Social Behaviors Pathology in Informal Settlements of the Cities of Khorasan Razavi Province, A Case Study of Mashhad, Neyshabur, Torbat-e Jam, Sabzevar and Sarakhs Cities

The rapid increase in urbanization without the growth and development of economic and social indexes has made different social problems for the cities. One of such problems is the emergence of suburban neighborhoods (slums) around and inside the cities. Since these neighborhoods encompass many people and due to the lack of suitable urban services, unpleasant conditions and low life quality in these areas, they are considered as one of the key challenges of sustainable urbanization and the reason for anomic behavioral patterns. Lack of paying attention to the spiritual and physical needs of the residents of suburban areas around the cities has led to instilling and orienting the behavioral patterns of the residents of these zones, particularly, towards the anomic type of these patterns. The current study analyzes and investigates the pathology of different social behavior patterns in suburban areas of Mashhad, Neyshabur, Torbat-e Jam, Sabzevar and Sarakhs in Khorasan Razavi Province. The research method is descriptive-analytical and it is of applied type. A total number of 504 questionnaires were distributed in the selected cities to determine which parameters in suburban areas have the highest effect on the behavioral patterns of citizens. Based on the results of Spearman’s correlation test, Chi-squared test, and one-sample t-test in the present research, such factors as space syntax, the quality of environment, lighting and the population have the highest effect on the behavior patterns of citizens. Moreover, the normal behavior patterns of citizens in Sarakhs city have been better than other cities, and then Torbat-e Jam, Sabzevar, Neyshabur, respectively. Finally, Mashhad was ranked lower than the other four cities. Environmental and cultural factors also are of the most important parameters affecting the creation of such patterns.