نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
نویسندگان
دانشگاه خوارزمی
چکیده
کلیدواژهها
موضوعات
عنوان مقاله [English]
نویسندگان [English]
The spatial organization of settlements is a dynamic, dialectical, and multilayered concept. Framed by relational and network space paradigms, it is analyzed not as a static structure but as an arena for multi-level human, economic, social, and ecological interactions. Departing from classical geometric models, this study conceptualizes spatial organization as an evolving process that is both influenced by and contributes to institutional, social, and regional reconfiguration.
The case study of the central rural system in Tonekabon County reveals a transition from a centralized structure polarized around Tonekabon city to a decentralized, polycentric model. This transformation, driven by strengthened horizontal relations among peer settlements and vertical linkages across tiers, has fostered complementary networks, reduced centralization, and enhanced regional functional synergy.
Employing a qualitative paradigm and grounded theory methodology, the research draws on semi-structured interviews with 17 participants, analyzed through a three-phase coding process using Atlas.ti software. The findings indicate that mechanisms such as agglomeration-dispersion, conflict-balance, and synergy-coexistence drive the shaping of the region's spatial organization. This process is influenced by causal factors (e.g., real estate capitalism, transportation development), contextual conditions (e.g., geographical advantages, spatial proximity), and intervening variables (e.g., tourism growth, technological expansion, population and knowledge inflows). These factors collectively give rise to features such as intermediary loops, extensive spatial interactions, and an intra-territorial division of labor.
In sum, the resulting integrated urban–rural spatial organization constitutes a nonlinear and interactive structure that provides a foundation for balanced development and regional cohesion.
کلیدواژهها [English]
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