Investigating and Analyzing the Factors Affecting on Intermediary Cities’ Branding: (Case Study: Behbahan City)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Associate Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

3 MA Student of Geography and Urban Planning, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran

Abstract

The  history of Behbahan City’ has always and everywhere been associated with the history of Aryagan (Arrajan or Argan) region, which are considered  as one region basically. With its historical background and underground gas layers, oil-rich areas, high-quality and vast agricultural lands, daffodil fields, high-quality dairy products, and other potentials, this city has not yet found its proper place in being present in urban branding and creating a unique brand to benefit from the advantages of urban branding. In this regard, the present study aims to investigate and analyze the factors affecting the branding of Behbahan City. The study employed an applied descriptive-analytical research method. It used library and field study (a researcher-made questionnaire) techniques to gather the data. The research statistical population consisted of all Behbahan citizens over 18 years old, and the sample size of 374 individuals was determined using the Cochran formula. A random sampling technique was employed to select the participants. In the findings section of this study, the results of the Friedman test and Kendall’s coefficient of concordance revealed that socio-cultural, architectural-historical, economic, and environmental characteristics had a statistically significant impact on the city branding process of Behbahan (Sig < 0.05). In the socio-cultural dimension, factors such as educational facilities and the increase in theft had the most substantial influence, whereas elements like ethnic diversity and the city’s religious character showed the least impact. Within the architectural-historical dimension, organizing competitions related to the city’s history and proper maintenance of historical sites ranked highest in importance. Economically, the presence of Bidboland refineries and the abundance of labor played the most significant roles. Lastly, in the environmental dimension, the Maroun Dam and the city’s green spaces were identified as the most influential components. All findings were statistically significant and indicated strong agreement among respondents in evaluating the variables.

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