Investigating the spatial limitations of residential lands in the city of Noorabad Mamasani and future plans to secure them

Abstract

Housing, as one of the most fundamental human needs, is considered a crucial criterion for assessing development. It plays an irreplaceable role in quality of life, guaranteeing a calm, secure, comfortable, and convenient environment. This article's main objective is to identify the spatial limiting factors for residential land and to pinpoint the optimal locations for the city's future planning to provide residential land in Nurabad City. This research will determine the overall success of the city's housing planning since the Islamic Revolution. The research is "applied" in its objective and employs a "descriptive-analytical" methodology. The findings indicate that numerous natural features restrict development, including agricultural lands and orchards on the periphery of urban neighborhoods and areas, as well as two significant rivers to the north and south of the city, and several streams scattered alongside agricultural lands and within current urbanized rural textures. Furthermore, the presence of archaeological sites and multiple highlands surrounding the current city limits often preclude construction due to steep slopes. Notable archaeological sites include Tepe Nurabad (with a buffer zone of 550×650 meters), Tepe Mir Jashiri (with a buffer zone of 250×100 meters), and Tepe Bakhtiari (with a buffer zone of 200×200 meters). Additionally, artificial features limiting residential land development include the Qaimiyeh-Dogonbadan 230 kV power transmission line (with a 17-meter buffer zone passing through the city), the Nurabad-Qaimiyeh 66 kV power transmission line (with a 13-meter buffer zone passing through the city), and oil and three gas pipelines (with a buffer zone of approximately 60 meters passing through the city). These effectively render portions of the city's land unusable. Despite these multiple limiting factors for residential land, urban development plans have successfully undertaken appropriate planning for the development of residential spaces, identifying the best locations for future residential expansion. The 259-hectare barren land in District One, located in the east of the city, was designated as the optimal site for the city's residential land development in the approved comprehensive plan of 1996. Moreover, the detailed plan, in its studies and planning, based its planning and design on the approved comprehensive city plan, particularly the 110-hectare preparation project from the total 259 hectares of District One. It has attempted to balance population distribution across the city's neighborhoods by creating attractions in areas adjacent to the central fabric or other neighborhoods through the provision of suitable service spaces and access facilities. This effort has been somewhat successful. Furthermore, dilapidated urban fabric and demolished buildings within the city possess high housing capacity for future urban development. An examination of the housing situation in the city between 1986 and 2011, following the approval of comprehensive and detailed plans, indicates the overall success of housing planning in Nurabad City.