Regional Development Strategy (RDS), a Modern Approach to a Balanced Regional Development: A Case Study in Rasht

Rasht has always been the source and center of resources and facilities of the province. The aim of this research was to use the regional development strategy (RDS) in order to achieve a balanced development. To this end, Mooris method was used to analyze the development level of cities and to determine the amount of selected services and facilities they receive as well as the ranking of the cities of the province according to the economic, social, and fundamental related indices. The results of Mooris method showed that there was no city with a high level of development in the province Rasht received the 1st place with 7.19 average point, Bandar Anzali, Astara and Lahijan were in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th place with 6.90, 6.74 and 6.48 point, respectively. The results of indexing method indicated that Rasht was in the 2nd, 4th and 1st place in economic, social and fundamental parts, respectively. In order to achieve a balanced development and to direct trends toward other places, and to balance mutual relationships, in this research, regional development strategy was used. This strategy decreases regional unbalancing, increases space efficiently, and achieves regional balancing development by strengthening competitiveness and directing trends (population, product and capital).