https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/ Geography and Urban Research en daily 1 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0330 Fri, 20 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0330 https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_733016.html The rapid growth of urban populations has placed increasing pressure on the built environment, resulting in a reduction of outdoor spaces and a decline in environmental quality. These challenges have intensified the need for outdoor thermal comfort studies to better address the consequences of urbanization and climate change. Objectives: This study aims to critically review the recent literature (from the last four years) on outdoor thermal comfort in urban environments. It examines both micro-scale (qualitative) and macro-scale (quantitative) approaches, identifies key research gaps, and suggests future research directions, with emphasis on standardizing thermal indices and integrating psychological dimensions of comfort. A systematic review was conducted using major academic databases. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria through title, abstract, and full-text screening, 50 relevant peer-reviewed articles were selected. These were analyzed based on scope, methodologies, indices used, and geographical distribution. The review identified a lack of consensus on thermal comfort indices across climate zones, and limited integration of psychological and adaptive factors. Moreover, research efforts are unevenly distributed, with some regions receiving disproportionate attention while others remain understudied. There is a critical need for standardizing thermal comfort metrics and defining climate-specific neutral value ranges. Future research should adopt interdisciplinary approaches, combining environmental and psychological insights to improve understanding and design of thermally comfortable urban spaces. This review serves as a reference for academics, designers, and planners seeking to enhance thermal comfort in increasingly dense urban environments. The review underscores that standardized cooling strategies without contextual adaptation to local climate, urban morphology, and materials show limited efficacy, urging region-specific solutions. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_729977.html Urban sprawl in metropolitan cities is a phenomenon that has affected the surrounding rural areas. Therefore, studying the effects of this event is of great importance. In this article, the city of Kermanshah has been studied and the effects of urban sprawl in this city on three villages of Deh Pahan, Nokan and Cheshme Sefid have been studied.The research method was descriptive-analytic. The sample size was 60 individuals. The reliability of the research was confirmed through Cronbach's alpha and the validity of the research was also confirmed through a panel of rural and urban geography experts. The results of the research prove that in the environmental dimension, the effects of urban sprawl have been negative. However, in the economic, social and physical dimensions, there have been both positive and negative effects. The results also show that all four economic, social, physical and environmental dimensions of urban sprawl have a significant relationship with each other at the 0.05 level, which indicates the influence of these dimensions on each other and urban sprawl in general. In the physical dimension, urbanization leads to the reconstruction of old housing, but in return it has led to the change in agricultural land use. In the agricultural dimension, it has led to the development of small industries, but in return local products have decreased. In the social dimension, it has caused conflicts and increased migration, but has increased the level of education. In the environmental dimension, it has only led to an increase in pollution. Finally, there is a significant relationship between economic, social, environmental and physical dimensions with urban sprawl. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_735045.html With the emergence of multiple social, cultural, economic, physical, and environmental crises in cities across the world during the second half of the twentieth century the desirability of urban space, particularly in developing countries, has declined. Accordingly, in recent years this issue has become one of the most fundamental topics within the fields of human and environmental studies. The evaluation of urban space quality is undertaken not only on the basis of the objective environment but also according to individuals’ perceptions of the environment to which they belong. In this regard, the present study aims to assess the desirability of the urban space of Sarab. The research is applied in nature and employs a descriptive–analytical method. Data were collected through a survey using a questionnaire. Sarab has a population of approximately 45,031 people, and based on Cochran’s formula, 380 questionnaires were randomly distributed among citizens over 15 years of age. The research components include environmental (13 items), accessibility and comfort (14 items), aesthetics and identity representation (13 items), and security (10 items). SPSS software was used for data analysis, employing statistical tests including the one-sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, stepwise regression, and Tukey’s test. The findings reveal that the status of Sarab across all examined components—environmental (2.90), accessibility and comfort (2.49), aesthetics and identity representation (2.62), and security (2.94)—was below the average threshold, namely the value of 3. Regarding the research components, the results indicate that the security component, with a beta value of 0.179, carries relatively greater importance in shaping the desirability of urban spaces in Sarab, whereas the aesthetics and identity representation component, with a beta value of 0.060, holds the least significance. Overall, the urban space of Sarab does not exhibit a desirable condition in terms of desirability. Therefore, urban managers and planners in Sarab must, through proper and efficient management, take measures to enhance the desirability of urban space and thereby ensure the welfare, comfort, and security of citizens. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_735132.html This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the status of urban tourism and environmental sustainability in the cities of Sharqat and Tikrit. The research adopts a descriptive–analytical approach, and the data were collected through a five-point Likert-scale questionnaire distributed among 220 residents (111 from Tikrit and 109 from Sharqat). Data analysis was performed using the independent samples t-test and Levene’s test. The examined indicators include the economic dimensions of tourism (tourism-generated income and the number of incoming tourists), social dimensions (residents’ satisfaction), the quality of tourism services and infrastructure, as well as environmental indicators such as air quality, drinking water quality, waste management, noise pollution control, and the protection of natural resources. The results indicate that Tikrit outperformed Sharqat across all examined indicators. In the economic dimension, the mean tourism income in Tikrit was 3.92 compared to 2.75 in Sharqat, while the number of visiting tourists recorded means of 3.64 and 2.77, respectively. Residents’ satisfaction with tourism development was higher in Tikrit (3.52) than in Sharqat (2.73). Similarly, the quality of tourism services (3.66 vs. 2.61) and tourism infrastructure (3.62 vs. 2.67) showed superior performance in Tikrit. Regarding environmental indicators, Tikrit demonstrated a significant advantage: air quality (3.70 vs. 2.68), drinking water quality (3.58 vs. 2.68), waste management (3.62 vs. 2.60), noise pollution control (3.60 vs. 2.72), and protection of natural resources (3.62 vs. 2.66). All observed differences were statistically significant at the 0.000 level. The findings suggest that Tikrit represents a successful model of sustainable tourism development, achieving a desirable balance between economic growth and environmental protection. The city exhibits greater potential for sustainable urban tourism development and provides more favorable conditions for attracting tourists while preserving environmental quality. In contrast, Sharqat requires a reassessment of its policies and the adoption of integrated planning strategies to improve its current situation. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_734598.html Sustainable urban development has, over recent decades, emerged as one of the most fundamental and pressing concerns of urban planning, policy-making, and management systems at local, national, and global scales. As complex socio-spatial systems, cities serve as primary centers of population concentration, economic activity, and social interaction, and therefore play a critical role in advancing the objectives of sustainable development. However, evidence drawn from global experiences indicates that insufficient attention to ethical foundations and human values within urban governance processes has resulted in policy inefficiency, the intensification of spatial and social inequalities, weakened urban justice, and a gradual decline in social capital and public trust.This study adopts an analytical–explanatory approach to examine the role and significance of ethics-oriented governance in achieving and reinforcing sustainable urban development. It seeks to analyze the position and function of key human values, including justice, accountability, transparency, human dignity, and citizen participation, within the frameworks of urban management and regional planning. In this context, particular emphasis is placed on the interconnections between ethical principles, governance structures, and urban decision-making processes as essential prerequisites for the realization of comprehensive urban sustainability. The research methodology is descriptive–analytical, and data were collected through documentary research, systematic analysis of relevant theoretical literature, and a review of credible domestic and international studies. The findings reveal that ethics-oriented governance, as both a normative and functional framework, contributes to enhancing public trust, strengthening the accountability and responsiveness of urban institutions, and aligning managerial decisions with collective interests and public welfare. Furthermore, the integration of ethical components into regional planning systems not only leads to improvements in urban quality of life but also enhances the capacity of cities to build resilience and effectively respond to complex and multidimensional contemporary challenges. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_729969.html The city entrance is one of the most attractive urban elements and plays a major role in shaping a city’s image and memory. The first mental impression of a city, which strongly influences perceptions of its environmental quality, is often formed through its entrance points. However, the current condition of most city entrances fails to convey a proper image and instead reflects spatial and functional disorder. Improving these axes is therefore essential for enhancing environmental quality and promoting tourism. The Khoy–Qatur entrance axis also suffers from significant identity, spatial, physical, functional, and environmental issues, lacking the clarity needed to express the city’s character. This study aims to eliminate visual, physical, and cultural anomalies and improve the quality of the urban environment at the city’s entrances. A descriptive–analytical method was used to collect documents and analyze relationships among field variables. Survey and questionnaire data were employed to examine the impact of cultural elements, while the SWOT model evaluated the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats affecting the organization of the Khoy–Qatur entrance. The findings indicate that, by following appropriate design principles, city entrance axes can become distinctive gateways that effectively represent urban identity. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_729975.html The study of land use is of great importance, particularly in Shahriar City. This research employed a descriptive–analytical and quantitative survey method using questionnaire tools. The sample size, determined by Cochran’s formula, included 355 participants, and systematic random sampling was applied. Factors such as age, proximity to the city, land area, and uneconomical agricultural practices have contributed to changes in land use. Data were collected through library and field methods and supplemented with a self-designed questionnaire using a Likert scale. Analysis was conducted using SPSS and GIS software. Reliability coefficients were reported as follows: social and cultural (0.71), human (0.77), geological and environmental (0.74), and economic (0.71). Expert opinions were also used to assess validity. The results indicate that Shahriar County, due to its proximity to Tehran, population growth, housing demand, market fluctuations, and the role of land brokers, has experienced extensive construction and agricultural land conversion. Improper soil management, including unsuitable plowing and overexploitation, has reduced soil fertility and productivity. Land use change represents a significant threat to the future of agriculture, which, if unmanaged, could lead to serious problems. Factor analysis revealed that production costs and low agricultural profitability, cultivation challenges, competing agricultural incomes, natural constraints, urban–rural inequalities, land slope, indigenous knowledge, distance to the city, population growth, and profiteering along the corridor are the key factors influencing land use change in the region. https://gur.maragheh.ac.ir/article_729976.html In recent years, climate change and environmental crises have emerged as major challenges for rural communities. The border villages of Hirmand, with their specific geographical and social characteristics, face issues such as water scarcity, poverty, and economic instability. Resilience emphasizes the capacity of human societies to cope with disasters. Currently, governments are increasingly adopting a combination of structural and non-structural strategies to enhance settlement resilience, aiming to reduce vulnerability and strengthen the ability of citizens and villagers to manage risks from natural disasters. These challenges affect not only the quality of life of residents but also the long-term resilience of these communities. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate household resilience in the border villages of Hirmand County. The research employed a descriptive–analytical approach, using library, documentary, and survey methods. The statistical population consisted of heads of households in 23 sample villages, with a sample size of 357 randomly selected individuals based on Cochran’s formula. Data were analyzed using SPSS, ArcGIS, and Expert Choice software, applying the MULTIMOORA model, as well as the Mann–Whitney and Friedman tests. The results indicate significant differences in resilience levels among the studied villages. Gamshad, Qarqari, and Piran exhibited the highest resilience, while Mirja'afarkhan, Sanjrani, and Dehmardeh Siadak showed the lowest levels. Mann–Whitney U test results confirmed that these differences are statistically significant.