Settlement Pattern of Immigrant Population with Social Ecology Approach in Rasht City

The social ecology of the city portrays the social and economic practices of the city and emphasizes the identity of the social environment of the city and seeks so that all citizens can achieve a proper life. Socio-spatial segregation is one of the most important current issues in cities and one of the causes for this phenomenon is the presence of immigrants in cities who choose certain places in the city for their residence according to their circumstances. Separation of the migrant population in the form of spatial, spotty and point patterns in certain parts of the city and especially informal settlements has been formed and spread. Rasht city is the largest and most important city in the northern region of Iran, and is an immigrant city that its population has increased 6.2 times during the years 1956 to 2016 from 109491 to 679995 people, under the influence of intra-provincial and extra-provincial migrations. The purpose of this study was to analyze the settlement pattern of the immigrant population with a social ecology approach in Rasht, which was applied and descriptive-analytical study in terms of purpose and also methodology and nature, respectively. The population of the study was the technical experts of the municipalities of the five districts of Rasht city, which the required data and information have been collected along with documentary studies using the design and completion of 38 questionnaires by Delphi method. Findings and results showed that the settlement pattern of the immigrant population has been spatial, spotty and point which this pattern was reversed in neighborhoods with a high proportion of immigrant populations, such as some neighborhoods in districts four and five. Planning through the preparation of immediate lands of Rasht city in accordance with comprehensive and detailed plans as well as structural-strategic plans will help the physical-spatial development and especially socio-cultural development of the pattern of spatial, spotty and point settlement of immigrants.