The role of massive oil and gas projects in shaping new cities and changing urban hierarchy in southwestern Iran

satar namjoo¹

1) civil engineer,

IOI Code : ABEB-ACABDD
Publication : 4th International Conference on Recent Advances in Engineering, Innovation and Technology - Belgium(eitconf.com)
Abstract :
    The huge oil and gas riots in southwestern Iran over the past few decades have not only changed the economic structure of the region, but have also had a profound impact on the urbanization model, the formation of new cities and the reorganization of the urban hierarchy. These spatial developments, largely influenced by extensive investments in energy extraction, refining and transfer, have led to the emergence of new urban centers with industrial and service functions, while changing the relative position of some traditional cities in the region. Despite the importance of this issue in urban and regional planning, a comprehensive picture of the mechanisms and consequences of these processes is less coherently presented in the existing literature. This review research, relying on published articles and studies in the field of Urban Planning, Geography and regional planning, attempts to examine the role of oil and gas projects in the formation of new cities and the change in the urban hierarchy of southwestern Iran. The methodology is based on systematic review of library resources and content analysis of previous research findings. In this regard, articles related to oil cities, resource-dependent development, industrial growth poles and urban network developments in Khuzestan, Bushehr and neighboring regions have been studied and categorized. The findings from the resource review show that the deployment of large oil and gas projects has often led to the creation of new settlements and cities with migrant populations and specialized functioning, while simultaneously strengthening some middle centers and weakening the relative of the surrounding traditional cities. These processes have pushed the region s hierarchical pattern from a relatively balanced state to a greater focus on energy poles, and have posed challenges such as economic dependence, spatial inequality, and pressure on urban infrastructure. Overall, the results of this review emphasize the need to revise urban and regional planning policies in oil-rich areas so that energy development opportunities can be used to create a more balanced and sustainable urban system.

Keywords : oil and gas projects oil cities new cities urban hierarchy urban development regional development southwestern iran