Investigation barriers infill development approach (case study: Ahvaz City)

In recent years, Ahvaz has experienced an inharmonic and wide growth that has led to the formation of worn-out textures, informal settlements and many wastelands around the city that also affect the surrounding textures and promote social issues. Also, due to the increasing of population, the migration process to the city and the lack of proper services and infrastructure, the use of these lands can provide the needs of the citizens. By using these lands instead of the suburbs (such as the Ekbatan neighborhood) the unnecessary growth of the city can be prevented. Utilization of urban infrastructure, reducing the encroachment of suburban agricultural land, preventing growth of the city in order to reduce the vulnerability against flooding due to increased impermeable surfaces, reducing built-up areas due to the effect of increasing temperatures, preventing distances between downtown and suburban neighborhood of the city indicate the necessity of using the infill development approach in Ahvaz. As mentioned above, this approach has a complex structure due to the involvement of different departments and institutions. Without identifying and analyzing the barriers of using infill development, this approach would not be possible in Ahvaz; therefore, the main purpose of this research is investigation the barriers of using infill development in Ahvaz. In this regard, the research questions are presented as follows:- What are the most important barriers to adopt an infill development approach?
-What is the most important barriers to use the infill development approach in Ahvaz?

The main purpose of this research is to analyze the barriers of using infill development in Ahvaz. The statistical population of the research is Ahvaz municipality managers and experts that 40 samples were selected by using of purposeful sampling. The second-order confirmation factor analysis is used to analyze the data in Amos software. In this research, economic, social, administrative-legal dimensions were used with 21 indicators.

In this research, four social, economic, administrative-legal and physical dimensions were used as first-level latent variables and infill development as second-order latent variables. Social variable with 6, economic variable with 8, legal and administrative with 5 and physical variable with 2 observable indicators were used in the model. The magnitude of the regression effect is between 0 and 1 and the closer it is to the 1, the greater the concept of impact. According to the results, the administrative-legal variable with a factor of 1, the economic variable with a factor of 0/94, a social variable with a factor of 0/66, a physical variable with a factor of 0/55 have obtained the most to the least effect, respectively. In the social variable, the non-participation index with the factor of 0/62 has the highest coefficient, followed by the indexes of contrasting municipal and citizen benefits, lack of awareness of land and texture development advantages, the conflict of municipal benefits with other organs, contrasting citizens' interests and conflicting municipal profits with developers are located. In terms of economic dimension, economic disadvantages for developers and the reluctance of corporations and banks to lend have the highest coefficient of 0/66. Thereafter, Land price indicators (especially in the middle textures), land speculation and stock exchange, citizens' inability to afford, the cost of in-city projects over marginal projects, the costs of land acquisition and consolidation, and the high costs of obtaining development permits and building permits are placed, respectively. In the legal-administrative variable, the highest coefficient is related to the land use regulations and detailed plan. Subsequent indicators include long administrative licensing process, lack of a well-developed plan for land development and texture improvement, availability of government-owned and military-owned land, and extension of time to improve networks and infrastructure. In the physical aspect, the index of lack of infrastructure and suitable facilities has gained a higher score (0/65) than the proximity index of land and textures with intrusive land uses (repair shop, railways) and suburban settlements.

In order to achieve sustainable urban development in Ahvaz, infill development approach must be considered as an efficient strategy for disciplining urban sustainable development. This protects the city from unnecessary expansion while preserving the environment and agricultural lands. To achieve such sustainability, accurate planning is needed that include optimal use of wasteland, planning for the worn-out and inefficient textures of the city, etc. Planning for the use of lands and textures and intensifying their use requires examining and removing barriers. In this regard, the most important barriers of using infill development were identified through library studies. The results show that managers and experts believe that legal and administrative factors with a coefficient of 1, has the greatest effect on the lack of realization and implementation of the infill development approach in Ahvaz city and after that economic variable with coefficient 0/94, social variable with coefficient 0/66 physical variables with coefficient of 0/55 have been the most to the least effect on failure to implement infill development in Ahvaz, respectively