 authors, the United States, United Kingdom and Germany had the most publications, and authors like Sakdapolrak, Steinbrink, Greiner and Sterly had the highest citations. Sakdapolrak cluster of ideas had the highest network density. Asian countries were at the bottom of the list. Co-occurrence analysis of words revealed five research clusters in translocality studies related to the connections and flows of people, capital, goods, information, technologies and innovations. Applying the knowledge network analysis approach and mapping it is recommended to achieve a holistic perspective in the field of human geography research and in the future.

Today, smart growth is one of the effective urban planning strategies for sustainable urban development because, as an effective tool in measuring the concentration or dispersion of a city's growth, it plays an undeniable role in the development, change and shape of urban areas, especially in metropolises. The aim of this study is to measure the indicators of smart urban growth in order to prioritize the areas of Yasuj city, with emphasis on sustainable development. The present research is applied in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in nature and method. Data collection was carried out through documentary method, and the study benefited from the statistics and detailed plan of Yasuj city (2017). For this purpose, Shannon's entropy multi-indicator technique was used to weigh the indices used, then the electrification model was used to analyze and rank the indices. The findings show that the areas under study are at different levels in terms of smart growth indicators, which accordingly and with regards to smart city indicators, three cities of Yasuj was ranked first with 3 wins and 1 loss; district 4 came second with 2 wins and 2 losses; district one was ranked third with 1 win and 3 losses; and district two came fourth without a win and with 4 losses. Depending on the conditions of the area, the residents' opinions can be employed for further development, as using the rational opinions of the residents of the areas not only improve the physical and environmental condition of the urban areas, but also make citizens like and welcome the idea of participating in urban programs and decision-making processes.

Land subsidence is one of the natural hazards that occurs as a result of natural factors or a combination of these two factors, in the form of flooding. Monitoring land surface changes requires the use of precise techniques. In this regard, the radar interferometry technique with permanent dispersers with wide spatial coverage as well as high temporal and spatial resolution is one of the most accurate and cost-effective remote sensing techniques for monitoring and measuring the amount of displacement on the ground. In recent years, following climate change and successive droughts on the one hand, and the improper management of water resources, improper abstraction of groundwater and increasing growth of population, on the other hand, has led to land displacement - and subsidence, in particular - on the Shabestar-Sufi plain. Therefore, this study has evaluated and monitored the rate of land movement in this region by using the mentioned method and by processing Sentinel-1 images between 2016 and 2020. To study the changes in groundwater level in the region and to prepare a water drop map as well as the hydrograph of the observation wells in the region, water level data between 2001 and 2017 have been used. The results of the permanent dispersion method indicate the annual land displacement rate for the region from 2016 to 2020 in five periods - 8.54, -9.47, 8-9, -9.7 and -9.02 cm, respectively. Due to the lack of geodynamic and GPS stations in the region, validation of the results of the radar interferometry method was assessed by using piezometric well data and the predominance of groundwater level drop (4.7 m) in the region and hydrograph analysis of the aquifer unit, and by comparing the results of the previous research, and the accuracy of the results of the present study was confirmed.

Creating a livable city is an important goal to achieving sustainable urban development. Understanding the situation of residents' satisfaction with urban livability and its indicators is important for urban planning and policy-making. The present study was conducted to investigate the factors affecting urban livability and the relationships between them in the Kermanshah metropolis. The present research is applied-developmental in terms of purpose and descriptive-analytical in content. The statistical population was the citizens of Kermanshah with a population of 946651 people who have settled in eight urban areas. The sampling method was randomly classified, the sample size was 385, and the research tool was a questionnaire. The Smart PLS software and the structural equation model with partial least squares approach were used to investigate the relationships between dimensions and livability indicators. Structural modeling is a point of view in which the hypothetical patterns of direct and indirect relationships between a set of observed and hidden variables are investigated. The results showed that the socio-cultural dimension - with a path coefficient of 0.666 - had the highest impact, and the environmental dimension with a value of 0.249 had the lowest impact on the livability of Kermanshah. Also, except for the participation and solidarity index, the relationships between other indicators with the dimensions of livability are significant. The index of medical and health considerations with a path coefficient of 0.314 had the strongest relationship with the socio-cultural dimension. The housing index with 0.378 had the highest impact on the economic dimension, and the green and barren space index with 0.635 had the highest impact on the environmental dimension. Therefore, proper planning to use open and barren spaces in strengthening and developing urban green spaces in order to improve the quality of the urban environment can be effective in improving the livability of the Kermanshah metropolis.

Nowadays, using nature and its healing effects, as one of the sustainable architectural solutions, has attracted the attention of urban designers and managers. The aim of this study is to identify and prioritize the characteristics affecting the healing design of sustainable medical spaces, as one of the urban infrastructures, especially in interaction with nature. The mixed methodology of this study  consists of four steps. First, characteristics effective in healing through medical spaces were investigated through library study method and by reviewing past research. ،Then, using Delphi method, and by interviewing and asking experts through Likert method, the final characteristics were identified, prioritized, and inferentially analyzed using the SPSS software. Third, as a case study, the method and application of these characteristics in real samples were analyzed inferentially. Finally, using the results obtained, a practical model for designing a healing center was presented. The results from Delphi method reveal experts' prioritization of 10 healing characteristics in the design of  medical spaces. The Fresults obtained from the Delphi section and the SPSS inferential analysis reveal a high mean for the elimination of stressors (4.8) and the interaction with nature (4.6), and a low mean for horticultural activities (2.4). The findings of the case study and inferential analysis also indicate ahigh mean  for the elimination of stressors(3) and interaction with nature(3) and a low average of spatial design for privacy(1). Finally, by combining and comparing the results of different steps of the research, and by considering the prioritization of characteristics, a  practical model is presented for the healing design of  medical spaces, especially in interaction with nature. This model can be extended to other infrastructures of sustainable urban spaces.

Alteration of urban forms and geometries due to rapid unplanned urban development can result in localized elevation of land surface temperature - a phenomenon known as urban heat island. This study examins the impact of land development patterns on land surface temperatures in a heterogeneous urban environment. As many as 18 Landsat satellite images for 1995, 2008 and 2021 (average cloudless images per year) were used in this sutdy. First, land development patterns were generated from the processing of Landsat satellite images in SAGA GIS using the method of Stewart and Oke. At the second stage, land surface temperatures for 1995, 2008, and 2021 were extracted using the single-channel algorithm. At the third stage, the relationship between mean value of land surface temperatures and the heterogeneous form of Tehran was analyzed. The results showed that among all LCZs, the highest mean value of land surface temperatures belonged to the Heavy Industry LCZ with the average temperatures of 5.32, 48.18, and 51.87°C for 1995, 2008, and 2021, followed by the Bare Soil/Sand LCZ with the average temperatures of 47.25, 49.25 and 52.36°C for the same years. The lowest mean value of land surface temperatures belonged to the Water LCZ with the average temperatures of 20.5, 22.63, and 23.15°C for 1995, 2008, and 2021, respectively. It was also found that the Compact Low-Rise LCZ had higher mean value of land surface temperatures than both Compact High-Rise and Compact Mid-Rise LCZs. The differences observed between the highest and lowest land surface temperatures in the study area are indicative of the significant impacts of urban form on land surface temperatures. The findings can contribute to our understanding of urban environments and help to devise better plans for minimizing the adverse effects of land use and development on these environments.