Explaining the Effects of Industrial Estates on the Sustainability of Rural Settlements: A case study of Binaloud Industrial Estate in Mashhad

Abstract

<p>The development of industrial areas in villages can have many positive socio-economic effects. Results of studies indicate an improvement in the living conditions of villagers after the establishment of industrial areas in villages. Establishment of industrial estates in different provinces of the country has been followed by numerous environmental, economic, social, and physical effects on the region, especially the rural community. Thus, the present study seeks to do a case study concerning the effects of Binaloud Industrial Estate on the sustainability of rural settlements in Ahmadabad district of Mashhad city while considering the place and importance of industrial estates in rural areas. This research is an applied study in terms of purpose, whose results can be used in planning. For measuring the effects of industrial estates, three economic, social and environmental dimensions have been taken into account, which have been evaluated by multiple questions in the questionnaire. Thus, of 58 villages existing in Ahmadabad district of Mashhad city where Binaloud Industrial Estate has been located (research statistical population), 42 villages were selected. To determine the number of sample villages, demographic factor (villages with more than 100 inhabitants) was used. Then, considering the factor of distance dimension and access to Binaloud Industrial Estate, 10 villages were selected out of 42 villages and were used as the population of the research sample. Based on Cochran formula, unlimited population size is used to determine the sample size. Accordingly, the sample size was obtained to be 279. The sample size of each village has been calculated with regard to the proportion of the size of households in each village. In order to compare the average of respondents’ opinions regarding the effect of industrial estates on the sustainability of rural settlements, comparison of the average of this variable (including three economic, social and environmental dimensions) was done with the aid of t-test with number 3 (medium), whose results indicated that p-value divided by 2 of this test is lower than 0.05 and t-statistic is positive (16.732). Hence, it can be concluded that the creation of industrial estates is effective in the sustainability of rural settlements; that is, the research hypothesis is approved with 95% confidence. Ultimately, the impact of the industrial estate on the studied villages is greater in the social and economic dimensions, and in the environmental dimension, the industrial estate has had a significant impact on only 3 villages (Avareshk, Seidabad and Fakhr Davoud). </p>