Applied Research in Geographical Sciences

Applied Research in Geographical Sciences

Evaluating the Political-Economic Impacts of National and Regional-Scale Companies and Industries on Integrated Urban Management (Case Study: Ahvaz Metropolis)

Articles in Press
Author
afshin karami
Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz
Abstract
In centralized political systems, the government-municipality or government-local governance relationship follows a hierarchical structure, where the independence of municipalities is overshadowed by their financial dependence on the government or state-affiliated organizations. In Ahvaz, the metropolitan area under study in this research, in addition to this type of governmental dependence, urban management may be subject to another form of financial dependency. The prominent presence of companies and industries operating at regional and supra-regional scales – such as Khuzestan Steel Company, petrochemical industries, the National Iranian Oil Company, and its affiliated organizations in Ahvaz and Khuzestan region – and their interactions with urban management can significantly influence municipal performance. This research seeks to examine the political-economic effects of regionally and nationally scaled companies and organizations on spatial-political management and urban governance. In other words, it aims to answer the question: To what extent can the financial dependence of urban management on one or more national/regional companies affect the optimal performance of municipalities? This study employs the policy network model as its research framework. The policy network was visualized using Gephi software, followed by network analysis. The research findings indicate that the political economy of these corporations' presence can be summarized in two dimensions: a) Positive economic impacts b) Urban management challenges.
Keywords
Ahvaz
Political Economy
city
Industries
Management
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Applied Research in Geographical Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 21 March 2007