Preipheral Urban Spaces Development

Preipheral Urban Spaces Development

Infrastructure and rural development in Urban Peripheral Saqqez

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Davood Jamini
Assistant Professor, Department of Geomorphology, Faculty of Natural Resources, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran (Part-time Researcher at Kurdistan Studies Institute, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran)
10.22034/jpusd.2025.555138.1379
Abstract
Introduction
Due to the key position and role of infrastructure in the process of achieving sustainable rural development, one of the most important measures is the development of the infrastructure they need in various fields of education, health, transportation, communications, etc., which is a priority in the planning of most governments. Infrastructure in rural areas, such as roads, hospitals, educational institutions, irrigation canals, water supply, electricity and telecommunications, helps to facilitate growth and meet basic needs and useful activities in the rural area and directly and indirectly affects economic growth. The most obvious direct connection is through the effect on productivity in the agricultural, industrial and service sectors. For this reason, investing in infrastructure is one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the World Bank has helped developing countries to build public infrastructure in order to promote inclusive growth, create jobs and stimulate sustainable development of infrastructure. In general, infrastructure forms the basis of people's livelihoods and without infrastructure, full life in rural areas is impossible. The lack of infrastructure makes rural areas a hopeless place to live and work.
The rural population of Saqqez County, following the provincial and national trends, has faced a decline in rural population in recent decades. The rural population of this county has decreased from 73,391 people in 2006 to 58,092 people in 2016, and given the lack of a census in recent years, this decline is likely to have continued. In this context, the decline in rural population is a serious crisis that is evident at all spatial levels (local, regional, national, and international). Therefore, identifying the factors affecting the population of rural settlements is of great importance, and identifying them can provide a suitable cognitive basis for policymakers and rural development planners. Therefore, considering the importance of infrastructure in the rural development process and the decline in population at different spatial levels, examining the effect of infrastructure on rural population is the main issue of the present study, which was conducted as a case study among 29 peri-urban villages of Saqqez City.
 
Methodology
Based on the presented classifications of research methods in the field of humanities, the present study is in the applied research group in terms of purpose, and in terms of nature and method, a combination of correlational and causal methods has been used in it. In order to achieve the main objective of the research, a combination of documentary and field methods has been used for collection. In general, the research process has been carried out through various and continuous stages, which are described below.
Stage 1) Review of literature related to the subject under study
Stage 2) Collecting the required data
Stage 3) Investigating the correlation between the population of peri-urban villages and rural infrastructure
Stage 4) Identifying the most important determinants of the population of peri-urban villages
Stage 5) Identifying and prioritizing operational solutions to strengthen the key determinants of the population of peri-urban villages.
 
Results and discussion
The results of the final regression model fitted to the most important determinants of rural population showed that the model was able to explain 73.3% of the variance of the dependent variable of the study. The results also showed that the most important factors affecting the population of peri-urban villages based on the standardized regression effect coefficients (Beta) are: telecommunications and communications (0.496), education (0.347), and culture and sports (0.274). The results of identifying and prioritizing operational solutions to strengthen the key determinants of the population of peri-urban villages showed that equipping and strengthening rural public transportation (through launching a rural bus fleet to the city of Saqqez on a continuous and planned basis) was the most important solution according to researchers and experts in rural and urban development.
 
Conclusion
Based on the overall results obtained and in line with the sustainability of the population of peri-urban villages, it seems necessary to pay attention to rural infrastructure, and among them, infrastructure related to telecommunications, education, and culture and sports can largely guarantee the sustainability of the population in these geographical spaces. To develop and strengthen these infrastructures, there are three main solutions:
1. Equipping and strengthening rural public transportation (through launching a rural bus fleet to Saqqez city on a continuous and planned basis)
2. Paying attention to the level and per capita public resources, especially in the fields of education, health, culture, sports, etc., when preparing, reviewing, and implementing rural guide plans
3. Building multi-purpose sports fields and halls for the joint use of residents of several villages and even generating income by renting them to government and private sector applicants in Saqqez city
 
Funding
According to the responsible author, this article has no financial support
 
Authors’ Contribution
The author carried out all stages of the research alone.
 
Conflict of Interest
Author declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
The author would like to express her deepest gratitude to all the urban and rural development experts and specialists for their cooperation in the research process.
Keywords
Sustainable rural development
rural population
rural infrastructure
peri-urban villages.

Subjects

رحیمی، حمزه. صادقی نیا، علیرضا. (1404). راهبردهای سازگاری فعال در کشاورزی برای مقابله با تغییرات محیطی (مطالعه موردی: شهرستان نجف‌آباد). پژوهش‌های محیطی در قلمروهای کوهستانی، 1(1)، 37-50. https://doi.org/10.22034/ermr.2024.63339
اسماعیل نژاد، مصطفی، جمشیدی، علیرضا. جوان، خدیجه. (1404). بررسی الگوهای توزیع فضایی سکونتگاه‌های روستایی واقع در قلمروهای کوهستانی (مطالعه موردی: شهرستان مهاباد). پژوهش‌های محیطی در قلمروهای کوهستانی، 1(1)، 36-25. https://doi.org/10.22034/ermr.2025.63310
بدخشان، زینب، مهرابی بشرآبادی، حسین. میرزایی خلیل‌آبادی، حمیدرضا. (1397). بررسی اثر توسعه زیرساخت‌ها بر توسعه روستایی ایران. اقتصاد کشاورزی، 12(4)، 14-1. https://doi.org/10.22034/iaes.2019.61772.1441
جمینی، داود. دهقانی، امین. (1402). شناسایی مهم‌ترین عوامل مؤثر بر جمعیت‌پذیری فضاهای پیراشهری سنندج (مطالعه موردی: نایسر). توسعه فضاهای پیراشهری، 5(2)، 160-1403. https://doi.org/10.22034/jpusd.2023.386277.1264
جوان، فرهاد و برزگر، صادق. (1403). تبیین پیشران‌های کلیدی مؤثر بر تحقق‌پذیری گردشگری جامعه‌محور در توسعه روستاهای پیراشهری کلانشهر رشت. توسعه فضاهای پیراشهری، 6(4)، 54-37. https://doi.org/10.22034/jpusd.2025.488032.1323
رحیمی، حمزه. صادقی نیا، علیرضا. (1404). راهبردهای سازگاری فعال در کشاورزی برای مقابله با تغییرات محیطی (مطالعه موردی: شهرستان نجف‌آباد). پژوهش‌های محیطی در قلمروهای کوهستانی، 1(1)، 50-37. https://doi.org/10.22034/ermr.2024.63339
صادقی، حجت‌الله، صیدایی، سید اسکندر. زندی، رحمان. (1403). ارزیابی خدمات توسعه گردشگری در روستاهای پیراشهری ایذه، توسعه فضاهای پیراشهری، 6(3)، 38-21. https://doi.org/10.22034/jpusd.2024.430719.1295
صادقی، حجت و جوان، فرهاد. (1404). آسیب‌پذیری روستاهای گردشگری ایران ازلحاظ مخاطره زمین‌لغزش با استفاده ازGIS . جغرافیا (نشریۀ انجمن جغرافیایی ایران)، 23(84)، 170-153. https://doi.org/10.22034/jiga.2025.2055364.1385
صفری علی‌اکبری، مسعود. صادقی، حجت‌الله. (1399). اثرات گردشگری درتحولات سکونتگاه‌های پیراشهری شهرستان ایذه. توسعه فضاهای پیراشهری، 2(2)، 128-111. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.26764164.1399.2.2.7.6
عطایی، سیاوش، افراخته، حسن و جوان، فرهاد (1400). سنجش پایداری عرصه های پیراشهری با تأکید بر نقش مدیریت روستایی مورد: بخش کهریزک. توسعه فضاهای پیراشهری، 3(2)، 66-47. https://dor.isc.ac/dor/20.1001.1.26764164.1400.3.2.2.8
Adepoju, A. A., & Salman, K. K. (2013). Increasing agricultural productivity through rural infrastructure: evidence from Oyo and Osun States, Nigeria. International Journal of Applied Agriculture and Apiculture Research, 9(1-2), 1-10. https://www.ajol.info/index.php/ijaaar/article/view/96923
Akifieva, L., Nechaeva, M., Polyakov, M., Sidorova, N., & Gruzdev, G. (2021). Factors of social infrastructure development in rural areas. In IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science (Vol. 857, No. 1, p. 012005). IOP Publishing. doi:10.1088/1755-1315/857/1/012005
Bryzhko, V. G., & Bryzhko, I. V. (2019). Comprehensive assessment of the impact of road infrastructure development in a rural municipal area (Russia). Revista Espacios, 40(37). https://www.revistaespacios.com/a19v40n37/19403719.html
Cañal-Fernándeza, V., & Álvarez, A. (2022). The role of infrastructures in rural depopulation. An econometric analysis. Economía agraria y recursos naturales, 22(2), 31-52. https://doi.org/10.7201/earn.2022.02.02
Charlery, L. C., Qaim, M., & Smith-Hall, C. (2016). Impact of infrastructure on rural household income and inequality in Nepal. Journal of Development Effectiveness, 8(2), 266-286. https://doi.org/10.1080/19439342.2015.1079794
Cook, P. (2011). Infrastructure, rural electrification and development. Energy for sustainable development, 15(3), 304-313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2011.07.008.
Ezeudu, T. S., & Fadeyi, T. J. (2024). Examining the influence of infrastructure deficit on economic activities, education, and healthcare in rural areas of Nigeria. Nnamdi Azikiwe Journal of Political Science, 9(1), 155-176.
Ghaderzadah, H., Dehghani, A., & Jamini, D. (2023). Rural Elites; the Causes of Migration and Attracting their Participation in the Process of Rural Development with Thematic Analysis Approach (Case Study: Kurdistan Province). Journal of Research and Rural Planning, 12(4), 79-98. https://doi.org/10.22067/jrrp.v12i4.2309-1087
González-González, E., & Nogués, S. (2019). Long-term differential effects of transport infrastructure investment in rural areas. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, 125, 234-247.
Goswami, K., & Chatterjee, B. (2009). Impact of infrastructure and technology on agricultural productivity in Uttar Pradesh. Agricultural Economics Research Review, 22(1), 61-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.57381
Hussain, S., Maqbool, R., Hussain, A., & Ashfaq, S. (2022). Assessing the Socio-Economic Impacts of Rural Infrastructure Projects on Community Development. Buildings, 12(7), 947. https://doi.org/10.3390/buildings12070947
Jain, S. (2024). Evaluating the Impact of Transportation Infrastructure on Rural Housing Development in India. International Journal of Housing and Human Settlement Planning, 10(2), 54-61. https://journalspub.com/publication/ijhhsp/article=13672
Jamini, D., Komasi, H., Yazdi, A. K., Hanne, T., & Coluccio, G. (2025). Scenario Planning for Food Tourism in Iran’s Rural Areas: Ranking Strategies Using Picture Fuzzy AHP and COPRAS. Sustainability, 17(21), 9524. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219524
Kaur, K., Kaur, M., & Thakur, B. (2023). Rural Infrastructure and Its Impact on Agricultural Growth in India: An Empirical Analysis. Plant Archives (09725210), 23(2): 509-518. https://doi.org/10.51470/PLANTARCHIVES.2023.v23.no2.080
Ko, G., Routray, J. K., & Ahmad, M. M. (2019). ICT infrastructure for rural community sustainability. Community development, 50(1), 51-72. https://doi.org/10.1080/15575330.2018.1557720
Li, J., Ma, L., Tao, T., Zhu, Z., & Li, S. (2025). Does rural infrastructure resilience affect population loss? Empirical research based on spatial measurements. Kybernetes, 54(5), 3083-3107. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-08-2023-1590
Lu, H., Zhao, P., Hu, H., Yan, J., & Chen, X. (2023). Exploring the heterogeneous impact of road infrastructure on rural residents’ income: Evidence from nationwide panel data in China. Transport policy, 134, 155-166. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2023.02.019
Manjunath, S., & Kannan, E. (2017). Effects of rural infrastructure on agricultural development: a district level analysis in Karnataka, India. Journal of Infrastructure Development, 9(2), 113-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0974930617732258
Omotoso, A. B., Daud, S. A., Okojie, L., & Omotayo, A. O. (2022). Rural infrastructure and production efficiency of food crop farmers: Implication for rural development in Nigeria. African journal of science, technology, innovation and development, 14(1), 197-203. https://doi.org/10.1080/20421338.2020.1821441
Rahman, S. (2014). Impact of rural infrastructure on farm and non-farm enterprise choice and income in Bangladesh. Journal of Developing Areas, 48(1), pp. 275-290. Tennessee State University College of Business: Available at: https://doi.org/10.1353/jda.2014.0006
Satish, P. (2007). Rural infrastructure and growth: an overview. Indian Journal of Agricultural Economics, 62(1). 32-51. http://dx.doi.org/10.22004/ag.econ.204501
Wang, L., Zhang, F., Wang, Z. and Tan, Q. (2022), The impact of rural infrastructural investment on farmers' income growth in China, China Agricultural Economic Review, Vol. 14 No. 1, pp. 202-219. https://doi.org/10.1108/CAER-09-2020-0211
Yuan, S., & Wang, X. (2024). Increase or Reduce: How Does Rural Infrastructure Investment Affect Villagers’ Income?. Agriculture, 14(12), 1-21. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122296
Zhang, Y., Long, H., Ma, L., Tu, S., Li, Y., & Ge, D. (2022). Analysis of rural economic restructuring driven by e-commerce based on the space of flows: The case of Xiaying village in central China. Journal of Rural Studies, 93, 196–209. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.12.001
Preipheral Urban Spaces Development
Volume 7, Issue 4 - Serial Number 18
Winter
Autumn 2025
Pages 191-214