Papers by Mojtaba Khanian
Geoheritage, 2022
Due to the environmental crises that have been burdening human settlements and environments since... more Due to the environmental crises that have been burdening human settlements and environments since the onset of the age of modernity, geoheritage has gained much attention from researchers and experts. Geosites are among the most important legacies of the earth, with valuable environmental features. However, the revitalization of these natural sites and the presence of tourists around them can harm their new environmental features. A review of the related literature shows that the predominant focus of most studies is provision of a uniform outlook for all geosites based on standardization and generalization. However, each of these natural sites is different from the others. This study was conducted to find out how a grounded model can be developed for each geosite individually based on the geotourism capacities of the area where they are located. To this end, the Khorzeneh geosite in Hamedan City, Iran, was chosen for study because of its environmental, historical, and social characteristics. Therefore, a comparison was made between the model developed in this study using the grounded theory and interviews with experts in Hamedan City and the global standards of geosites. This comparison shows that creating shared concepts between scientific and tourism grounds concerning the Khorzeneh geosite should be performed based on history. In other words, the history factor is attractive to both academics and tourists. Creating such shared grounds can help create a balance between the geoheritage and the tourism goals of this geosite.
Agriculture, 2020
Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a popular technique in reliability analyses. In a typ... more Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a popular technique in reliability analyses. In a typical FMEA, there are three risk factors for each failure modes: Severity (S), occurrence (O), and detectability (D). These will be included in calculating a risk priority number (RPN) multiplying the three aforementioned factors. The literature review reveals some noticeable efforts to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional FMEA. The objective of this paper is to extend the application of FMEA to risk management for agricultural projects. For this aim, the factor of severity in traditional FMEA is broken down into three sub-factors that include severity on cost, the severity on time, and severity on the quality of the project. Moreover, in this study, a fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) integrated with a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to address the limitations of the traditional FMEA. A sensitivity analysis was done by...
Research Journal of Environmental and Earth Sciences, 2013
This study aim to measure and analyze how continuity in place influence place attachment Forced m... more This study aim to measure and analyze how continuity in place influence place attachment Forced migrations have been considered among the factors which have changed the special identities and equations for a part of people. These migrations have sometimes caused migrants to forget their identity and traditions of their hometowns and build their destination based on a combination of the past customs and the available materials. The result is attachment to place. This research pays attention refugees' dwelling in Hamden during and after the war of Iran and Iraq. Focusing on the attachment dimension and place. First, the place attachment dimensions were determined in terms of literature and previous researches. Then, the study variables of refugees' presence were determined by field studies and statistical analyses, to get the attachment severity. The results show that the priority of affecting factors refugee's attachment is environmental factors, social factors and personal context (identity and dependence).
Due to the growing urbanization, poverty and deprivation are the pivotal issues occurring in the ... more Due to the growing urbanization, poverty and deprivation are the pivotal issues occurring in the city. Urban poverty growth has led to deeper discrepancy in social classes resulting in the formation of low-income groups in specific geographic communities , which are kept away from the overall development process and so are marginalized. These are general categories of migrants (Marginalized) ( and mostly old urban dwellers) that set out to pave this way to promote the life expectancy, and accepting the risks and unsuitable housing conditions in the informal market seek to compensate for their disabilities, ensuring their needs are formally met in the way to ensure their survival in the city. In the past, there have been presented different programs to solve the problems of these settlements which have not been successful. And these neighborhoods have been considered to face challenging issues. Therefore, it is necessary to recognize the spatial mechanisms to change the situation for these people. The present study aims to reveal the spatial layers available in Khezr district in Hamadan and present a conceptual model which is based on residents` subjective perceptions. There are found two physical and security spatial layers are the most important factors of confusion and chaos in the neighborhood followed by environmental and social factors.
Sense of place definition includes the point where the physical element, activity and meaning are... more Sense of place definition includes the point where the physical element, activity and meaning are intertwined in the people experience of place. In urban design and place quality research, much has been discussed on the significance of the physical elements and activities in creating the sense of place; however, the role of socio-cultural factors as components that make strong attachment between people and place has not been adequately explored. One of the main important variables that are related to socio-cultural background of place is religious ones. Individuals whose identities are formed based on some religious structures seem to be more likely attached to a holy shrine that is visited by them for the first time. It was hypothesized; some kind of sense of place will be formed in their mental images from first visiting holy shrine immediately. According to mentioned points, this paper has surveyed some behavioral indicators in Iran holiest place that known as Imam Reza in Mashha...
In recent decades, urbanization has experienced a rapid growth in Iran. One of the outcomes of th... more In recent decades, urbanization has experienced a rapid growth in Iran. One of the outcomes of this process was rise of slums and informal settlement around cities. In Kermanshah province, urban population rate was explosive and many immigrants dwelled in slums, especially in larger slum such as Djafarabad. So, it is necessary to investigate the considerable rate of slum population in Kermanshah. This study aims at explore the causes of migration, period, geographical origins of immigrants, education, inspirations and aspirations, economic status of family and residence, citizenship belonging, social deviances, satisfaction with urban life and finally socio-economic profile of Djafarabad. The methodology was based on survey method including of questionnaire. Sample size estimated 374 residents of margins in Djafarabad region of Kermanshah. Findings indicated that more than 70% of inhabitants live in houses with more than 5 people. Approximately, all houses (97%) are hired by contrac...
Journal of Civil Engineering and Urbanism, 2020
The concept of quality of life in the rural context has developed and changed to a great extent s... more The concept of quality of life in the rural context has developed and changed to a great extent since its introduction back in the 1930s. Today, this concept is an important tool in the hands of rural policy-makers and planners for identification and evaluation of current conditions, assessment of the effects of previously implemented policies and determining the direction of future policy-making. This concept includes both the objective and subjective dimensions of rural quality of life. The objective rural quality of life refers to all the facilities and services available to the residents of a rural settlement. The subjective rural quality of life, however, refers to the perception of these facilities and services and the overall satisfaction and happiness of the residents. The present study has been conducted with the aim of analyzing the rural quality of life in Iran. The villages of Hamadan Province, situated west of Iran, were selected as the study area. This study has analyzed the mentality of the village residents based on seven objective indices of quality of life using structural equation modeling and the SmartPLS software. The results indicated that rural housing facilities have been significantly effective in increasing the villagers' satisfaction and quality of life. Deviation from traditional rural lifestyles and modernization of the villages were also revealed to be among the factors which have reduced the villagers' quality of life.
International Journal of Community Well-Being, 2019
In this study, we explore how urban places and associated community affect one other as well as t... more In this study, we explore how urban places and associated community affect one other as well as the quality of life of rural immigrants. The purpose of this study is to provide more accurate insight into the spatial and social factors affecting the quality of life of rural-urban migrants. Migration is closely linked to people's living conditions. Specifically, the feelings one has about the quality of their place and the society in which they live impacts decisions to stay or move from one place to another. If deciding to move, migration affects the quality of life through the migrants' sense of place and the new community they are relocating to. Our study was conducted in Hamedan, Iran-a place that experiences the migration of many different ethnicities given its central location in Hamadan province and the quality of life conditions in surrounding geographical locations. We surveyed 2735 citizens who had migrated to the city in the last 2 to 5 years. Our results indicate that place attachment and social capital, as variables that represent rural migrants' sense of place and urban community, are both related to the quality of life of migrants. Furthermore, social capital moderates place attachment and has a significant impact on subjective quality of life among rural-urban migrants. We suggest that high levels of social capital must be present to ensure a satisfactory subjective quality of life among rural-urban migrants.
Weather and Climate Extremes, 2018
When the social, economic, or ecological conditions under which socio-ecological systems are expe... more When the social, economic, or ecological conditions under which socio-ecological systems are expected to adapt become untenable, a system may transform into a fundamentally new system. Within agricultural systems, farmers have the option of significantly transforming their practices, or migrating elsewhere in the search for a better lifestyle (and exiting the agricultural socio-ecological system). However, if governments, communities and industry leaders are to provide climate change impact support to agricultural regions, then it becomes critical to predict the conditions under which farmers, households and communities will choose to either transform their farming or migrate. We hypothesize that those conditions are likely to reflect environmental, economic and social conditions within a region, where some communities and/or some farmers may respond differently depending on their environmental, economic and social factors. Here, we examine how the perception of farmers to transformational change is influenced by social, environmental and economic factors in six villages within the Famenin County of western Iran, which have experienced a notable recent decrease in groundwater levels, an increase in temperature due to reduced rainfall and no support from government. Results show that environmental, economic and social factors were all important influences on the social transformations that were occurring within each village and across the region. In sum, environmental flexibility and local corporation eased the transformation process. Place attachment and social capital were critical to facilitate transformation during all parts of the transformation process. These results are discussed as two separate scenarios.
Climate and Development, 2017
The effects of climate change have disturbed the living patterns of many people around the globe ... more The effects of climate change have disturbed the living patterns of many people around the globe during the past decade and it has been a key contributing factor to mass migrations. The ‘adaptation’ approach is currently considered the most effective available solution for balancing out these effects. As a result, many researchers are trying to find out how to increase the adaptive capacity of individuals and communities in response to the effects of climate change. The effect of place attachment as a factor which connects human societies to the surrounding environment is undeniable. In this regard, the present study attempts to analyse the role of place attachment in increasing the tolerance of individuals who are in direct contact with the effects of climate change in the conceptual framework of subjective adaptive capacity and migration based on a subjective approach while taking into account the meaningful elements of place. Famenin County in western Iran has experienced severe drought resulting from climate change during the past decade, and farming, which was once the main source of income for the inhabitants, has almost been crippled in the county. Therefore, Famenin was chosen as a suitable case for study. In order to examine the conceptual model of the study, 200 questionnaires were distributed among the inhabitants of the county who have not yet migrated. The model was run using the Amos 23.0 software. The results of data analysis indicate that the inhabitants’ climate change impact perception has occurred through their attachment to the surrounding environment, which has led to a notable increase in their subjective adaptive capacity and has discouraged migration. It can be proposed that a balance exits between subjective adaptive capacity and climate change impact perception in which the place attachment factor can tilt the balance in favour of more adaptation and less migration.
Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017
Meanwhile with increasing demand for energy sources in the world, hydropower plants can be consid... more Meanwhile with increasing demand for energy sources in the world, hydropower plants can be considered as clean energy sources for sustainable development. Hydropower plant environmental impact is almost none. They are easy to construct and operate with much lower cost in comparison with other types of power plants. Currently in Iran, Conventional methods for determining hydropower plant potent location are very complicated and do not always eventuated to the best result. This study focuses on run of river projects and proposes a new methodology to spot hydropower plan best location according to specific engineering criteria, using ArcGIS and an algorithm developed in MATLAB. An economic analysis is then run upon engineering selected alternatives to assess their economic feasibility. For a case study, this methodology is applied for Sefidbarg basin in Nokhan area nearby the Kermanshah province. Nokhan area is a mountainous district with steep and durable rivers. Finally, four alternatives are suggested for hydropower plant location on Sefidbarg basin considering engineering criteria. Economic parameters are then calculated for these suggested hydropower plants to assess their economic feasibility and rank them according to their economy. This procedure is able to quickly survey vast areas for spotting best location for hydropower plant.
DESCRIPTION The main hypothesis of the research indicating the direct relationship between settin... more DESCRIPTION The main hypothesis of the research indicating the direct relationship between settings uses spatial syntactic variables. The application of Natural Movement Theory was investigated in this study.
Applied Research in Quality of Life, 2014
Urban districts are amongst the main economic, social and political centers of every country whic... more Urban districts are amongst the main economic, social and political centers of every country which are well known as the focal points of wealth, work, creativity and innovation. These centers, however, are faced with challenges such as social inequality, insecurity, unemployment, inadequate housing, traffic congestion and marginalization, which are dramatically reduced in quality of urban life. Policymakers and planners in national and international levels emphasize the ability of cities to promote quality of human's life. Informal settlement, which is not considered as an outcome of Iran economic-social transformations, has turned into an important and controversial issue in most Iranian urban areas. The low quality of urban life is readily observable in these areas. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the present paper aims to analyze how residents settled in these areas perceive the quality of life in their neighborhoods. To achieve this goal, Structural Equation Models (SEM) with LISREL 8.50 Software was applied as the research tool. Finding shows economy is the most leading factor to reduce the quality of urban life in informal settlements, which in turn brings about a serious residential, health and recreation issues.
Journal of Urban and Regional Analysis, 2022
Urbanization has brought about dramatic changes in the quality of the landscape in Hamedan, which... more Urbanization has brought about dramatic changes in the quality of the landscape in Hamedan, which is located in a mountainous area in the west of Iran. Not only these changes affect the people's well-being, but also how they perceive the new landscape. This paper aims to analyze the effects of newly built grade separations on the public perception of the urban landscape. In keeping with this aim, the survey was a suitable method to collect the people's opinions on the quality of the urban landscape. Unity, complexity, order, and aesthetics are the main factors that affect the quality of the urban landscape and its perception. The structural equation model of the research showed that unity through aesthetics is the critical path that affects the people's image of the city and their landscape preference. The results confirm that the public perception of the landscape quality, which is essential to planners, is affected by different kinds of intersection. Additionally, it s...
SSRN Electronic Journal, 2020
Cities directly influence microclimates. As the urbanization expands, and the green spaces dimini... more Cities directly influence microclimates. As the urbanization expands, and the green spaces diminish, the heat islands begin to emerge. An old technique used during the past centuries-in both hot and dry climates of the central cities of Iran-was the moderation of microclimates via water and plants. With a diachronic approach to the study of the historical Chahar Bagh Street in Isfahan, this paper investigates the impact of the structural changes on its microclimate in three different scenarios, i.e., the street with its features during the Safavid Era (from 1501 to 1736); the street in its current status; and finally a probable critical condition resulting from complete elimination of natural elements from the environment. The mixed strategy used in this study relies on logical reasoning and software-assisted evaluation for comparing the three scenarios. The predicted mean vote (PMV) model was used for measuring thermal comfort. The results indicate that the evaluated comfort-providing area in the Safavid scenario is 7-17 times more favorable than the others. Moreover, the temperature in the contemporary era was found to be 1.5 degrees Celsius cooler than that of the critical status scenario.
One of the major problems human beings are confronted with in urban setting is the removal of urb... more One of the major problems human beings are confronted with in urban setting is the removal of urban waste. This problem has persuaded the urban authorities to use various tools such as Geographic Information System (GIS) to locate landfills. To do that, Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) has been used in which or multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) methods and GIS are combined. The selection of the burial place and landfill has great importance and different criteria must be considered. SDSS, using MCDM is able to investigate locating landfill using various criteria simultaneously and it determines its importance. This research aims at presenting suitable solution through using computer and GIS related to solid urban waste and their locating in Hamadan based on standard criteria. A comprehensive model based on GIS, to get the suitable burial place and landfill can help to save time and cost. The model of locating burial place of urban solid waste has been presented.
Space and Culture, 2021
Widespread environmental changes as well as economic events and factors have contributed signific... more Widespread environmental changes as well as economic events and factors have contributed significantly to migrations from and relocations of human settlements during the past years. Being in direct...
Agriculture, 2020
Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a popular technique in reliability analyses. In a typ... more Failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) is a popular technique in reliability analyses. In a typical FMEA, there are three risk factors for each failure modes: Severity (S), occurrence (O), and detectability (D). These will be included in calculating a risk priority number (RPN) multiplying the three aforementioned factors. The literature review reveals some noticeable efforts to overcome the shortcomings of the traditional FMEA. The objective of this paper is to extend the application of FMEA to risk management for agricultural projects. For this aim, the factor of severity in traditional FMEA is broken down into three sub-factors that include severity on cost, the severity on time, and severity on the quality of the project. Moreover, in this study, a fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) integrated with a fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to address the limitations of the traditional FMEA. A sensitivity analysis was done by weighing the risk assessment factors. The results confirm the capability of this Hybrid-FMEA in addressing several drawbacks of the traditional FMEA application. The risk assessment factors changed the risk priority between the different projects by affecting the weights. The risk of water and energy supplies and climate fluctuations and pests were the most critical risk in agricultural projects. Risk control measures should be applied according to the severity of each risk. Some of this research's contributions can be abstracted as identifying and classifying the risks of investment in agricultural projects and implementing the extended FMEA and multicriteria decision-making methods for analyzing the risks in the agriculture domain for the first time. As a management tool, the proposed model can be used in similar fields for risk management of various investment projects.
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Papers by Mojtaba Khanian