چكيده به لاتين
The metropolitan area's structure consists of population and activity centers distribution, and its balance depends on the coherence of these centers and flows between them. Cities must have a particular role and function to survive in the region. Functional identity, as a less-known aspect of identity, makes each city play its role in region's parity and equivalence. In Isfahan metropolitan area, as a case study, despite the vast potential in whole region, only Isfahan as the main city has centrality and functional identity, and the peripheral cities are so different from it. On the other hand improving accessibility of urban areas to each other can play an effective role on metropolitan area's balance. Although it should be notice that easy access can lead to more concentration in the main city and transforming peripheral cities into dormitories and reducing their identity more than before. Therefore, main issue of this research is the type of transit network, how it extends in the region and its effect on urban functional identity of metropolitan area.
To approach to research’s goals and find answers, at first New York, Paris and Beijing metropolitan area have been analyzed. This metropolitans have successful experiments in forming balance among population nodes and developing functional identity for middle and small towns, by enhancing accessibility through rail suburb transportation. After that aiming to find out the relationship between functional identity of cities and their access to regional transportation, research method has been taken in three main steps. First: studying spatial structure of Isfahan metropolitan area that was carried out by analyzing network flows and hierarchical structure; second: measuring the functional identity of cities considered by citizens; and third: compare city levels in two previous steps. The study method was based on library and field study in Isfahan metropolitan area.
The results showed that there was a direct relationship between transportation system access and urban identity in the region. Therefore, developing the access level and using rail transport as the most sustainable regional mode, could be effective in increasing urban identity, their population density and functioning in the metropolitan area. Finally strategic planning is being carried out to enhance the urban identity in the region, with emphasis on regional transportation. Due to geographic status, historical identity and capacities such as the steel industry and agriculture in metropolitan area of Isfahan, this plan seeks to create a multi-central structure. Thus, by proportional distribution of services, and decrease transit concentration on Isfahan city, it’s possible to create a coherent structure. Which fallows by functional-spatial coherence in the region as well as integrated and balanced spatial development.
Keywords: Metropolitan area of Isfahan, Regional transportation, Functional identity
