Hamedan

Purpose: One of such changes is the rural sprawl and its physical-spatial consequences in rural areas and their surrounding lands which has led to land use change in agricultural lands, gardens and less planed physical changes. Design/methodology/approach: This study was conducted in a descriptive-analytical method using field works, regular interviews and monitoring of satellite images and GIS maps. This study sought to identify and explain the natural consequences of rural sprawl in the physical area of villages and their surroundings during a 20-year period from 1995 to2016. The study area included 24 large rural settlements around Hamadan County with an average rural population of 2,800 people in areas with farmlands and gardens. Finding: The findings showed that rural sprawl has resulted in unplanned proximity and intermingling of rural-urban functions in rural settlements, physical changes in surrounding rural settlements, changes in diversity and composition of rural land uses, changes in physical structure of rural areas, and increased number of single-family residential units and villas. Research limitations/implications: Difficulty in gathering data about the rural areas’ physical changes and access to data and documentation of some organizations and interviews with some groups were among the challenges of the study. Practical implications: Management based on settlement systems of suburban towns and villages in the form of rural-urban ties and metropolitan area of Hamadan (in macro level), integrated management based on legal limits of the villages and their immediate areas, regulatory and more planned intervention through compliance of the uses with the structures and functions of the villages were some of the recommendations in the managerial and planning level. Originality/value: There have been a limited number of studies on emerging concepts and phenomena in the villages surrounding the metropolises and big cities. Therefore, it was necessary to conduct a study and discuss the consequences of rural sprawl as a phenomenon in villages round cities.

One of the most important destinations that has affected the world's tourism trends over the past decades is rural centers. The growth of short-term trips has transformed these destinations into major tourist centers, and this phenomenon is evident in the decrease in the average length of stay of tourists in many destinations worldwide. Villages are multi-purpose tourist destinations and play a significant role as centers of tourism activity. Archaeology has made significant contributions to the understanding of past cultures and civilizations and has brought fresh perspectives to the social sciences and arts. The methods of conducting archaeological research and the process of reaching desired results are of considerable interest to the general public, especially those who are interested in sensory and tangible exploration; therefore, the best approach to popularize archaeology is to establish its connection with tourism. Tourism shares common fields of knowledge and activities with archaeology and has made significant efforts in the development, preservation, revitalization, and enhancement of structures and monuments resulting from archaeological activities. Now, due to the common issues between archaeology and tourism, they can establish a close relationship in the cultural field. This research aims to focus on ancient and historical works as tourist attractions and as factors generating income and long-term development needs in this sector, which leads to the necessary groundwork for the sustainable development of tourism based on a historical and cultural approach. This analysis is a mixed methodological approach based on observation, interviews, questionnaires, and statistical data