The concepts of urbanization in Iran and other persian gulf countries

By: Morteza Aminmansour

The Concepts of Urbanization in Iran and other Persian Gulf countries:


Urbanization, by definition, is the increase in population over time. Urbanization has profound effects on economy, ecology, and lifestyles of the area's inhabitants. Terms such as urban sprawl, urban sociology, and new urbanism are all terms that come as a result of such urbanization. But, urbanization isn't new; rather an old concept that has recently catalyzed into something increasingly more common- a new way of life. Urbanization doesn't necessarily require a trip to the city to see, for example it can be readily viewed just 15 minutes from my hometown, in a town called Metropolitan Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan or smaller cities like Mahabad, Marivan, Baneh, Bijar, Ilam, Although urbanization would be easier to see in populous areas, urbanization itself, I think, would be much stronger grasped as a concept if done on a developing community, and projecting its future. This town of Baneh has a population of about 113,585(2006). It is a fair sized town, having many things such as a City Hall, Police station, Bookstore, Grocery market, numerous restaurants, and a shopping center (Bazaar). The recent spur of growth in Baneh or Ilam is also readily apparent, and fortunately so that I may analyze such growth as an example. It is astonish and remarkable that the most industrialized part of an urban area in any of Iranian major metropolitans are most usually in or around the center of the town or city. In Isfahan, Mashad or other smaller cities such as Abadan, Dezful, in major cities of UAE (Dubai, Abu Dhabi) and Oman (Manah, Masira, Barka, Bahla) big cities in Saudi Arabia (Riyadh, Al jubayl, Doha, Ahufuf) there is a common square that showcases different businesses and services from food, to other businesses such as Rug dealers, to fruit supplies, and many other things. This small, dense area is both a large factor in employment and a common shopping district for customers. This, of course, would mean that residential areas would have to be near, if one was to obtain a job or shop at these areas. Not even two blocks away, the residents of Iranian cities have housing and apartments all around the square. Ranging from old, two-story houses, to smaller, Apartments in the recent 28 years, and of course older homes that were more often than not shabby and worn.
Traditional urbanization exhibits a concentration of human activities and settlements around the downtown area. When the residential area shifts outward this is called suburbanization( such as suburban cities around tehran were built in the last 50 years).

The increase in the proportion of the population residing in towns, brought about by migration of rural populations into towns and cities (because of many reason for example economical or social circumstances and of course to add the war Iraq against Iran between 1980-88, and/or the higher urban levels of natural (In human ecology, a spontaneously arising and individual area of an urban society with common social, economic, and cultural characteristics: a distinctive community. Most cities contain numbers of natural areas, which are delimited by informal boundaries, such as canals, parks, railways, rivers, and main roads).
Increase resulting from the greater proportion of people of childbearing age in cities this, in turn, reflects patterns of migration (The movement of people from one place to another). Urbanization indicates a change of employment structure from agriculture and cottage industries (A usually small-scale industry carried on at home by family members using their own equipment for example Carpet industry) to mass production and service industries (The segment of the economy that provides services to its consumers. This includes a wide range of businesses including financial institutions, schools, transports, and restaurants).This backs up the view that urbanization results from, rather than causes, social change. This is most notable in the development of capitalism (An economic system in which the means of production and distribution are privately or corporately owned and development is proportionate to the accumulation and reinvestment of profits gained in a free market) and its attendant industrialization (The process by which manufacturing industries develop from within a predominantly agrarian society. Characteristic features of industrialization include the application of scientific methods to solving problems, mechanization and a factory system, the division of labor, the growth of the money economy, and the increased mobility of the labor force—both geographically and socially). It is said that the development of the landless laborer and the concentration of wealth into a few hands encourages urbanization. Others argue that urbanization is the inevitable result of economic growth, with the rise of specialized craftsmen, merchants, and administrators. A further view stresses the importance of agglomeration economies (For an industry, the benefits of locating in a densely peopled and highly industrialized situation. The market is large, but concentrated in a relatively small area. Transport costs are therefore low, so that many specialized industries can evolve, since local demand is sufficiently high); bigger Iranian cities offer markets, labor, and capital with a well-developed infrastructure, all of which increase their comparative advantage (A situation in which a country, individual, company or region can produce a good at a lower opportunity cost than that of a competitor).

Rapid population growth--some Persian Gulf states averaged almost 4 percent annual growth in the last two decades(UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia)--has created a large and restive youth population. Rapid population growth is destabilizing for several reasons. First, such growth generates tremendous economic pressure. Simply to retain the same levels of wealth on an individual basis, Persian Gulf economies must grow at rates in excess of 10 percent a year. Second, rapid growth exerts pressure on governments to expand education, medical care, and social services at breakneck speed. Even when governments have considerable wealth, this rapid pace can lead to bottlenecks and inefficiencies. When government revenues are stagnant or declining -- as they are in the Region today -- rapid population growth creates pressures that regimes are not able to satisfy. A rise in expectations accompanied
Urbanization is a relatively recent process in the Third World (Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait) where it is even more rapid than population growth and where the largest agglomerations are growing most rapidly. The negative effects of urbanization include the loss of agricultural land coupled with problems of urban food supply (best examples are: India, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey) the destruction of habitats (The area or type of environment in which a particular kind of animal or plant usually lives).
A comparison of urbanization in Iran to the rest of the world contradicts the national self-image. Iranians have prided themselves on their youth (I need to mention that Iranian population increased between 1980-88 annually by 3.7 per cent) as a nation, which consequently was late to urbanize. However, Teheran was a pioneer among new urbanizing cities (First map of Tehran gives indication the year 1800-1815 and was made by Austrian researcher). Along with Isfahan, Mashad, Tabriz, it was among the very first to feel the effects of the urban-industrial revolution in small scale in smaller cities and larger scale of industries in Tehran (automaker) in Tabriz (Tractor and other agricultural machinery) in Shiraz (petrochemical industry) In Bandar Abbas (Refinery).
At this time Iranian cities like Tehran, Mashad, Shiraz, Isfahan, Karaj are among the most polluted environments in the country. Iranians are used to many of the physical problems of traffic, pollution, deteriorated housing, mismanagements, miss concepts. Failures have come from lack of commitment and political will (recent political development in the last 29 years), not from the inherent nature of cities. The poor are often expected to tax themselves for public services that they cannot afford as private citizens. As in the past century, the centers of our cities display the polarization of society between the very rich and the very poor.

CONCLUSION: The result of rapid Urbanization is Potential Sources of Conflict, THE Persian Gulf states are best defined by what they lack. In an era when democracy is the world's dominant political system, the Persian Gulf regimes are traditional autocracies. Their governments are not accountable, and political alienation and corruption are widespread among the states, which included UAE, Kuwait, Oman, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, Qatar. Contrary to popular stereotypes of wealthy and corrupt sheikhs, economic progress has been mixed and uneven(in these particular countries religious minorities are second class people in the society). Demographic pressures squeeze the Persian Gulf states and their populations(increase of political opponents who have been setting in jail because of the political views for many years). Traditional ways of life are under siege, as nomadic, largely illiterate societies have rapidly sedentarized, urbanized, and become educated thanks to high oil price in the recent years. The region's zeitgeist also favors violence, where guerrillas are lauded, and peacemakers ridiculed. Discrimination is rampant against Shi'a Muslims and other minorities (for example in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia) who form a large segment of several Persian Gulf states' populations. Religious militancy is widespread, threatening to undermine the regional regimes’ legitimacy. As if these problems were not enough. Alone, any one of these problems could lead to unrest Together, they seem to signal disaster.

Pointing out that the socio-economic changes resulting from mismanaged urban planning, is blamed these circumstances for example in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Iran for creating a disgruntled and disparate society where the rich were too far removed from the reality of the poor and the lower middle income group which comprises almost 70 per cent Karachi in Pakistan. This marks rise of an elitist society where the gap between the rich and the poor is actually being institutionalized. With globalization commanding only high technology development, the poor class finds itself with no space to live in the cities either and those who resist evictions have their settlements burnt down(for example in Karachi –Pakistan.


Any political changes and unrest in these countries are the result of : lack of Freedom of speech which is the concept of being able to speak freely without censorship. It is often regarded as an integral concept in modern liberal democracies .The right to freedom of speech is guaranteed under international law through numerous human rights instruments, notably under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 10 of the EuropeanConvention on Human Rights , although implementation remains lacking in many countries(including UAE, Saudi Arabia , Bahrain,Qatar). The synonymous term freedom of expression is sometimes preferred, since the right is not confined to verbal speech but is understood to protect any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used.



Sources:
THE ENIGMA OF POLITICAL STABILITY IN THE PERSIAN GULF MONARCHIES
By Daniel L. Byman and Jerrold D. Green
Wikipedia (the fee Encyclopedia)
Zachary Schuessler: Urbanization Concepts A Look at an Average Town's Future

Urbanization increasing class disparity: By Maheen Rashdi