Investigating the Role of Urban–Rural Economies in the Development of Rural Settlements: Fresh Evidence from Iran

Abstract

Urban–rural relations are recognised as one of the essential factors in the occurrence of social, economic and cultural changes in urban and rural areas. However, most planning and development theories emphasise the duality of the city and village. Numerous correspondences in rural towns can lead to the development or underdevelopment of rural or urban areas. Therefore, this study investigates the role of rural-urban economies in developing rural settlements in the Balajer, QarahSaqal, Sarrjez and Dehshams of the Nalous district of Iran. The study is based on primary data sources as well as secondary data sources. Moreover, the method of data collection combines documentary and field survey methods. The data have been collected from 240 households. The secondary sources are studies, journals, business magazines and published literature. In this work, the descriptive-analytical relationships have been examined. The study’s statistical population includes all rural households in the sampled villages. For data analysis, Cronbach’s test, one-sample t-test, Pearson correlation and linear regression model. The t-test result was 2.54, which assessed the poor relationship between the city and the village. Also, in the Pearson correlation test, the flow of urban investment in rural economic activities has a higher correlation. In the regression test, communication flow has significantly impacted communication by providing financial resources.