Journal of Sustainable Urban & Regional Development Studies (JSURDS)

Abstract Urban solid waste management is a multifaceted process in its general sense and has different components. The way waste is contained should also be such that it can be used to advance economic, environmental, social and sustainable development goals. In this regard, the aim of this study is to determine the best waste disposal methods in accordance with the current conditions of Mahabad city by providing a waste management system model. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to help optimize the Solid Waste Management System of Mahabad.
The status of Mahabad Waste Management in terms of the quantity and quality of waste and how it is managed in each of the stages of Solid Waste Management is examined and the model of Solid Waste Management System is presented according to economic and environmental criteria. The research method is descriptive, analytical, and the method of collecting information in the form of a library was a field in the municipal areas. The results of this study show that the waste management situation in Mahabad was not favorable in its various stages, but due to the potential, a large part of the problems facing it can be solved by taking basic management measures. Research also showed that reducing waste production and separation from Origin are among the waste management practices that have high efficiency.

Abstract Since the last decades of the 20th century, The concurrent development of industrialization and the socio-political transition towards cleaner and renewable energy sources has made the researchers and scholars who have been applying nuclear and radioactive energy (in electricity generation and also in industries, medicine or agriculture) increase the use of radioactive materials in these fields as well. Their consequent production and release into the environment have become nowadays to be such an integral part of our life that the safe management of this radioactive waste becomes a problem of high socio-political priority. This writing reviews first of all the differences of various types of nuclear waste and their level of classifications. After this, it goes through the countermeasure taken, the storage, the disposal and the physical and social barriers which must be applied for the safety of all radioactive waste, emphasizing that there must be certain procedures before the disposal so that this waste can be safely buried underground without bothering people until the end of its hazardous period. According to the review, the disposal of low-level and intermediate-level radioactive waste is already realized in some countries and have been storing up of this waste in near-surface facilities, whereas the disposal of high-level radioactive waste is only realized in repository temporarily for research on its ultimate disposal in many countries which have already built nuclear facilities. Protection of the environment from the pollution becomes a serious topic and the campaign of its conservation becomes to be progressed largely in the world; hopefully, this paper contributes for the reader to get better understanding on this issue and should urge more experts to devote their efforts in this field.
Key words: radioactive, environment, nuclear, waste

Abstract Introduction: With increasing global concerns about climate change and the need to reduce energy consumption in line with sustainable development, optimizing energy consumption in educational buildings has gained special importance due to their key role in consumption patterns and direct impact on user comfort and productivity. This study aimed to evaluate energy performance and provide optimization solutions in four newly built schools in Babol city, including Noshirvani, Shokoh, Barakat Foundation, and Shahrabi, in a temperate and humid climate.
Research Methodology: This applied study was conducted based on field observations, detailed simulation in DesignBuilder software based on the EnergyPlus engine, and climate analysis with Climate Consultant. The schools studied were less than 5 years old, and solutions such as thermal insulation of the roof and walls with polystyrene, adjusting the comfort temperature of cooling and heating systems, utilizing natural ventilation, replacing conventional windows with low-emission glass, and installing 30 kW solar panels were evaluated.
Results and Discussion: The results showed that the total energy consumption index of schools varied between 58.8 and 66 kWh/m2/year. Insulation reduced energy consumption by 11 to 20.7%, and comfort temperature regulation alone resulted in savings of 16 to 19%. Natural ventilation also reduced the cooling load by 4.4 to 10% and total energy consumption by 2.2 to 5%. Simultaneous implementation of the solutions resulted in a 22 to 24% reduction in energy consumption. Economic analysis also showed that the solar system is very financially justified.

Abstract Background and Objective: Natural resource rents can act as a dual factor; on the one hand, they provide financing for green projects, and on the other hand, they may lead to dependence on polluting industries and reduce incentives to invest in sustainable technologies. Geopolitical risk in resource-rich countries, especially in unstable regions, can lead to uncertainty in investments and a decrease in the willingness to develop green economic projects, which contributes to the weakening of sustainable growth. Uncertainty in economic policies, especially in the field of environmental regulations and taxation, can lead to reduced investor confidence and delays in the implementation of green initiatives, thus affecting sustainable economic growth.
Methodology: This study examines the effects of natural resource rents, geopolitical risk, and economic uncertainties, and other control variables such as financial development, foreign trade, foreign direct investment, and fixed capital formation on green economic growth in Iraq using an auto-explanatory model with wide lags (ARDL) and seasonal data over the period 1995-2022.
Results and Findings: The results of the model estimation show that natural resource rents, geopolitical risk, and economic policy uncertainty have a negative and significant effect on green economic growth in this have coutry. Also, financial development, foreign trade, foreign direct investment, and fixed capital formation have a positive and significant effect on green economic growth in Iraq country.

Abstract Background and Aim: Climatic characteristics and most of its elements play a decisive role in the spatial distribution and formation of environmental behavior of human societies, so that nowadays, studies and investigations of human bioclimate and the use of its various capabilities are the basis of urban, development, settlement, architecture, and tourism planning. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate and analyze human comfort based on bioclimatic models and indicators.
Methodology: The research method is descriptive-analytical. This study was conducted in 2024 in the city of Sisakht, using climatic data such as temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and air pressure for the period from 2006 to 2024. The required data was collected from the Sisakht synoptic station. After collecting data, human comfort or discomfort was analyzed based on the bioclimatic models and indices of Terjung, Baker, nervous stress, and thermohygrometric for different seasons of the year. This analysis included examining the temporal and spatial changes of the indices to determine which month and hours of the day have the most favorable climatic conditions for tourists. Finally, the models and indices were examined and compared to determine the most effective and efficient method for assessing the bioclimatic conditions of the city of Sisakht.
Finding and Results: The results of this study showed that Sisakht has bioclimatic diversity throughout the year, ranging from hot to very cold conditions; during the winter and summer seasons, it is outside the range of bioclimatic comfort, and with the beginning of the spring and autumn seasons, in the months of transition from cold to heat (April) and heat to cold (November), the climate of Sisakht approaches human comfort conditions. In general, spring, with its unique conditions of human comfort, is the best season for environmental activities and tourism in the city of Sisakht. Also, considering the climatic characteristics of the studied area, the Baker method, neurotic pressure, and then the Terjung method are more suitable and reliable in evaluating the bioclimatic conditions of the city of Sisakht than other bioclimatic indicators.

Abstract Background and Objective: Considering the increase in global temperature and the intensification of the urban heat island effect, the expansion of vegetation can reduce the intensity of this phenomenon and provide a healthier and more stable environment for city residents. In general, green areas in cities are an effective approach to reduce the effects of urban heat island and create comfort for residents. The improvement of microclimatic conditions in urban environments is mostly influenced by evaporation and transpiration.
Methodology: In this article, using the urban cooling model, the effects of green spaces on the process of reducing the effects of heat islands in the city of Maragheh were investigated. According to the nature of the subject, the purpose of the research is the application and research method based on the descriptive-analytical method. In this research, Landsat satellite images with 30x30 pixel size have been used to monitor urban land use changes in the period from 1984 to 2022. To check the amount of cooling in Maragheh city, the urban cooling model was used in the Invest software.
Results and Findings: In 1984 in the class 0.83 to 0.90 equal to 19.5%, in 2002 in the class 0.60 to 0.93 equal to 19.87. percent and in class 2022 in class 0.59 to 0.83 equal to 20.65% was able to reduce heat islands. According to the results obtained from the urban cooling model, it was observed that in all three periods, the city of Maragheh did not have a very favorable situation in reducing heat islands. According to the land use maps of three periods, the growth pattern of the city of Maragheh has followed a scattered and horizontal uneven growth pattern with the destruction of garden and fertile agricultural lands and replacing them with the fabric of scattered and incoherent urban and rural neighborhoods. The energy saving due to the reduction of urban heat islands due to urban green infrastructure in Maragheh city in 1984 was 10,626 megawatts for 2002 equal to 19,252 megawatts and finally for 2022 equal to 36,234 megawatts.

Abstract Background and Aim: In recent years and after the fourth industrial revolution took place at the conference in Germany, researchers and industrialists have investigated the influencing factors of this revolution in various industries. On the other hand, they have realized the effect of these factors in improving the stability of production. This study aims to describe the key dimensions of the fourth industrial revolution, to investigate the impact of these dimensions on urban environmental and social sustainability, and to prioritize these dimensions in terms of importance in the zinc industry of Zanjan city. For this purpose, after presenting the conceptual model of the influencing dimensions of the fourth industrial revolution on environmental and social sustainability, six proposed hypotheses were tested. The statistical population consisted of industry experts and specialists with high knowledge and experience, and due to being unknown and unlimited, 384 samples were obtained by using Cochran's table, and finally 410 online questionnaires were collected and analyzed. The content validity of the designed questionnaire questions was confirmed by the opinions of industry and academic experts and the reliability of the questionnaires was 0.823 using SPSS software.
Methods and Material:  The research method is applied-descriptive-survey in terms of goal and data collection. The output of the hypotheses test with the path analysis approach and SPLS software showed the confirmation of all the hypotheses and the positive impact of the dimensions on the sustainability of the industry, and the value of goodness of fit of the model was calculated as 0.302. In the following, with the weighted arithmetic mean method, the mentioned dimensions were re-evaluated by experts and the prioritization of the dimensions was determined.
Results and Discussion: The result indicates that "artificial intelligence" with the most weight was ranked first, and the dimensions of "blockchain technology" and "Internet of things" were ranked second and third. Also, the dimension "robotics" with the least weight was placed in the sixth priority. At the end, practical suggestions were presented to the industry.

Abstract Background and Objective: The accurate locating and design of industrial areas can be considered a robust step taken to improve the environment, develop industries, and accurate and logical growth of urban and rural areas. In this research, the number of pollutants is measured during the 30 days of November 2023 to examine and analyze the impact of industrial uses of Tabriz City on its air pollution, and its location and placement in Tabriz have increased the air pollution indicators. The mentioned indicators are revised and examined based on the collected data and available data of research through Geographic Information System (GIS) and using library and analytical methods such as the IDW method.
Materials and Methods: the variables examined in this study included pollutants and their types over the 30 days of November 2022 in Tabriz Metropolis, which is done through library and data collection methods. Carbon monoxide (CO), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), Particulate Matter (PM2.5) and (PM10), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and Ozon were collected based on the point method in Kajvar, Hakim Nezami, Azerbaijan Square, Hotel Marmar, Namaz Square, Rah Ahan, Bagheshmal, Abresan, and Behdasht Stations. These data are prepared and expressed as pollutant distribution maps for each pollutant in the form of descriptive maps through ARC GIS software based on the Inverse Distance Weighted (IDW) method.
Findings and Conclusion: The results show that the location of industrial areas in Tabriz does not affect the air pollution rate of Tabriz, and has no negative effect on increasing air pollution in Tabriz.

Abstract Background and Aim: Behavioral geography is an approach in human geography that uses the methods and assumptions of behaviorism to determine the cognitive processes involved in a person's understanding or reaction to their environment. This science studies cognitive processes by reacting to the environment through behaviorism.
Methods: In this study, we aim to identify the key factors of behavioral geography in the future situation of infectious diseases in Iranian cities with a case study of Noorabad city. In terms of practical purpose, the present research has been carried out in terms of survey method at the exploratory level and based on the future research approach. The driving forces are determined by Delphi method, and then these factors are identified using the software (Mic Mac) based on the degree of importance and uncertainty, prioritization and the most vital factors.
Findings and Conclusion: The findings of the research indicate that among these variables, action behavior, inflation and social culture are the most influential key factors of the behavioral geography of Noorabad city in the face of infectious diseases, as well as limited employment opportunities, non-observance of health principles by Drivers of public vehicles, weak social capital, normalization of the existing situation were in the next ranks and had the most direct effect. Therefore, according to the findings of the research, it can be said; The sensitivity of the population and the behavior and communication that takes place in the geographical space by the citizens effectively causes the transmission of infection and infectious diseases.

Abstract Background and Aim: Currently, cities are facing many challenges in economic, social and environmental dimensions. Due to the growth of urbanization, there have been harmful consequences for cities. The continuation of this kind of population growth has made urbanization in today's cities face economic, social, and environmental crises. Therefore, the need to pay attention to the livability has become very important in today's cities. The Aim of the research: to identify and measure livability indicators in the city of Babol.
Methods: The research method is descriptive-analytical according to the nature of the work, and according to this method, the evaluation of the livability of the city of Babol is done. In this research, the method of collecting data is library and documentary, interviews, field observations and questionnaires are also used. Research questionnaire is filled out among 382 citizens of Babol, sample size is calculated based on Cochran's formula, the results obtained using SPSS software, through factor analysis and single sample t-test, were analyzed. The geographical case of the research is city of Babol.
Findings and Conclusion: The findings of the research show that the economic, social and environmental criteria each have a different effect on the livability of the city of Babol. Since the livability in the city measured based on three aspects, it can be claimed that the city of Babol is far away from the ideal score of livability. The results have shown that livability in Babol should be prioritized in the economic dimension. In this way, in order to make Babol more livable, we need to pay attention to the economic category, then pay attention to the social and environmental criteria.

Abstract Torqabeh city in the northeast of the country hosts a large number of tourists annually. The current trend of development of Torqabeh city is rapidly changing from rural-recreational area to dense urban area, which compared to past, many existing lands have been turned into construction complexes and also existing buildings have been demolished and replaced. Therefore, in recent years, a growing trend of urban development can be seen in this area. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of new urban construction on the environment of Torqabeh city and to provide solutions to improve the quality of life with a biophilic approach. This research is of applied research type and uses descriptive-analytic research method. The method of collecting information includes surveys, desktop research, field study, questionnaires, studying documents and statistical and library information and interviews urban managers and local authorities and academia. Using the data obtained, the SWOT table was compiled and analyzed, and the most important strategies were presented through the QSPM matrix. The results show that the score obtained from the internal factor evaluation matrix is 2.526. This number indicates the dominance of strengths over weaknesses (2.5 <2.52). Also, by examining the evaluation matrix of external factors and the score obtained from this analysis (2.76), it is concluded that opportunities will overcome threats (2.5 <2.76). Therefore, external factors with a rank of 2.75 prevail over internal factors with a rank of 2.526. Based on this, the position of the study area is in the first area of the chart and strategies are proposed.