Motaleate Shahri

Regional Planning

Determine the Suitable Zones to Locating “Industry Clusters” by Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) in GIS Environment. Case Study: Wooden Industry Clusters in Ardabil Province

Alireza Mohammadi; Ata Ghafari Gilandeh

Volume 6, Issue 23 , August 2017, , Pages 69-86

Abstract

Objectives: Urban and regional development in developing countries depends largely on the desirable use of the industrial sector. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized industries play a very important role. These industries often form industry clusters because of the economy of scale. In a developing country ... Read More Objectives: Urban and regional development in developing countries depends largely on the desirable use of the industrial sector. Meanwhile, small and medium-sized industries play a very important role. These industries often form industry clusters because of the economy of scale. In a developing country like Iran, most industry clusters are scattered in regional spaces in an unplanned manner because of the spatial-regional planning weaknesses. This issue results in the formation and aggravation of regional development instability. A proper use of the advantages of industry clusters requires their accurate locating in regional levels. It is necessary to use appropriate methods to locate proper industry clusters. This study seeks to find an answer to the question of which area of Ardabil province is suitable to locate industry clusters. The main goal of this study is to identify appropriate areas for the settlement of industry clusters in Ardabil province. In this context, based on the potential of wood industry clusters, these clusters are selected as sample. There are 20 indexes in the form of VIKTOR decision making criteria in GIS environment. Arc GIS10.3 and IDRISI SELVA software are used for data analysis and output capture. The findings of this study indicate that immediate areas to urban settlements of the province are the most appropriate areas to launch wood industry clusters because of the geographical advantages. Finally, based on the results, some suggestions are presented for space planning in the development of industry clusters in the studied area. Findings: From the last output of the VIKTOR locating model we found that: A) Urban population centers, especially the cities, access to fundamental sources, direction of the wind and distance from faults, soil slope (topography), land use and basic infrastructures will play an important role in the establishment of new industry clusters. B) Cities play a very important role in locating industry clusters because they contribute to economic and environmental conditions, including labor force, infrastructure and consumer markets. C) The central parts of Ardabil province have the most suitable areas to locate industry clusters. Results: The results of this study showed that the suburbs of urban settlements are appropriate to locate and develop wood industry clusters. The economy of scale, accessibility of infrastructures of transportation, natural conditions and environmental requirements, centralization of population and human forces are the most important indicators in locating these industries. The following suggestions are made based on the findings of the study: 1) Provincial development plans should not be only regional. Spatial planning is needed for the development of industry. 2) These plans are not only specific to the industrial sector, it is also necessary to consider regional potential (vegetation, population, infrastructures) in the development of new industry clusters. 3) Regarding the environmental components (water, soil, trees, etc.), it is necessary to pay serious attention to the permanent regional development and the requirements of the future generations in locating industry clusters. 4) Considering the proportion of selected areas to locate industry clusters, it is needed to concentrate on these areas – resulted from the combination of different criteria – in the industrial sector development. 5) It is suggested that industry managers and policy makers of the province and region avoid intolerances and turn to interdisciplinary collaboration to conduct more comprehensive studies through spatial planning. It is necessary to follow the basics of spatial planning, especially in the industrial sector of the studied province, to achieve proper regional development.

Urban Transport

Studying the factors affecting the citizen's unwillingness to use bicycle in urban travels (the case of Ardabil)

Volume 4, Issue 15 , August 2015, , Pages 83-92

Abstract

Increasing populations in third-world cities of and consequently increasing use of fossil fuels and intense traffic have caused these cities to encounter various problems. Nowadays, transport is one of the most important factors determining the existence and development of cities. Almost all cities are ... Read More Increasing populations in third-world cities of and consequently increasing use of fossil fuels and intense traffic have caused these cities to encounter various problems. Nowadays, transport is one of the most important factors determining the existence and development of cities. Almost all cities are under the pressure of traffic congestion. Traffic congestion results in numerous social conflicts, is not in harmony with the natural environment, and is the main source of most transportation problems. Car-based transport has a wide range of negative impacts upon society and the environment, such as air pollution, congestion, noise pollution, road accidents, and extensive land use for roads and parking facilities. Pursuing sustainable mobility, particularly in urban areas, has become a priority objective of national and global policies in the transport and environmental fields. In addition to communication and the development of reliable, comfortable and secure public modes of transport, the optimization of pedestrian and urban paths is one of the main useful tools for achieving sustainable urban mobility. Bicycles with such unique advantages as low cost, absence of fossil fuel consumption, less traffic, and lack of negative impacts on environment, is more and more considered as a complement to other vehicles than the past. One of the most typical alternatives which is provided by experts for permanent development of cities, is the increased usage of bicycles. The purpose of this study is the consideration of the elements which affect citizen's unwillingness for using bicycles for travelling throughout Ardabil. The present study has used library and field methods for data collection. In order to analyze the obtained data, colmogrove – smirnove, Variance, Scheffe, Independent T, and Kruskal–Wallis test were used with SPSS software. Survey findings showed that, insufficient advertisement in the media, lack of a cycling culture, female cycling disproportionate with cultural conditions of the community are the most significant factors, in the order mentioned, which affect citizens lack of interest in using bicyles within the city of Ardabil. Cool climatic conditions and lack of proper infrastructure for cycling in Ardabil are also considered as other barriers to using bicycles. In addition, the survey illustrated that the less educated, low-income and men cycled more compared to the highly educated, high income and women in urban areas. There was not a significant difference in the use of bicycles in urban travels between regions in Ardabil; however, there was a higher usage of bicyles in regions one and two than in regions three and four. Obtained results indicate that according to respondents’ viewpoints, cultural factors had a more prominent role in the unwillingness of citizens to use bicycles in urban trips compared with other factors. This issue indicates that if the relevant authorities encourage citizens to use bicycle in urban travels through advertisements, despite the lack of infrastructure and cold weather, bicycle usage will increase. Therefore, the survey showed importance of the promotion of the cycling culture in all society. Finally, some recommendations are presented for encouraging citizens’ use of bicycles for travelling throughout the city.

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Author = Ghafari Gilandeh, Ata

Determine the Suitable Zones to Locating “Industry Clusters” by Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) in GIS Environment. Case Study: Wooden Industry Clusters in Ardabil Province

Abstract

Studying the factors affecting the citizen's unwillingness to use bicycle in urban travels (the case of Ardabil)

Abstract