Investigate the quality of life in small cities, with an emphasis on the personal and social health dimension (case study: Nourcity, Mazandran Province)

Urbanization is as one of the most important affected factors on personal and social health of citizens. So that، human health influenced by social - economic and their environment situation largely and depended on the plans and purposes which the city considered for them and so improving the urban quality of life، is depended on promote the health. Rapid urbanization and paying attention to physical concepts and disregarding the social goals in the urban development plans، cities has encountered with undesirable cycle of social- economic environmental imbalances and in total، declining the quality of life. Now، planners and urban decision-makers have decided to pay attention to and focus on the issue of urban quality of life، find a solution to make of human free from these problems. Despite the importance of quality of life in the urban development process، has not been much attention to this important issue، due to rapid urbanization and the need to urban development especially from the 80 decade and also due to poor vision in the right direction and control of urban development in Nour of Mazandaran and face to the problems so weaknesses in the quality and quantity of services، public and welfare spaces as municipal standards، lack of attention to environmental issues and the imbalance between social welfare and economic efficiency (in favor of economic efficiency) and… that in total، the urban quality of life has encountered with difficult. The method of this study is، descriptive – analytic whit goal of do an investigation on the quality of life in Nour city as a small city، with an emphasis on the personal and social health dimension. Thus، quality of environmental، quality of functional environmental and quality of community components، have been studied. The required data have been collected through field visits and studies and compeleting a questionnaire with a sample size of 320 households from the entire city''s neighborhoods by using the quota random wayand have been analyzed by using descriptive statistics and Mann Whitney، Kruskal-Wallis، Friedman and unilateral Chi square Tests. The findings of research have indicated، the quality of environmental components with mean 2/87 and Standard deviation 0/53، is in the below of moderate condition in studied city. In related to this component، 10 indicators have been studied. Most weakness in associated with this component،is related to the cleaning of city rivers with mean 2/03، and the best situation is related to the climatic conditions for life with mean 4/10. The quality of functional environmental components، with mean 2/71 and Standard deviation 0/37 is in the below of moderate condition، in related to this component، 20 indicators have been studied. Most weakness in associated with this component،is is related to the status of city park facilities and services for the disabled and elderly whit mean 1/83، and the best situation is related to the a few abandoned or half buildings of threatening the security in place، whit mean 4/63 and quality of community component with mean 3/13 and Standard deviation 0/ 42، is in the moderate condition. In connection with this component، 20 indicators have been studied. Most weakness in associated with this component، is related to the the lack of citizens comments in urban projects whit mean 2/14 and the best situation is related to the citizen satisfaction of being Besides Kith at the city whit mean 3/79. According to the results of Friedman test and a compute of variables associated with each investigated component of the 320 samples، status of the components of the health in studied city from worse to better condition is as: the quality of functional environmental component with mean 1/54، quality of the environment with 2/00 and quality of community with 2 /46. in total، according to findings of this research and the three components affecting to the health، the quality of life in Nour city with mean 2/90 and standard deviation 0/30 is in an average level of the health dimension. Quality of life is a reaction against the one- dimensional development and just quantity of planning and effort toward improving living conditions and improve the quality of human life. Improving the urban quality of life and resolve problems، and distribution facilities in the studied city is، requires to effective proceeding and targeted planning and according to needs of citizens، such as: taking measures to stop of strew the waste in city rivers، the development of urban green space and promote the quality of parks to use social groups of space particularly disabled and elderly، holding classes in recognition of the rights and duty of citizens in order to create the healthy and sustainable city، the use of citizens،s comments on city projects and programs، management of alleys and streets of the city by its people and competitions to select the most beautiful city alleys streets and..