Identification and analysis of factors affecting the sustainable development of housing in rural areas (a case study of the central part of Karaj city)

Master's Thesis in Geography and Rural Planning

Rural development originates from various factors, one of which is good housing. A suitable housing is actually a stable housing that has the characteristics of suitable comfort, suitable space, suitable health factors, suitable location, and accessibility in terms of work. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to identify and analyze the factors affecting the sustainable development of housing in rural areas, which was conducted as a case study in the villages of the central part of Karaj. The research method is descriptive-analytical and survey. To collect data, two library-documentary methods and field methods such as observation and questionnaire have been used. The statistical population of this research is all the rural households in the central part of Karaj, which has 10316 people. The sample size was determined by using Cochran's formula to be 220 people. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to determine the validity of the research variables, and its value is equal to 77. was obtained SPSS statistical software, T-test and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the data. The results of the data analysis using one-way variance analysis showed that in the component of physical stability, the indicators of "compliance with the principles of retrofitting in the construction of a residential unit" value of the F statistic is equal to 16/549 and "the extent of compliance with the geographical conditions of the region in the construction of a residential unit" is equal to 12/549, and also the index of "the degree of resistance of rural housing against natural disasters" is equal to 12/465 in the social stability component of the indicators of "Accessibility" To cultural and religious centers, the value of the F statistic is equal to 13/313, "satisfaction with the sewage system of the residential unit" is equal to 16/460, and "the effect of immigration on unprincipled constructions" is equal to 12/362. Also, in the component of economic stability, in the indicators of "the price of each square meter of land", the value of the F statistic is equal to 10.527, "the amount of rent in the village" is equal to 12.046, and "rural houses with a private owner" is equal to 5.985. Also, the results show that the physical, social and economic sustainability of housing is different between the studied villages, and in most of the cases, the sustainability achieved was average or below average.

Key words: village, rural housing, sustainable housing development, central part of Karaj city. . These phenomena, whether they exist in a natural form or have arisen and formed as a result of the human relationship with the environment, due to occupying space and being placed in the context of the environment, they are automatically included in the scope of geographical studies. Human settlements have been spatial and spatial phenomena, and for this reason, knowing and explaining and understanding the laws governing its formation, transformation and evolution in the framework of mutual relations between humans and the environment is a geographical issue and is at the center of geographical studies. Also, the settlements are the crystallization and spatial reflection of the human role, which have been formed and transformed according to the environmental, economic, social and cultural, political and historical conditions. Considering the importance of villages and the determining role they play in economic, social and national security development, providing suitable housing in them and solving the problems in this field, especially providing strength to eliminate their vulnerability, is one of the issues that is of particular importance. Therefore, taking care of the village body and improving the rural environmental space is a small part of the set of practical measures in the field of rural development.                                                

Thus, paying attention to rural biocomplexes, where housing and its sustainable indicators are considered as one of the most important elements of sustainable rural development, is of special importance, and housing has a special place among the various components of rural sustainability.   

1-1. Explanation of the research problem and its importance

Housing is the smallest and smallest form of physical embodiment of the mutual relationship between man and the environment and the most private space of human life (Ziyari et al., 2009: 2).Rural housing is one of the most important parts of rural settlements, which is formed from the relationship with the social, economic, ecological functions and life patterns of villagers, and changes over time according to the evolution of the economic and social system, and the effects of this evolution can be seen in the size, layout, and materials used in rural housing (Chaperli, 1387: 18). Housing is the basic human need and the most important commodity, the provision of which occupies a significant share of the public's income (Ahmadi, 2017: 23). Housing in the village context is a part of the overall identity of the village and plays a multi-functional role. In addition to the role of residence, housing is considered as a part of the employment and production space, which originates from the role of residence and lifestyle and the quality of use of the environment and the prevailing economy in the village, as well as hidden and overt rural traditions and norms (Ruh al-Amini, 1370). In addition to its role as a shelter, the main function of housing is to provide favorable conditions for the family in order to realize family activities. One of the positive consequences of this is the stability and solidarity of the family (Hedaytnejad, 1375:563). In addition to providing one of the necessities of life, namely shelter, housing is also considered as a savings, therefore, housing is a capital good and a social value that stabilizes society and reduces social damages (Dix, 1985:1-10). Housing is a symbol of the interaction and relationship of man with the natural environment around him, which has been formed over many years according to the time-space conditions in each region and in a way shows the type of activities in economic dimensions, the socio-cultural attitude of the villagers, the way of development and use of technology, and finally the income and livelihood level of its residents (Shams al-Dini, 1387: 44). Economic factors, architectural style, local language of the region, cognitive stylistic trends, weather, geography and local customs and traditions affect the development and design of housing in different places (Sendich, 2006:185). Today, the demand for suitable housing is increasing because housing and its environmental conditions are the most effective components of a person's satisfaction with their residential neighborhood (Westaway, 2006: 187). A suitable housing is actually a stable housing that has the characteristics of suitable comfort, suitable space, suitable sanitary factors, suitable location, and accessibility in terms of work (Rostai et al., 1391: 151).                                                                                          

Sustainable housing plays an important role in family stability, economic and social growth, and increasing the safety factor of people, especially the cultural promotion and mental peace of family members, and it also affects the entire system (Asayesh, 1375: 67). One of the important ways to know the status of sustainable housing is to use housing sustainability indicators. These indicators indicate the quantitative and qualitative condition of rural housing on the one hand and the improvement of housing planning on the other hand for a long-term horizon (Latfi, 1388: 1). In fact, the indicators are considered as a means of measuring and assessing the housing stability and its transformation process, as well as the degree of success and realization of housing policies. For this reason, in addition to assessing the situation, they are also used in the formulation of quantitative goals of programs. (Hikmatnia, 1385: 116). So far, there has not been a coordinated and integrated study on determining the level of stability of sustainable rural housing indicators, and also in the programs, the same version is prescribed for villages and rural houses, while rural areas and houses are different from each other in terms of geographical conditions and vulnerability, so the country's planning system needs a structure to measure and evaluate sustainable rural housing so that, in addition to specifying the appropriate indicators for each geographical region, the extent of their realization in the programs can be evaluated. The country has emerged, dealing with the category of sustainable rural housing is of particular importance, to achieve practical results from various aspects such as economy, culture, architecture, structure and so on. The sustainability of rural housing should be paid attention to. In this regard, the design and compilation of sustainable indicators of rural housing in sync with the changes and developments in the field of rural settlements is considered a definite and necessary thing so that the process of designing a model of sustainable development with emphasis on rural housing is compatible with other indicators of rural development.

However, the important issue is that the indicators explaining the sustainability of rural housing are different in each geographical location and have their own characteristics. In the meantime, it is necessary to use the appropriate tools while identifying these indicators that explain the spatial-spatial differences and their importance should be known and tested within the boundaries of certain rural areas with geographical differences.