Document Type : Original Article
Subjects
Extended Abstract
1. Introduction
In the twentieth century, global and regional transformations unfolded in a manner that elevated the significance of economic and political factors, profoundly influencing societies and cities more than other variables. This phenomenon was particularly evident in the domains of urban development and the organization of urban spaces. Political economy, which examines the interplay between economics and politics, has played a pivotal role in shaping urban transformations. Economics ceased to be merely a branch of social sciences focused on the production, distribution, and consumption of resources; it became deeply intertwined with politics, power, and macro-level decision-making. National economic systems and overarching policies directly influenced the formation of cities and their spatial development. Globalization, the expansion of capitalism, the rise of new economic powers, and neoliberal policies are among the trends that have reshaped the spatial structure of cities.
Urban transformations were no longer driven solely by the physical and social needs of citizens but were significantly shaped by global and regional economic-political currents. The political economy of space explores how urban spaces are produced and distributed based on economic interests and macro-level policies. Key factors in this context include large-scale investments in urban infrastructure, privatization and neoliberalism, growing class disparities and spatial inequalities, and the dominance of capital in metropolitan areas. These factors have transformed cities from centers of social life into hubs for capital accumulation and global commercial activities, where the economic value of space often overshadows its social function.
In contemporary metropolises, the concept of the political economy of space has gained particular importance. Economic policies not only directly impact urban planning but also subtly influence the social and cultural fabric of cities. The concentration of capital in specific areas, the real estate market as a tool of economic power, and the rise in land and housing prices driven by speculative policies are among the manifestations of this phenomenon. The urban fringe, defined as a strategic zone surrounding cities, plays a critical role in controlling urban expansion and preserving natural resources. However, its management is often subject to macro-level economic and political decisions, which can lead to imbalanced development, environmental degradation, and heightened social inequalities.
A prominent consequence of these decisions is the rapid expansion of metropolitan areas, posing a significant challenge to urban fringe management. This growth frequently occurs without adequate planning, destroying agricultural lands and natural resources and uncoordinated urban development. The inability of urban infrastructure to keep pace with this rapid expansion exacerbates issues such as population density and inadequate urban services. Government urban planning and policies play a crucial role in either mitigating or intensifying these challenges. Economic decisions, land regulations, migration policies, and government support for specific groups can fundamentally alter urbanization patterns and metropolitan fringes. Without a focus on spatial justice and sustainable development, issues such as rent-seeking, speculation, injustice, and informal construction proliferate.
In developing countries, particularly in Iran, the oil-based political economy has driven unchecked metropolitan and fringe expansion through rent-seeking and land speculation. In such economies, oil revenues are often channeled into land and real estate investments rather than sustainable infrastructure, leading to increased housing prices, exacerbated inequalities in access to urban services, and altered spatial patterns. This trend is particularly pronounced in Ahvaz, a metropolis shaped by its oil-driven economy and strategic location. In Ahvaz, social, spatial, and economic disparities have fueled uncontrolled informal construction in the urban fringe, creating unsustainable spatial patterns. This situation largely stems from the political economy of the metropolitan fringe in Iran, which prioritizes land speculation and suffers from weak, uncoordinated policymaking, fostering challenges such as natural resource degradation and developmental inconsistencies.
2. Materials and Methods
The objective of this study is to examine and analyze the policies governing the urban fringe of Ahvaz, with a focus on the influence of the political economy of space on their formation and implementation. The central research question is to identify which policies, within the framework of the political economy of space, are effective in the Ahvaz metropolitan fringe. As an analytical approach, the political economy of space investigates the relationship between economic and political factors in shaping spatial and social structures, holding particular significance in urban studies, especially in metropolitan analysis. Ahvaz’s urban fringe, due to its strategic position and oil-driven economy, is influenced by spatial policies that often conflict or overlap with urban policies, transforming it into a space for land speculation, unplanned expansion, and disregard for regulations.
3. Results and Discussion
The study’s findings indicate that government policies and urban management significantly shape and regulate Ahvaz’s metropolitan fringe. Weak coordination among governmental and local institutions, particularly in terms of fragmented information and lack of data transparency, has intensified fringe management challenges. The development of the political economy of space and investment processes, especially in the oil and petrochemical industries, has placed additional pressure on fringe lands, exacerbating imbalanced development patterns. The unequal distribution of resources and services in Ahvaz’s metropolitan fringe has led to spatial inequalities and heightened social disparities. Informal construction, investments in oil and petrochemical industries, and the prioritization of housing provision in fringe areas are the most significant factors in the political economy of Ahvaz’s fringe.
4. Conclusions
The findings show that the dimensions of management and governance, with a factor load of 1.68, are the most important factors. In spatial dimensions, the highest average is related to comprehensive and reliable policy-making for physical management and the lowest average is related to local and social capacities for the sustainable development of the reserve. To enhance the management of Ahvaz’s metropolitan fringe, it is recommended that integrated policies be formulated in collaboration with all relevant institutions, oversight of economic development and prevention of unauthorized land-use changes be strengthened, and supportive programs to reduce spatial and social inequalities be prioritized. These strategies, tailored to Ahvaz’s unique conditions, could serve as a model for managing fringes in other oil-dependent metropolises.
5. Acknowledgment & Funding
· This work was supported by the Azad Islamic University.
· The manuscript did not receive a grant from any organization.
6. Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
