The Evolution of Peri-Urbanization in Tehran Metropolitan Fringe in 1996 to 2006 Towards a constructive development or a dispersed growth?

Peri-urbanisation is a type of metropolitan growth in its periphery which occurs as an answer to economic, social and political tensions in its geographical context. The growth of Tehran metropolitan region in its periphery has brought about widespread changes in residential system and activity placement in rural areas and also its natural environment. With the spilover of population and activities to beyond the official boundaries of Tehran metropolis, the surrounding rural become urbanized with respect to economic, social and physical dimensions. These urbanized rural settlements are described as Peri-Urban. In this regard, the main issue is the rapid process of urbanization of rural areas or in other words the peri-urbanization of these settlements which takes place in the absence of required infrastructure. Hence, the present paper aims to study and analyze changes in peri-urbanization or, in other words, the rate of urbanization of rural centers around the Tehran metropolis during the period 1996-2006 based on the criteria extracted from the theoretical foundations. A territory entitled “Tehran metropolitan fringe” is the case for analysis of peri-urbanization process in the present study. This research is a descriptive-analytic study. The argument basis for explaining the features and stating the problem will be provided through the theoretical foundations under the overall title of “understanding and interpretation of peri-urbanization phenomenon”. The required data and information on the theoretical foundations will be collected through library studies and reviewing the books, articles, papers, and spatial development plans, especially in English. Using TOPSIS model, these changes have been ranked and rated in rural and peri-urban settlements located within the Tehran metropolitan fringe in 1996 to 2006. In the next step these changes were spatially analyzed and classified into zones in an spectrum from highest to lowest using clustering tools in ArcMap. Application of TOPSIS model aims to measure the minimum and maximum peri-urbanization changes during the period 1996-2006. For this purpose, changes of quantitative criteria in the studied points should be calculated first of all. Then, the obtained results should be used for rating peri-urbanization changes. Using spatial analysis method, the final scores obtained from TOPSIS are divided into homogeneous zones by clustering analysis tool in ArcMap. This is essential for evaluation of the research hypothesis. Finally, in order to test the hypothesis, peri-urbanization changes in the metropolitan fringe will be analyzed based on the distance from Tehran metropolis.The results indicate that the peri-urbanisation changes in Tehran metropolitan fringe  difrence based on the distance from Tehran Metropolis. The area with 15 to 25 kilometers distance from Tehran, which is the legally approved limits of 2006, has the most peri-urban, dispersed growth and thus the highest peri-urbanization. However this phenomenon is rippling towards further distances. In this respect, a Green-Belt policy can convert the threat of the peri-urban growth to an opportunity for achieving a novel pattern of rural urbanization and constructive development.