نشریه اطلاعات جغرافیایی (سپهر)
پیاپی 116 (زمستان 1399)

Information obtained from change detection processes in urban regions has a remarkable effect on urban planning and management. Due to the variety of land coversin urban regions, they are considered as a complex region extracting information from which is quite challengeable. Hence, independent application ofoptical and radar data in changedetection may result in improper recognition of some altered regions and falsification ofobtained results. These two sensors record different kinds of information from different phenomenonat the earth’s surface, and thus can be considered as complementing each other. So, the fusion of these two data sources (radar and optical) can improve the detection of altered area. Radar data do not depend on the sun and atmospheric conditions and has thus gained much attention. In fact, radar data provide information on the spatial and geometrical characteristics of the geographical features, while optical sensors are sensitive to the reflectance of different surfaces at visible and infrared wavelengths.Therefore, the surface reaction is different in optical and radar data. Application of radar data in urban regions is limited merely due to the dependence of the intensity data (i) on the incidence angle and the speckle noise.On the other hand, independent application of optical data cannot produce accurate results in urban regions due to the spectral similarity of materials. And since the nature of these two types of images is different, it seems that their fusion improves and increases the accuracy of the information collectedfrom urban areas.  

Considering thebenefits of optical and radar data integrationas well as the application of unsupervised techniques in change detection studies, the present research has developed an unsupervised method for the integration of optical and radar data in order to detect changes. The area under study is a region located in the northwestof Mashhad city in northeastern Iran which has experienced considerable changes in its land cover from 2016 to 2018. Optical and radar dataare used toevaluate the proposed method. Optical data consists of a pair of multispectral imagesacquired from Sentinel-2 in 9/2016 and 9/2018. Radar data consists of a pair of SAR imagesacquired from Sentinel-1 in 9/2016 and 9/2018. The proposed method was used to integrate radar and optical data with the aim of obtaining a single band image with a higher information content. This method is an effective solution used to integrate data and reduce data dimensions from n to one dimension. In this method, necessary preprocessing was first performed on the radar and optical data, and then the characteristics extracted from optical and radar images were integratedpixel-to-pixel. technique was used to integrate these characteristics and detect changes. Generally in this method, input is divided into two categories of radar and optical data. The optical characteristics include spectral indices calculated from different bands at t1 and t2. These indices include NDVI, ARVI, SAVI, NDWI, NDBI, which are efficient for studying and identifying three types of land cover: vegetation, water and residential areas. In fact, to reduce the effects of topography and image brightness and to increase the possibility of detecting and segregating geographical features, the spectral indices were used as the input of optical part. Normalized ratio images obtained from the VV and VH polarizations of the radar images at t1 and t2 were considered as the input of radar data part. Then, a weight was estimated for each feature entering the segment using the PSO algorithm. Since the present study seeks to estimate the optimal weight of characteristics extracted from optical and radar images and ultimately to combine these features and obtain a single-band image, each particle in this algorithm contains the n weight of the extracted features from the images. OTSU thresholding techniquewhich is the relation used for inter-class variance maximization is also used as thecost function to assess the particles. In this function, the weight of each characteristic should be selected in a way that the inter-class (two classes of altered and unaltered regions)variancereaches its maximum value and the most optimal threshold limit can be estimated. The output of the proposed method will be a single-band image with higher information content. After applying the OTSU threshold limit, two classesof altered and unaltered regions are formed. The proposed method was also compared with other unsupervised change detection methods.

Findings of the present study indicate high efficiency and accuracy of the method developed for changedetection. In this method, the ratio of pixels wronglydetected to the total number of evaluated pixels was 9.21% which is the lowest value. The overall accuracy and Kappa coefficients of the classification were respectively 90.79 and 0.819, which were the highest values compared to the other methods used in the present study.

Considering the benefits of optical and radar data integration, as well as unsupervised techniques application in change detection study, the present research has developed an unsupervised method for integration of optical and radar data andchangedetection. This unsupervised method for data integration is usedto achieve a single band image with higher information content. The technique makes it possible to integrate the optical and radar data and reduce data dimensions from n to one. For all input characteristics entering section, a weight was estimated using PSO algorithm. Since the proposed method is unsupervised, OTSU thresholding technique which is the relation used for inter-class variance maximization, is also used to assess the particles. The results have revealed high capability of the proposed method todetectchanges witha higher accuracy.

The concept of place has long been considered an issue of importance for sociology, anthropology, and human geography. Geography begins with human beings and will not exist without human activities and their effects on the Earth’s surface. Humanistic geographers believe that place is a part of the geographic space occupied by someone or something in which perceived values ​​are manifested. Studying the concept of place begins with the distinction between space and place. Sociology and human geography experts believe that space is made up of the material and human-made environment as well as the natural environment, and with the meaning added by individuals, groups or culturalprocesses, it changes into place. Since human geography examines the relations among human communities andbetween these communities and their environment, it can identify social patterns dominant in them. Definitely human communities cannot function properly in providing their memberswith a social identification without planning and providing rich and well-defined facilities tailored to their needs, up-to-date values ​​and requirements. Therefore, considering the enormous and comprehensive transformations of the Information Age and the necessity of aligning with this global movement on one hand, and the importance of the meaning as one of the most important qualitative variables of urban spaces, exploring and recognizing the effects of cyberspace on the perception, sense of attachment and belonging to a place are of special importance. Therefore,studying factors influencing the meaning of place is necessary to improve the quality of urban space. In fact, meaning of place is aninternal emotion individual feels toward a place formed by the interaction of different factors. Many studies have been performed on the meaning of place some of which consider meaning as an inherent characteristic of the place, and others believe that meaning is induced by the individual in different circumstances. In fact, meaning is created by presence in the place and our perception of it. The continuity of space-based experiences formed by motor system, and the recognition and perception of space creates a sense of satisfaction for people in contact with the place. Therefore, the quality of urban spaces can be improved by creation ofmeaningful spaces based on appropriate space-based rules, measures and disciplines. To reach this aim, we need to investigate and realize factors influencing perceptions of place by its residents. Thus, we must inevitably understand changes in and influences ofthe values, attitudes and demands of society. Nowadays, we are witnessing rapid changes in cities which seems to reduce the effectiveness of old ideas and assumptions about urban development, planning, and management, and subsequently, question accepted concepts about the nature of space, place, time, distance and processes of urban life. The advent of the Information Age achievements has redefined space and provided us with a new experience of space. Cyberspace is considered as the main axis of development in the world, and its achievementshave different effects on various dimensions of human life. Thus,Cyberspace is replacing the real world in a way. Undoubtedly, these changes in different dimensions of human lifeare influencing the perception of space. The present study seeks to evaluate the effect of Cyberspace usage time in different users on the physical, personal, social and functional components of the meaning of space and their defining indices in urban spaces. In this study, we believe that users of this environmenthave a different understanding of their space, place, and face different dimensionsof space based on their usage time, and thus, perceive the meaning of urban space differently.  

In order to answer the main question of the study, “How does the use of cyberspace affect the perception of meaning in traditional and modern urban spaces?”, Thus, the effect of cyberspace usage on defining components of perception including physical, individual, social and functional components was investigated. A traditional urban space (Imam Square) and a modern urban space (City Center) was selected as the study area in Isfahan and the statistical samplespresent in these places were studied. Correlationalresearch method was used. The statistical tests of Kolmogorov-Smirnov regression and Pearson correlation were used to determine the relationshipbetween independent and dependent variables, and its intensity and direction.  

Results indicate that using cyberspace increasesthe users’ understanding of the meaning of place while being present in urban spaces.In this regard, the incremental effect on the four factors, the degree of correlation and the impact of cyberspace usage on the components of meaning has been extracted and analyzed in two traditional and modern urban spaces.

Air pollution has become a life-threatening hazard with severe consequences. Previous studies have indicated that long-term exposure to air pollution can pose a significant threat to human health or even cause death. Usually, air quality is monitored by ground-based stations that can collect data regarding temperature, humidity, pressure, and several pollutants such as Ozone (O3), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Sulfur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and nanoparticles (e.g. PM1, PM2.5, and PM10). However, ground-based stations are costly, scattered, and often cannot cover large areas. These stations collect the concentration ofparticulate matter with a diameter of less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5) over a year.Collected data may be lost due to an unexpected shutdown of the device.  Datacollected in ground-based stations are not sufficient by their own and as a result they are modeled.  The resulting models also have flaws, so new resources are needed to solve this problem. One of these resources is the use of mobile sensors to produce high-resolution temporal and spatial air quality data. As opposed to traditional air quality monitoring stations, the use of dynamic and mobile sensors is quickly developing. These mobile sensors measure the concentration of the same air pollutants as those measured by ground stations. Land-use regression (LUR) models are increasingly used to estimate the level of PM2.5exposure in urban areas. Land-use regression models often use data received fromground-based stations. Therefore, modeling the concentrations of particulate matter in a city leads to a significant increase in modeling error. Data from mobile sensors can increase the accuracy of this contaminant modeling process. The present study aims to improve modeling accuracy by integrating ground-based stations with mobile sensors. Therefore, using the proposed framework, we can accurately estimate air quality at any time and place and provide higher resolution estimations for heterogeneous urban environments.  

The study area covers Isfahan city. With a population of more than two million and an area of 200 square kilometers, Isfahan is located in central Iran. 13% of the total pollutants entering Isfahan belong to urban industries, 11% to domestic sources, and 76% of all pollutants belong to traffic related sources in Isfahan. Therefore, most of the PM2.5concentrations are generated by the transportation system in Isfahan. The effective solution to the air pollution problem needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the air pollution process. Such an understanding primarily depends on reliable records that can depict the temporal and spatial variations in air pollution which is not possible due to the limited number of ground-based stations. The proposed method of the present study is to combine ground-based stations with mobile sensors to increase the accuracy of PM2.5concentration estimation and modeling. One of the existing methods used to estimate PM2.5levels is land use regression. Previous studies used only ground-based stations to create this model, which was not sufficiently accurate. The present study sought to increase the accuracy of PM2.5concentration modelling in contamination values of near or beyond the threshold. Using the LUR model, a prediction map was generated usinga combination of ground-based stations and mobile sensor which helps us to reach a more accurateestimation and prediction of PM2.5concentrations in a heterogeneous region such as this city.  

Reliable and accurate estimate of temporal/spatial distribution of air pollutant concentration cannot be achieved using a limited number of ground-based stations. The present study took advantage of 14 mobile sensors along with 7 ground-based stations. Results indicated that the root mean square error of the seven ground-based stationsequaled 1.80 while the RMSE of the combination of these stations equaled 0.59. The skewness index shows asymmetry of data as compared to the standard normal distribution.This index is used to determine whether the data distribution is normal or not. Skewnessvalue of standard normal curvesequals zero. In the histogram obtained from a combination of all stations, this value is 0.11, while in the histogram obtained from the ground-based stations, skewness value equals 0.8803. In general, the results indicated that integrating ground-based stations with mobile sensors results in a PM2.5concentration distribution which looks more like a normal distribution. The normality of data distribution implies that the histogram of data frequency is approximately a normal curve, and thus T-test is used to examine whether or not the results were significant.  

In this study, a new framework was proposed to integrateground-basedstations and mobile sensors with the aim of improving the accuracy of PM2.5 pollutant concentration estimation. The results of the t-test show that with only ground-based stations, the actual pattern and its distribution over the city will fail. In fact, data received from mobilesensors provide additional data necessary for air pollution profiling.

Due todecreased rainfall and increased groundwater harvesting, our country faces drought. With drastic decline of water levelin lakes and hydroelectric reservoirs, water scarcity is deeply felt. Thus, managers and officials shall find new ways of decreasing waterconsumption and overcome this crisis. Due to the rising global temperatures and reportsof the World Wildlife Fund, water scarcitycrisis will dominate most countries of the world, especially in Europe and Asia in the next ten years (Sengupta, 2018). Therefore, advanced water management principles shall be applied to decrease water consumption in the agricultural sector and maintain water security. Iran is among the top five countries of the world in terms of having vast irrigated land (Bruinsma, 2017), which shows that in many parts of the country agricultural lands are irrigated. Thus, the country’s water resources reach a critical stage, and because of limited resources, no more water can be provided for agriculture. The present study primarily seeks to optimize crop cultivation using two approaches: first, reduce water consumption and increase farmers’ income and second, reduce water consumption and meet domestic demand. In order to achieve this goal, first, the type of crops and area under cultivation were determined using remote sensing and satellite imagery. Then,spatial information system was used for data analysisand optimization of crop cultivation.  

Remotely sensed images were used to collect data about the area under cultivationin agricultural patches and crop type. Those images were then analyzed using remote sensing techniques.According to pixel-based classification ofmultitemporal satellite images using training data, a croplabel is assigned to each pixelin this method. Moreover, borders of each agricultural land are extracted from pan-chromatic images of the region with higher spatial resolution. Finally, fitting the results of pixel-based classification with the extracted bordersof each agricultural land,a final croplabel is determinedfor the total area of the agricultural landbased on the majority labels. In order to optimize the problem, two objective functions (relationships 1 and 2) are defined in which income maximization and water consumption minimization are considered. Typically, location and allocation problems include objective and constraints functionswhich are maximized or minimized based on the goal of the problem. Linear programming is used to solve the problem. Linear programming is a classical optimization method whichdevelop a deterministic algorithm tosolve the problem. This method can only be used when the relationships between variables are linear. In other words, the relationship between variables shall be perfectly proportional and directin this method. (1) (1)  (2) 

The study area consists of 198 hectares of agricultural land in vicinity of GolangTapeh village of Asadabad city. The city covers an area of ​​1195 km2 and constitutes 6.1% of Hamadan province. It is located between 34° 37› to34°50 ‹northern latitude and 47°9› to 47°51›eastern latitude. Its average height is 1607 meters above sea level. The city is bounded in northwest with the province of Kordestan,in west with the province of Kermanshah, in southeast with Tuyserkancity and in the northeast withBaharcity. Assad Abad consists of three plains and a mountainside, but since it mostly consists of fertile plains, it can be considered as a flat area (Fig. 1). Fig1: Case study area   Figure 2 shows the results of pixel-basedclassificationusing neural network method. In this method, network is trained using ground data. After training the network on the basis of ground truth estimator data, the estimation accuracy is about 88%.   Fig. 2: The results ofclassification using neural network Following the calculation of the area under cultivation in agricultural lands and the type of crops, optimization is investigated using two scenarios (Figure 3). In the first scenario, reduction of water consumption and increased farmers’ income and in the second scenario,meeting domestic demandsto prevent capital outflow is considered.     Fig3: Crop type and boundaries of agricultural lands   In the first scenario, our priority is to reduce water consumption and increase farmers’ income. In this scenario, the goal is to select the type of crops according to the modeling constraints so that the crop type and water consumption are optimized. Figure 4 shows the proposed crop type.   Fig4: The results of thefirst scenario  

The present study used a combination of remote sensing and spatial information system to find a solution for optimization ofcultivation pattern through two different scenarios. First, land boundaries and types of crops were determinedusing pan-chromatic images and artificial intelligence. Then, two objective functions were developed to minimize water consumption and maximize income. Also, constraints such as crop type, periodicity constraints and domestic demand were modeled. Considering two objective functions, an algorithm was presented to optimize the cultivation pattern and the results were implemented in this algorithm. Results indicated that the difference between the first scenario which seeks to minimize water consumption and maximize farmers’ income and the second scenario which seeks tominimize water consumption and maximizedomestically demanded crops is relatively small. In both scenarios, the water use rate inAsadabad plain have decreased by about 1000 m3. In other words, in both scenarios there was a 50% reduction in water consumption. Moreover, if priority is given to meeting domestic demand, water consumption increase by about 3% and income decrease by about 3%. In future studies, owners of each agricultural land can be determined and each farmer’s incomecan be considered to further optimize crop cultivation.

In the last few decades, thematic maps and models were usually assessed using Kappa index of agreement. The index gives us the relative observed agreement among raters (identical to accuracy), but lacks any useful information to make practical decision making about the model’svalidity easier. In other words, Kappa index does not provide an explanation about classification quality or an idea about increasing theaccuracyof the predicted map. Moreover, the index does not explain the causes of disagreement.Thus, giving indices of agreement without any interpretation will not be satisfactory. Today, new complementary methods are required to show the quantitative and spatialagreement and disagreement between two maps. It is necessary to show how a modeled map can be produced with better accuracy. The present study seeks to introduce and explain concepts of agreement and disagreement components with an example. Finally, these components are introduced as a useful method for the validation of digital maps.  

An area of 410 hectares which belongs toZanjanUniversity was used to express the findings of this study. The area is located 5 km before the beginning of Zanjan-Miyaneh Road at 48.4° eastern latitude and 36.68° northern longitude. A digital soil mapin which probability distribution of different soil classes is obtained using multinomial logistic regression algorithm and a reference soil mapproduced with the conventional methods are usedto explain the concepts and investigate the spatial and quantitative agreement and disagreement indices. Validation and calculation of quantitative and spatial agreement and disagreements are performed using IDRISI software (SELVA version). To simplify the process, two maps with a grid structure (3 x 3) are introduced as a reference map and a predicted map. The reference map is used for spatial and quantitative evaluation and validation of the predicted map cells. Each map contains 9 cells and each grid cell has a membership value of either white or gray categories.  

In the validation process of two maps, most researchers seek to find answers to two important questions: 1- How much agreement is there between the cells of each mapping class group? And 2- How much agreement is there between the map used in modeling and the reference map regarding the position of the cells in each class? The present study expresses agreement between the two soil maps using an index of (M (m)) which equals 60.69%. With an average level of quantitative and spatial information about different classes of the digital soil map (DSM), the H (m) index equals46.4%. Results indicate that if the produced map is modified or rearranged (provided that the level of quantitative information remains unchanged but the amount of spatial information increases), the agreement between the maps increases dramatically and reaches 87.17%. Quantitative and spatialagreement and disagreement between the digital and traditional soil maps also equal 61% (M(m) = 61%) and 39%, respectively. The DSM accuracy can be increased to 87% (P (m) = 87%) compared to thetraditional soil map through spatial modification of cells(without changing quantitative information).  

Evaluating the accuracy and validity of digital maps are considered to be an important and sensitive stepof research projects. Therefore, introducing more accurate indices is very important. According to the results of the present study, displayingquantitative and spatialagreement and disagreement in the form of a matrix and according to the different levels of quantitative and spatial information can be a new strategy to verify modeling methods. The method presented here not only introduces and interprets sources of (quantitative and spatial)error, but also provides information on the possible ways of reducing these errors. Thus, introducing the amount of error without any scientific interpretation cannot be useful for predicted maps. Unfortunately, researchers does not concur on how to report agreement and disagreement. However, it seems thatwhen it comes to explaining errors and finding a method to reduce such errors,the components of disagreement and its related parameters are more useful than agreement component and its indices. Therefore, it is recommended tointerpretdisagreement components before other components of agreement. The advantage of this method is that complex analyses can be reported in a simple form. Finally, this assessment and validation method is expected to be used in different studies as an appropriate and alternative method.

Climate changesare considered to be the most important event of the Quaternary period largely reflected in the geomorphology and sedimentology of the period.Paleogeomorphology helps us to understand past climate changes and predict future changes.  Depending on the Quaternary periods, closed pitlakes are called cold or rainy period lakes.Some of these lakes have completely dried up, others are temporary lakes that change into playas in the dry season, and others have been larger in the past. Researchers can identify pluvial lakes in today’s arid regions, because of the variety of factors and complex processes involved in their formation.Mighan Playa is located in the central and southwestern areas of Markazi province.  It includes seasonal and saline Tozlogol Lake, and alluvial plains.

The present study used evidences of playa lake sediments as well as geomorphological evidences(lake terrace) to investigate the extent of MighanLake in Quaternary period. Data included datacollectedfrom library sources, statistical data, field surveys, sedimentary samples, sedimentary evidences, climatic data, remote sensing data received from Landsat TM satellite, ETM, and SRTM digital elevation models(SRTM 90 meters, and Dem10 meters).Initially, previous studies and environmental characteristics of the area were analyzed. Then, lake terracewas investigated to find geomorphic evidences of Pluvial Lakes in Quaternary period. To do so, probable ranges of the lake Terrace were determined using satellite imagery, geological maps, and elevation data of digital models. Probable area was divided into several distinct zones, and finally an area was identified in the western part of the lake and based on the elevation of this zone, the extent of the lake catchment in Quaternary period was determined. During fieldwork, samples were collected from the mountain slope line toward the Playa and lake shore, and then granulometrytests were performed on the 14 collected samples to determine the amount and type of sediments.Sedimentary and graphical analysis were also performed based on Folk classification. The percentage of clay and sand in the new samples collected from the region containing this mountainous area, lake coast and deeper parts of the lake were determined and attributed to past sediments. In this way, the information could be used to determine the extension of lake sedimentsin the past.Based on sedimentary logs (Arak Groundwater Studies Report, Central Water department of Markzani Province), sedimentology studies and percentages (clay-sand-gravel) of present-day samples collected from deep sections of Playa andelevated areas of sediment pits were interpolated in GIS environment and a map of the lake extension in the Mighan catchment areawas prepared.Subsequently based onpaleogeographic studies, paleontological climate of the area and sedimentation rate calculated by Pedrami in 1993, a map was produced to show the extent of sediments and the lake progressions and regressions in the past.

The stratigraphic and sedimentary evidences of logs in the margins of Mighanpit indicates changes in wet and dry periods. Type and size of sediments reflect the climatic conditions in each period, while high percentage of clay sediments reflects lake conditions. Paleontological sedimentological maps of the area show that the clay sediments were more concentrated in the southwestern, western and northwestern regions. Uplift of the Talkhab fault in the northeastern regionhas resulted in tectonic asymmetry of the pitand concentration of sediments in the western and southern parts. According to Krinsley, Bubeck, Pedrami and etc. Lake Mighan has been larger in the past. However, none of these researchers have determined the extent of lake water in the past. In this study, the extent of the lake was determined by reconstruction of clay sediments and using geomorphological evidencescollected from the lake shorelines (lake terrace) near Mighan village (Mashhad). Results indicated a height of 15 m in Quaternary period.

Sedimentary and geomorphologic evidences indicated that compared to the present playa level, the Lake fluvial was more permanent and vast in the past, but this extension differs in different directions and shows significant differences due to the tectonic location of the area.

Emergency shelters built based on multifunctional spaces are one of the main components of crisis management, which is carried out for various purposes by transferring people from hazardous or damaged areas to safe areas. Providing suitable spaces for the accommodation of refugees, establishing safe routes, warning and informing people about the possibility of danger, transfer and return planning and supporting are the main components of multi-purpose spaces. These components are defined according to the dimensions and scope of danger. Building multi-purpose land uses and paying special attention to them in urban development projects will help in optimization of crisis management processes, and create mechanisms to guarantee citizen security and achieve sustainable urban development. Paying attention to emergency shelters built based on multi-purpose land uses in military towns is of more importance and should be planned during peacetime. In fact, special attention should be paid to selecting and organizing multi-purpose spaces in these cities. Saravan, the center of Saravan city, is a town in Sistan and Baluchestan Province. It is a military town in southeastern Iran with a strategic importance from security and military point of view. Given its strategic location, the necessity of security and defense planning of the city based on the principles of passive defense is quite clear. Aspreviously mentioned,utilizing multi-purpose land uses as a strategy based on passive defensecan be considered an appropriate solution for defense planning of the city. Due to the spatial nature of data as well as multi-objective and multi-criteria nature of decision making, spatial analysis and site selection of multi-purpose land uses needs to be performed using a combination of geographic information system and multi-criteria decision making methods.  

The presentapplied studyis performed using descriptive-analytical method. Data was collected from library and documentary sources and land use maps. Some information was also collected from the Statistical Center of Iran. ArcGISwas used to analyze collected data and produce relatedmaps including land use maps, mapsof sensitive urban centers such as military barracks, etc. According to the nature of the research and its field of study,geographical information system (GIS) was integrated with fuzzy multi-criteria decision making methods in the information analysis phase.

In order to analyze collected data, various criteria and indicators were first determined for selection of spaces and multi-purpose land uses based on studies conducted. Then, a special weight is allocated to each criterionusing verbally generated fuzzy methods andaccording to experts’ opinions and then SAW model was used to combine related GIS layers. Finally, the zoning map of Saravan city has been presented as an appropriate example for creating multi-purpose spaces and land uses. Indicators of site selection for multi-purpose land uses have been scored by experts to determine their effect and importance in spatial analysis of multi-purpose spaces in Saravan city. The opinions of 26 experts have been collected to determine this weight. The indicators were converted to GIS layers and presented after the integration of the final map.  

Due to its strategic location and security-related issues, Saravan needs defense planning. Undoubtedly, shelters are needed to protect people againstthe enemy’s attacks in case of war. The necessity of paying attention to this issue has increased the importance of research on defense planning and passive defense in the field of urban planning. Passive defense in border towns focuses on defense planning and reduces the number of casualties. Shelters and multi-purpose spaces are also of this type. With the aim of spatial analysis and site selection for multi-purpose land uses, and in order toutilize existing land uses for urban defense planning, the present study has identified multi-purpose land uses in Saravan. Using geographic information system and multi-criteria decision making methods, these land uses have been located and appropriate situations have been identified for creation of multi-purpose spaces. Results indicated that usingexperts’ views, along with geographic information system, and multi-criteria decision making methods could be an appropriate way fordefense planning and site selecting for multi-purpose land uses. According to the final map which is produced using SAW model for locating and planning multi-purpose land uses, different appropriate areas exist for the location of multi-purpose uses. These areas are specified in the final map of Saravan. According to this map, northeastern areas of the city is considered to be suitablebased on all criteria. It can be concluded that the areas obtained fromGIS are scattered throughout the city and responsible organizations can use the final map for site selection. The largest area with the most suitable condition is located in the northeasternregion, and the southeastern, southern and southwestern regions seem appropriate. A vast region of the city (beginning in the northwestern region and reaching southeastern region) is in poor condition in terms of the criteria examined. Due to the 10 levels of classification used in the final map, the map shows different conditions even in this region, and more suitable situationscan be selected for multi-purpose land usescompared to other regions.

One of the major environmental issues and requirementsof the contemporary worldis the acquisition of knowledge and related technologies. Urban Heat Island (UHI) refers to the occurrence of higher surface temperature in urban areas compared to the surrounding rural areas due to high urbanization. Urban Heat Island (UHI) is an important ecological effect of rapid urbanization. While the temporal and spatial importance of UHIs and their causes have been discussed in previous studies, precise identification of the morphology and shape of the earth and its relation with UHIs have not been studied. Urban heat islands occur primarily due tourban developmentand changes in land surface. This has created unfavorable conditions and many problemsfor citizens. Vegetation cover can reduce the effect of heat island. Satellite data can be used to determine the distribution of urban heat islands, but new methods of measurement are still needed to get better results.Ground data can also help in validation of remote sensing analysis. The present study has investigatedurban heat islands occurring in the city of Tehran and its suburbs due to urbanization and traffic.

The present study has been carried out in Tehran, the capital city of Iran, located in the northern part of the country,on the southern slopes of the Alborz Mountain Range, along 51⁰ to 51⁰ 40′ easternlongitudeand 35 ⁰ 30′ to 35 ⁰ 51′ northernlatitude. According to the latest population and housing census in 2011 performed by the Statistical Center of Iran, Tehran has a population of 8,154,051 and still is the most densely populated city of Iran with a clear demographic difference with other cities of the country. The study area borders with mountainous areas of the north and desertsof the south, thus the southern and northern regions of the study area have different climates. The northern regions have cold and dry climates, while the southern parts suffer from hot and dry climates. The elevation varies from 900 to 1800 meters. This huge difference inelevationis due to the vast area of the city. In Tehran metropolis, the average annual temperature varies between 18 and 15 ° C, and different parts of the city have an average temperature difference of 3 ° Cdue to the elevation difference in the city. Average monthly relative humidity including minimum and maximum relative humidity recorded at Mehrabad station shows that in in the morningof July to January, humidity changes from at least 38% to a maximum of 79%. Midnight relative humidity varies from 15% to 18% in June to 47% in February. The annual rainfall in Tehran is mainly influenced by the difference in elevation and varies between 422 mm in the north and at least 145 mm in the southeast. The number of rainy days also follows the same pattern and varies between 89 days in the north and 33 days in the south. Also in this urban area, 205 to 213 days of each yearhave a clear sky with some cloud. In this exploratory study, Landsat 8 satellite images for Tehran were obtained and processed (geometrical, radiometric and atmospheric corrections).  The Operation Land Imager(OLI)with its three new bands: a deep blue band for coastal / aerosols studies (band 1), a short-wave infrared band for cirrus cloudsdetection and Band Quality Assessment (Band 9), and an Infrared Thermal Sensor (TIRS) which offers two high resolution thermal bands (approx. 30 m) (band 10, 11) were used. In addition, two of the valuable thermal bands at 10.9 µm and 12.0 µm have Landsat 8 images. In this study, spectral reflections of all terrestrial members of spectral phenomena were obtained based on the total wavelengths of Landsat 8 (wavelengths of 430-2290 nm). For UHI estimation,surface temperature can be obtained from the two thermal bandsand improved using split-window methods.The relation between thermal islands can be calculated using air pollution ground data. The present study tries to select suitable indices such as Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The vegetation index (NDVI) of land surface was calculated using spectral bands.  

The LST map was produced using Landsat OLI 8 satellite images. Temperature in this map was obtained using standard deviation from the classified values,and areas affected by the UHI were identified subsequently. According to the LST map, the surface temperature varies between 21.5 ° C and 57.9 ° C. On the day of imaging, the lowest average temperature of water was 35 ° C and the maximum average temperature of bare lands was 48 ° C in the study area.  

It is recommended to use spectral reflectance measurements such as field spectroradiometer in natural conditions to evaluate the spectral reflectance accuracy. At a later stage, spectral reflection of different phenomena can be used to classify satellite images and examine their relationship with the urban heat islands

It can be argued that among the socially and culturally relevant variables affecting sustainable security and optimal control of border cities, political variables (formulation of the comprehensive plan and other urban plans), physical variables (distance between border cities and central or peripheral areas) and legalvariables (adaptingeconomic policies in accordance with themacroeconomic policies of the country by2025) are the basis for developingmatrix of key properties and scenario planning.In this regard, the importance and necessity of the present study lies in the fact that the future border cities research is a process of systematic and calculated effort and a long-term scientific approach toward good urban governance. It seeks to reach a sufficient understanding of strategic research areas, benefit economy of the country and especially border communities through wise management of space and the introduction of related technologiesand offer desirable scenarios for the development of border cities based on the patterns of democratic and ecosystem management.Accordingly, the present study demonstrates a kind of creativity and innovation in the field of strategic planning based on every aspects of sustainable urban development while emphasizing on the prospective and environmental aspects that are an inseparable part of geography and urban planning studies.

The present study seeks to answer the main research question which is, what are the key indicators and factors influencing the development analysis of Piranshahr border town?In this regard, the present study takes advantage of descriptive-analyticaland documentary investigations of strategic planningalong withrelated questionnaires in the framework of Delphi model and software analysis. Based on a consultation with scholars familiar with the status and conditions of the region within the dialectical framework of urban issues, a statistical population of 50, and 23 variables were identified for the present research. The selected variables were classified in 8 general categorizations as the primary variables of the research.Getting output from the Wizards software based on the scores entered into the matrix, the normalized and the standardized matrices were calculated, and the possible scenarios were categorized based on an analysis of the descriptor compatibility. Then, the goals set for strategic planning of Piranshahr, effective factors in strategy development, a competitive map, level of competitiveness in Tamarchinborderand finally challenges and opportunities of each domain were expressed in the framework of the Meta SWOT Strategic Model.

Based on experts’ opinions and software output, it can be argued that among the socially and culturally relevant variables affecting sustainable security and optimal control of border cities, political variables (formulation of comprehensive plans and other urban plans), physical variables (distance between border cities and central or peripheral areas) and legalvariables (adaptingeconomic policies in accordance with themacroeconomic policies of the country by2025) are the basis for developingmatrix of key properties and scenario planning.Finally, the status of key driving forces in cross-border strategic planning of Tamarchinborderand its effects on the development of Piranshahr city over the coming 15 years are explained in the form of three desirable, intermediate and disaster scenarios. Also based on the obtained results, Sairanband border in Bane had the highest score in enhancing the quality of life in border cities and adopting economic policies in accordance with the country’s macroeconomic policies by2025. Thus, Sairanbandis the most important rival of Tamarchin border.

The present study has proposeda desirable model for the development of Piranshahrborder town using a strategic approach toward the sustainability issue in border cities and taking advantage of indexes such as “cultural, human, political, economic, and physical development” indexes. It alsoapplies the pattern of futures studies used in wizard and strategic scenarios. Thus, factors affecting the level of urban development in Piranshahrwere classified based on 5general classes, sub-variables and a 23×23 matrix. So only by putting the indices in the distribution chart, a very favorable situation of the distribution of boundary related variables can be presented. In the context of the above mentioned results and according to the scenario formulation table, it can be concluded that the results of the present study are to a large extent applicable. Moreover, they can be applied for scenario-building and guide management toward the development of border towns within the framework of structural planning.

Industrial and economic developmentalong with population growth and increased exploitation of natural resources may upset the environmental balance. Inappropriate land use, along withpollution and destruction of natural resources are considered to be serious problems caused by environmental imbalance in many parts of the world. These problems indicate the limited capacity of environment to resist human exploitation of land. Industrial site selectionis considered to be one of the key factors in sustainable regional planning due to the different environmental impacts of industries. Because of the developmentin industrial areas and the existence of numerous mines in GolpayeganCounty, it is necessary to optimize industrialsite selection in accordance with environmental standards and regulations. Therefore, the present studyintegrates hierarchical analysis with multi-criteria evaluation methods to investigate 24 different criteria with the aim ofoptimizing industrial site selection in accordance withenvironmental standards and regulations in GolpayeganCounty.  

In accordance with the rules and regulations of setting up industrial and manufacturing units and similar studies,the conceptual model of Golpayegan county site selection was prepared based on three criteria: physical, biological and socio-economical. Followingthe preparation ofinformation layer for each criterion, spatial analysis ofEuclidean Distance was performed for each of them.Then, information layers produced in the previous steps were standardized using Boolean and fuzzy logic. The integration and overlapping in Boolean method was performed using AND logic.At this stage, all the information layers were entered into TerrSet software and standardized using fuzzy model and membership functions of the software’sfuzzy sets. The real scale (from 0 to 1) was used in this study to determine the membership function.Higher membership value in this range indicates higher utility while lower membership value indicates lower utility. In the present study, AND operator was used to integrate maps.Hierarchical analysis was used to determine the weight of each factor. Afterwards, the maps were integrated using fuzzy overlay method, weighted sum model and weighted linear combination (WLC) method. In this way, a map was produced for the industrial park site selection. Then according to the histogram curve and its breakpoints and also according to the environmental conditions of the region, it was classified into 5 classes.  

An inconsistency rate of 0.04 was calculated in the present study to evaluate the accuracy of judgments made about the weight of the criteria and sub-criteria.Distance from Mouteh Wildlife Refuge, distance from faults, distance from wells and distance from roadswere identified as the most important criteria for assessing the industrial capacity of the region. Maps produced using the Boolean method include two classes of 0 and 1,the valuesin the fuzzy overlay, weighted sum and weighted linear combination methods rangebetween 0 and 1, while they range between 0 and 0.7 in the weighted sum method and between 0 and 0.8 in the weighted Linear combinations method. 2783.5 hectares of the study area have the potential of serving as industrial sites based on the Boolean method, indicating that 1.7% of the study area is suitable for industrial construction. Combining moderate, good and highlysuitable classes using fuzzy overlay method showed that 1769.13 hectares or 1.1% of Golpayeganregionare suitable for industrial site construction. Combining good and highlysuitable classes usingweighted sum method showed that 1758.77 hectares or 1.09% of Golpayeganregionare suitable for industrial site construction. Combining good and highlysuitable classes using weighted linear combination method showed that 1902.78 hectares or 1.18% of Golpayeganregionaresuitable for industrial site construction. No matter which method is used, suitable areas for industrial site constructionare located in the southeastern region of the County and in vicinity of the main road.  

Comparing the results of the present study with similar studies indicates that the Boolean logic finds the least number of suitable areas for industrial park construction and its selected areas must have an appropriate score in all evaluation criteria. Findings indicated that due to the specific characteristicsof the Analytical Hierarchy Process, this method can be useful in the investigation of regional planning issues. It can be concluded that Weighted Sumand WLC are more effective than Boolean and fuzzy overlay methods. Results indicate that all four models located landssuitable for industrial development in the southeastern areas of ​​the County and in vicinity ofits main road, thus these areas should be prioritizedin future planning, policy making and investment for industrial development. Furthermore, given the concentration of agricultural activities in GolpayeganCounty and its numerous tourism capacities, the development of agricultural conversion industries and ecotourism related industries within the predicted authorized areas can be considered as priorities of regional development. Nowadays, sustainable economic development in most countries depends on industrial development. Sustainable development of industries creates more opportunities for social and economic growth. Sinceappropriate site selection for industrial parksharmonize the goals of economic development with the goals of urban development, economic enterprises and environmental objectives, it is considered to be a step toward sustainable development. Achieving such a goal requires a revision of the site selection criteria in accordance with the sustainable development indicators. This increases national and local employment rate and accelerates industrial growth without damaging the environment. .

21st century is the era of cities’vulnerability, since as urban life becomes more complex, cities face natural hazards and technological crises on the one hand and social-security crises on the other.Urban safety and security have long been a focus of urban planning, and planners have always been concerned about this important issue in the process of building and designing urban areas.Improving the security of critical infrastructures can play a key role in provision of better services and reduction of vulnerabilities, especially in times of crisis,Moreover, reducing the vulnerability of urban land uses by new crisis management approaches such as passive defense, which is one of the most important goals of urban managers can play a role in creation of a safe environment in cities and mitigationof damages.  

The present research is theoretical-practical and descriptive-analytic in nature. For data analysis, the final weights of indices were determined using FAHP-GIS and then the neighborhood of each layer was identifiedusing the Distance tool. Afterwards, maps of the interval zoneswere overlapped usingFuzzy Overlay(gamma-0.9)of the Spatial Analyst Tools.  

The findings of the present study on spatial analysis of critical infrastructure have indicated that: (A)The 2nd district of Yasujfaces the highest risk level, while the 3rd district faces the lowest level of risks. High concentration of critical infrastructures in the 2nd district and improper distribution of these infrastructures and organizations providing emergency servicesare the most important causes of risks in the city of Yasuj. B) None of the studied critical infrastructures and organizations providing emergency services in Yasuj are located in the very low risk zone. C) Only about 31% of the studied critical land uses are located in the low Risk zone. D) Spatial analysis of critical infrastructures in Yasuj has shown the lack of a logical balance in spatial distribution of these infrastructures. Therefore, ifa possible emergency situation damages a part of the city (the 2nd district as considered in the present study), the activities of many sectors will be challengeddue to the synergy and interoperability of the infrastructure.  

The results show that 11 land uses or 45.83% of infrastructures with percent value of 0.19-0.1 are located in the high risk zone; 6 land uses or 25% of infrastructures with percent value of 0.20-0.39 are located in the relatively dangerous zone; 5 land uses or 20.83% of infrastructures with percent value of 0.40-0.59 are located in the medium risk zone, and finally, 2 land uses or 8.33% of the infrastructures with percent value of 0.60-0.79 are located in the low risk zone. None of the land uses in Yasuj are located inthe very low risk zone.

Walking is one of the most basic methods of transportation in cities. Before the Industrial Revolution, pattern of movements within cities was based on a human scale. But with the onset of Industrial Revolution and the subsequent dominance of modernist thought, the role and importance of pedestrian zones diminished. Due to the unsatisfactory situation of modern urban planning and its failure, the increased importance given to human development and environmental issues resulted in the introduction of New Urbanism approach. New Urbanism is a response to modernism and the negative effects of suburban expansionin Europe and North America after World War II. In recent years, there have been widespread reactions against the use of motorized vehiclesseeking to revive the issue of increasing walkabilityof cities. With a population of 3057679,Mashhad annually receives 30 million pilgrims and tourists due to the presence of holy shrine of Imam Reza (Peace be Upon Him), which sometimes makes the movement of pedestrians especially around the holy Razavishrine difficult. Furthermore, the holy Razavishrine is located in ​​the central part of the city (Central Business District-CBD) surrounded by a worn-out urban texture and a network of organic passages and thus needs paths with walkability capability. Therefore, the present study intends to identify walkable and human-centered routesin Mashhad using the New Urbanism approach.

The present study takes advantage of a descriptive-analytic survey methodology. 32 quantitative and qualitative pedestrian related indices are investigated and 400 questionnairesaredistributedin Mashhad. ArcGIS software is used to analyze the collected data. The study area is Mashhad with an area of around 35187 hectares, a population of 3057679, and a population density of 87 per hectare.    

Investigating respondents’ age group indicates that 5% of respondents are in the 15-24 year age group, 17% in the age group of 25-34 years, 9% in the age group of 35-44 years, 15.75% in the age group of 45-54 years, 22% in the age group of 55-64 years and 31.25% in the age group of 65 years and more. 32% of the respondents are men and 68% are women.Surveys show that pedestrians in the western half of Mashhad are more energetic. Public participation is higher in informal settlements of Mashhad. Police records show that crime rates are higher in the suburbs of Mashhad. Regarding hiking culture, the findings show that districts number 1, 8, 9 and 11 ranked highest in the studied indices. The patterns and spatial trends of activities and population attraction centers establishmentin Mashhad show that due to the presence of holy Razavi shrine, most of these activities are located in the central part of the city (CBD), which has the highest potential to attract the population. In fact, the CBD and western areas of Mashhad have the highest economic potential to attract popular activities in Mashhad and thus, the highest number of air pollution sources. The central part of the city (CBD) and west of Mashhad have the highest sources of air pollution. Moreover, the central part of the city (CBD) and the western parts of Mashhad show the highest degree of interconnection in their urban pathways and thus, are more capable of facilitating movement within the city. Per capita green space of Mashhad is 14.26 m2.District number 7 with an area of 2736894 m2 (22.4%) have the mostand Samendistrict with an area of 44736 m2 (0.36%) have the least green space.

Based on 10 principles of New Urbanism, 32 quantitative and qualitative pedestrian related indices were extracted, identifying the paths that canbe used as routesfor pedestrians. For this purpose, 400 questionnaires were distributedin districts of Mashhad. Quantitative and qualitative data were then converted to location-based data and used for spatial analysis (SDA). Finally, combining location-based data, pedestrian routes were identified in Mashhad. Results indicate that based on the New Urbanism indices,district number 8 and Thamenare the first priority, district number11 is the second priority and district number2 is the third priority for pedestrian routes. Kohsangi, Imam Reza (AS) and Moallem-Imamatstreets were also identified as the best pedestrian routes in Mashhad.