Geographical analysis of rural quality of life with emphasis on physical indicators (Case study: the villages of Anzali city)

Authors

1 PhD Student in Geography and Rural Planning, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

3 Professor, Department of Geography, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

4 Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Rasht Branch, Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran

Abstract

The concept of quality of life, which has been considered by researchers and thinkers in some scientific fields in recent decades, has different dimensions and represents the level of enjoyment and benefit from the material tools of individual and social well-being and also people's abilities in the scientific and social fields. Nowadays, quality of life as a key element in policy making and public policy review is discussed. The aim of this study is to analyze the quality of life in the villages of Anzali city with emphasis on physical indicators. In order to analyze the issue have been used the general population and housing census data of 2016 as well as field studies in the form of interviews, observations and completion of the questionnaire. Anzali city has 25 villages. The physical quality of all villages was examined using eight indicators and using the TOPSIS model, and the villages were ranked based on the continuous output of Tapsis and were classified into three levels. The relationship between the quality of life of the villages and the three variables of distance from the city center, distance from Anzali free trade-economic zone and the population of each village was calculated by Pearson correlation test. The relationship between the physical quality rank of the villages with the above three variables was 0.63, 0.62 and 0.74, respectively. The results indicated that in all three cases, the relationship between the variables and the physical quality of the villages is quite clear and demonstrates the inverse and intermediate upward relationship of the physical quality of the villages with two variables distance from the city center and free trade-economic zone. There is also a strong direct relationship between population size and physical quality of villages.

Keywords


 Andrews, F.M. & Withey, S.B. (2012). Social indicators of well- being: american’s perceptions of life quality. Springer Science & Business Media.
 Hammer, J. &  Spears, D. (2016). Village sanitation and child health: effects and external validity in a randomized field experiment in rural india. Journal of health economics, 48, pp:135-148.
 Higgins, P. &  Josep, M.C. (2011). Quality of life in english city locations. Journal Homepage Cities, 28, pp: 290-299.
Ali Akbari, I. & Amini, M. (2011). Quality of urban life in Iran, Social Welfare Scientific Research Quarterly, 10(36).
Anabestani, A. A. Mahmoudi, H. & Sarghaghi Torqabeh, T. (2017). Investigating the effect of rural quality of life on improving the quality of rural housing (Case study: Shandiz section, Binalood city). Journal of Spatial Planning (Geography), 6(1), pp: 1-20.
Anbari, M. (2010). Investigation of changes in quality of life in Iran (1986 to 2006). Rural Development, 1(2), pp: 149-181.
Bustani, D.  Ebtekari, M. H. & Mohammadpour, A. (2013). "Evaluation of quality of life indicators in rural areas of the country". Quarterly Journal of Social and Cultural Strategy, 1(4): 167-195.
Charejoo, F. & Ahmadi, A. (2020): Evaluation of quality of life indicators in suburbs of Sanandaj, Journal of Human Settlement Planning Studies, 15 (51). 169-184. [Persian]
Farahani, H. Bahmani, A & Jabali, F. (2016): The process of converting rural settlements to cities and its effects on the quality of life of citizens (Case Study: bolbolan abad town, dehgolan county), Journal of Regional Planning, 6 (22) , 191-202
Ghadami, M. Aligholizadeh Firoozjaei, N. & Ramezanzadeh Lesboei, M. (2010). A Study of the Role of Tourism in Changing the quality of Life at Destination. Social Studies of Iran, 4(3), pp: 152-183.
Ghadermarzi, H. Jamini, D. & Jamshidi. A (2016): Spatial distribution of quality of life in rural settlements of Ravansar county, 93-108
Ghaffari, G. & Omidi, R. (2011). Quality of life of social development index. Shirazeh Publishing, Tehran.
Heidary, M. & Hazrati, M. (2020): Spatial analysis of physical structure of sustainable rural housing (case study in Zanjan county), 95-110
Hosseini, S. H. &  Bagherian, K. (2014). "An Analysis of the Constructive Components of Quality of Life in Nowshahr". Quarterly Journal of Environmental Management, 27.
Kalantari, K. (2006). Data Processing and Analysis in Socio-Economic Research. Sharif Publications, Tehran
Kanaani, M.R. & Babazadeh, Z. (2011). Development Analysis Based on Ecological Capabilities with Topsis Model (Case Study: Amol County, Mazandaran Province). Scientific Research Quarterly of Iranian Natural Ecosystems, 1(4).
Kashwan, P. (2017). inequality, democracy and the environment: A cross-national analysis. Ecological Economics, 131, pp:139-151.
Lee, Y, J. (2008). Dubjective quality of life measurement in taipei. Building and Environment, 43, pp:1205-1215.
Maleki, S. (2011). A Study of the Status of Social Indicators in the Rural Areas of Ahvaz County. Housing and Rural Environment, 129, pp: 32-49.
Mohammadi, J. Zanganeh, M. & Abdoli, A. (2010). Assessment of quality of life indicators in terms of citizens of Mashhad. Quarterly Journal of Urban Management Studies, 2(3).
Morais ,P. & Camanho, A. (2011). Evaluation of performance of european cities with the aim to promote quality of life improvements, Omega,  39.
Mousavi, M. N. & Bagheri Kashkoli, A. (2012). Evaluation of spatial distribution of quality of life in Sardasht city. Journal of Urban Research and Planning, 3(9), pp: 97-118.
Murgas, F. &  Klobucnik, M. (2016). Does the quality of a place affect well- being?, Ekologia (Bratidlava), 35(3), pp:224-239.
Namdar, M. Anabestani, A. Rahnama, M. & Akbarian Rouzini, S. (2019): The effect of the international immigrants’ remittance on the life quality of the southern residents of Fars province, 83-106
Nami, M. Pashapour, H. & Naghmeh, M. (2018): The role pf special economic zones in enhancing the quality of urban life (case study Salafchegan), 113-126
Naseri, Z. Sahneh, B. & Najafi Kani, A. (2019): An analysis of the function of weekly markets in the quality of rural life in Gonbad-e-Kavoos county, 105-123
Pasban, M. & Asghari Lafamjani, S. (2020):  Analysis of the limits to achieve the desirable quality of life in border villages in Sistan area, Journal of  egional Planning, 10 (37), 23-46
Pasban, M. & Asghari Lamfejani, S. (2020): Analysis of the limits to achieve the desirable quality of life in border villages in Sistan area, 33-46
Pourtaheri, M. (2010). Application of multi-characteristic decision making methods in geography, Samat Publications, Tehran.
Rezvani, M.R. Badri, S. A. Sepahvand, F. & Akbarian Ronizi, S.R. (2012). Tourism of second homes and its effects on improving the quality of life of rural residents (Case study: Rudbar Qasran section, Shemiranat city). Studies and Research Urban and Regional, 4(13), pp: 23-40.
Roknuddin Eftekhari, A. Fattahi, A. & Hajipour, M. (2010). Evaluation of Spatial Distribution of Quality of Life in Rural Areas (Case Study: Delfan Central District), Rural Research, 1(1), pp: 33-65.
Rozenberg, J.  Briceno-garmendia, C. M.  Lu, X, Bonzanigo , L. &    Moroz, H, E. (2017). improving the resilience of peru’s road network to climate events, 1(8013), pp:1-32.
Schmit, R. (2002). Considering social capital in quality of life assessment: concept and measurement. Social indicators Research, 58, pp: 403-428.
Schumacker, R.E. &  Lomax, R.G. (2011). Abeginners guideto structural equation modeling.  London, Lawrence Elbaum  Associates, 18, pp: 694-701.
Sepehr, A. Ekhtesasi, M.R & Al-Madrassi, S.A. (2012). Creating a system of expression indicators based on DPSIR (using fuzzy-TOPSIS method). Geography and Environmental Planning, 23(1), pp: 33-50 .
Sheikhi, M.T. (2015). Sociology of Quality of Life, Second Edition, Harir Publishing, Tehran.
Statistics Center of Iran, (2016). census results
Yazdani, M. (2016). Quality of Urban Life Definitions, Indicators, Structures Comparative Evaluation and Strategies. Second Edition, Tisa Publications, Tehran
Ziari, K. & Rakhsari, H. (2019). Investigation of factors affecting the location of hotels and its spatial reflection in the urban area. Quarterly Journal of Geography and Urban-Regional Planning, 9(32).
Zivelova.I  & Jansky, J. (2008). Analysis of life quality development in the administrative districts of south moravia, Agaric, Econ-Czech, 9, pp: 431-439.