The aim of this study was to propose an approach for assessing the social resilience of citizens, using a locative multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model for an exemplary case study of Sarpol-e Zahab city, Iran. To do so, a set of 10 variables and 28 criteria affecting social resilience were used and their weights were measured using the Analytical Hierarchy Process, which was then inserted into the Weighted Linear Combination (WLC) model for mapping social resilience across our case study. Finally, the accuracy of the generated social resilience map, the correlation coefficient between the results of the WLC model and the accuracy level of the social resilience map were assessed, based on in-situ data collection after conducting a survey. The outcomes revealed that more than 60% of the study area falls into the low social resilience category, categorized as the most vulnerable areas. The correlation coefficient between the WLC model and the social resilience level was 79%, which proves the acceptability of our approach for mapping social resilience of citizens across cities vulnerable to diverse risks. The proposed methodological approach, which focuses on chosen data and presented discussions, borne from this study can be beneficial to a wide range of stakeholders and decision makers in prioritizing resources and efforts to benefit more vulnerable areas and inhabitants.

Cancer is inherently associated with social stigma, where patients are not only affected by the physical suffering of the disease but also face social judgment. This study aims to explore how individuals with cancer perceive and understand the judgments and labels placed upon them socially. The research adopts a qualitative approach ...

The present study examines land use pattern changes from a food security perspective. In this study, Landsat series satellite images were classified using R software, applying two different classification methods: Neural network and random forest. These methods were applied to satellite images from five different years – 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. The findings indicate a growing trend in Garden City development, driven by the conversion of barren lands and pastures into gardens and arboretums. This transformation can have both potential positive and negative impacts on the region’s physical and environmental indicators. In addition, the expansion of urban and industrial spaces has been one of the primary causes of natural vegetation loss. Furthermore, an analysis of land cover changes from 2000 to 2020 using IDRISI TerrSet software revealed that a significant portion of barren land was converted into tree plantation. This shift is in line with the expansion of Garden City activities in the studied area, particularly in the past decade.

In recent decades, housing cooperatives have been promoted in Iran as one of the key instruments for housing provision and urban development management. However, in practice, these institutions—operating within weak and non-transparent governance structures—have facilitated the emergence of rent-seeking spaces and informal patterns of urban development. Focusing on the city of Zanjan, this study analyzes the role of housing cooperatives in producing rent-laden urban spaces and examines their impact on the city’s spatial development. The findings indicate that although the areas owned by housing cooperatives accommodate only 34 percent of the city’s population (204,171 people), they contain 49 percent of all residential units (89,424 units). This spatial imbalance has resulted in an illogical ratio of housing units to population (ranging from 0.79 to 2.63), an increase in vacant units, and consequently, intensified land and housing speculation. Moreover, the correlation coefficient of 0.578 between rent and spatial development demonstrates that the physical expansion of the city through cooperative-led projects has been substantially shaped by rent-seeking and informal relations embedded within the urban management system. This situation has not only diverted cooperatives from their equity-oriented objectives but has also exacerbated social and spatial inequalities in Zanjan. Therefore, revisiting the regulatory and structural policies governing housing cooperatives is essential to prevent the deepening of rent-driven dynamics in urban development.

Policy-making in tourism development planning requires the use of new methods in the field of urban governance. In accordance with this approach, it is necessary to apply policy focusing on the processes of "developing a good governance model for tourism in the post-corona era in Iran" in order to solve the ...