International Journal of Human Capital in Urban Management

Abstract New Urbanism design principles have been adopted for many urban planning efforts in recent years. The purpose of this paper is studding the structure and space of Shahid Beheshti Square as one of the most important and old squares of Tabriz from the view of new urbanism principals. In order to reaching this purpose the data were collected through a questionnaire distributed among peoples that attend in Shahid Beheshti square and an Exploratory Factor Analysis using Principal Component Analysis was carried out and to reaching to the accurate data interview used as supplementary method. The results show that among the new urbanism design principles, Increased Density is the only principle that observed in study area and Green Space, Mixed Housing and Connectivity are the principles that have the low factor load. Actually the urban space in square is not designed based on new urbanism principles and failed to satisfy the satisfaction of the people to the use of space.

Abstract Dealing with the tension between explorative and exploitative activities is a key issue for firms. Literature suggests that ambidexterity allows firms to manage this issue properly and provides firms with specific competitive advantages. This study was conducted aiming at investigating the impact of Human Resources measures on organizational ambidexterity in smart city projects. Method used is descriptive - survey. The statistical society of the study consisted of 460 employees of District 13 of Municipality of Tehran, out of them 210 subjects were identified as the sample volume and were selected by simple random sampling method. The tool used for measurement was a standard questionnaire whose reliability was estimated as Alpha 0.924. In order to analyze the data, descriptive and inferential statistical indicators especially structural equation modeling by Amus software, K-S test and Bartlett were used. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the explorative Human Resources have significant effect on exploration (Cr=14.533, B=0.95) of smart city projects, and exploitative Human Resources have significant effect on exploitation (Cr=12.204, B=0.81) of smart city projects In the other words, strengthening the measures of Human Resources and its various dimensions increases the ambidexterity of smart city projects.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The lakes in the state of Minnesota (MN) have undergone accelerated changes with the passing of time, where cattle ranching, agriculture, the increase of industrial jobs and urban area development have changed their condition from pristine to critical. To evaluate this problem, secondary data obtained from the public domain of three lakes from a county used for a long period for agriculture and cattle (Carver County) and three lakes from a county where the land has been used more for housing and industrial economy (Hennepin County). The aim of the study was to use the information to evaluate the trophic status, and compare the results of the lakes of rural areas versus lakes in urban areas in order to create a possible mitigation plan to improve the condition of the area.
METHODS: Trophic status was determined to evaluate the water quality of each lake. ANOVA analysis was employed to analyze the data set obtained from the public domain in the official webpage of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
FINDINGS: Data results for total phosphorus, Secchi Disk and Chlorophyll-a, showed that all lakes are under eutrophic-hypereutrophic status with Trophic State Index (TSI) results between 59 to 80. Hennepin County had two of the three lakes evaluated in hypereutrophic states when compared with Carver County lakes. Carver County has only one lake out of the three evaluated under hypereutrophic conditions. Statistical analysis showed that p <α. The results demonstrated that lakes near areas used mainly for urban/industrial purposes are more contaminated than lakes near areas used for agriculture/livestock.
CONCLUSION: The restoration of wetlands that are near the lakes is proposed as a possible bioremediation method to improve water quality. Alternatively, an artificial wetland could be implemented in the lakes that do not have this natural system. Placing a Subsurface Flow System (SFS) artificial wetland in parallel trenches, which bypasses the lake and/or into the mouth of the river, would allow the sedimentation process to occur in these spaces. In addition, the use of Phosphor-Accumulator Organisms (PAO) and specialized aquatic plants, such as Hydrodictyon reticulatum, Elodea canadensis, Eichhornia crasspies, Eleocharis plantaginea, Pistia stratiotes and Hydrilla verticillate will trap contaminants and aid in their removal.

Abstract This study investigated psychosocial factors as determinants of littering prevention behavior among residents of Ilorin, Kwara state, Nigeria.  The independent variables are; personality traits, gender, Residential characteristics, Educational level, Age and Organizational factors while dependent variable is littering prevention behavior. Descriptive survey was utilized for research design and accidental sampling technique to collect data from a total of 601 participants. The sample comprised of 263(43.8%) males and 338(56.2%) female respondents. Ten Item Personality Inventory (TIPI) was used to measure personality traits while Littering Prevention Behavior Scale (LPBS) was used to assess littering prevention behavior of respondents. The results revealed that there is significant positive relationship between littering prevention behavior and personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, neuroticism, openness, conscientiousness) [R= (.260; P<.01), (R=.200; P<.01), R=(.144; P<.01), (R=.248; P<0.1), (R=168 P<.01). Also, female participants scored significantly higher on littering prevention behavior than males [t (599) =-3.429; p<.01). It further shows that personality factors predicted about % significant joint influence on littering prevention behavior {R= .327; R²=.107; F (5,595) =820.56; P<.05}. It was recommended that government should attract recycling companies to explore the country utilizing the rampant litters in our environs by monetizing the submission of litters to those companies to encourage the conformists; there should be public enlightenment on how to manage one’s personality to prevent littering behavior also, government should engage law enforcement agents to implement specific policies guiding and restricting littering behaviors.

Abstract Urbanism directly affects the hydrological cycle. One of the ways to manage runoffs in urban areas that is considered nowadays is green roof creation. Green roof is mainly created in humid and semi-humid areas, and efficiency of green roofs in arid and semi-arid areas has attracted less attention. In the current study, to evaluate the effect of green roof in arid and semi-arid to reduce runoff, an experimental green roof without vegetation was designed in Behbahan city of Khuzestan province in Iran. The city has an arid and semi-arid climate. Experimental Green roof was studied during 7 months. During the study, the data regarding the height of rainfall, soil moisture in different soil layers of the experimental green roof as well as the amount of output runoff were measured. The results showed that the amount of moisture in the surface layer of soil is severely affected by rainfall. The average surface soil moisture has been about 20.5 % and in the deep and middle layers has been 24.8 and 24.1, respectively. In addition, regarding runoff reduction and delays in creating runoff, the results showed that in the observed rain events, in average, 92.2 percent of volume of rainfall has been kept in soil, and has not been converted into runoff. Due to arid and semi-arid climate of the target area and high-intensity of rainfall, green roof can reduce a considerable percentage of runoff.

Abstract This study aims to analyze: 1) the development of demand for craft SMIs products through the use of e-commerce, 2) the effect of e-commerce utilization, macroeconomic conditions, prices, and the intensity of promotion on product demand, 3) the effect of e-commerce utilization, macroeconomic conditions, prices, promotion intensity, and product demand for performance; and 4) the role of product demand in mediating the effect of e-commerce utilization, macroeconomic conditions, prices, and the intensity of promotion on performance. The results of the study show that the product demand variable gives a value of 0.371 while influence of the business performance variable gives a value of 0.486. The results of the study show that the development of demand for handicraft products in Denpasar through low e-commerce utilization, craft SMIs that utilize e-commerce demand more products than those who do not utilize, macroeconomic conditions have a positive and significant effect on product demand, the price has a negative effect and significant to product demand, while promotion intensity has a positive but not significant effect on product demand. Crafting SMIs that utilize e-commerce have better performance than those that do not use, macroeconomic conditions, prices, and product demand have a positive and significant effect on performance. Promotion intensity has a positive but not significant effect on performance.Product demand variables mediate the effect of e-commerce utilization variables, perceptions of macroeconomic conditions, and price variables on the performance variables of small and medium scale industries

Abstract Removing local communities from lands that they have been exploiting for generations without consultation or adequate compensation can result in retaliation and hostile attitudes toward the objectives of the protected areas.Therefore, this study examines the application of willingness to participate of local communities in the conservation of national parks. For the empirical observations, Iran’s Khabr National Park was studied. The required data were collected using questionnaires fulfilling and interviewing with locals and tourists of the Khabr National Park. For analyzing the data, the logit econometric model was applied. Results indicated that 80 percent of them were eager to participate and they wanted the park to be managed by private sectors. Therefore, it is recommended that the government provide a condition where the private sector act and engage people in the conservation of the park. Factors such as a history of participation in previous projects, being Indigenous, lack of management organization, and familiarity with the environment were determined as the factors which affected the participation in this project.

Abstract One of the major challenges in mega cities is the degree of the preparedness of organizations, institutions and people in facing with critical conditions and their immediate reaction according to pre-defined instructions. Identification of priorities and acting accordingly is an undeniable factor in urban crisis management. The purpose of this research was to identify the priorities of preparedness and readiness to immediate responses in case of large fire incident occurrence in the urban areas. District 9 of Tehran municipality was selected as a case study. Considering the Specific regional conditions of this area such as high population, old unstable housing constructions, presence of Mehr-abad air port at the heart of the district, and the gas transmission pipeline mark this district as a vulnerable area to fire incidents. According to the crisis management readiness index, 2 types of questionnaires were distributed among members of the crisis department and fire rescue forces of the district 9. The results reviled that the most important priorities were basic training to residents, equipping the gas valves with automatic cut off switches in an emergency situation, training the responsible personnel to act efficiently in the early hours of accident and performing maneuvers. SPSS software was used for statistical analysis and Cranach’s alpha coefficient was used to test the reliability of the questionnaire and to test the hypotheses single-sample T -test was used.

Abstract Traffic is one of the main sources of air pollution in metropolitan areas. With development of transportation system, inappropriate vehicle production, and the use of low-quality fuels, increased pollution in these areas is inevitable. The current study tries to determine PM_2.5, PM₁₀, NO₂, and CO emission dispersion, caused by traffic, using CALINE4 software. According to research findings, during one month in each of 3 different seasons, CO levels varied between 30-55ppm. Also, NO₂ levels, at all stations in Tehran, varied between 0.1- 0.4ppm; values above 0.05 represent pollution by diesel-fueled vehicles, mostly old and outdated public transportation buses. Modeling of suspended particles smaller than 2.5 microns indicated that pollution at all of the 10 stations was between 65-113μg/m3, which was above standard (35μg/m³). In addition, during all the studied months, the amount PM₁₀ varied between 105-193μg/m³, and in some areas, it was above the Standard of the Iranian Department of the Environment (DOE) of 150μg/m3. According to matrix of internal and external factors analysis, strategies to be considered are of Weakness/Opportunity type (benefiting from opportunities and overcoming existing weaknesses). By forming a Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM), W/O strategies of SWOT matrix were prioritized. As a result, increased budget for environmental control in the area (39.5), cooperation and coordination between the private and public sectors (69.4), equipping the public transportation with low-energy and green vehicles (48.4), widespread public awareness campaign (98.3), and transferring the polluting industries to suburban areas (78.3) were selected as top strategies for managing traffic-borne air pollutant in District 12 of Tehran.

Abstract  
An entrepreneurial organization is always ready and able to adapt too many essential changes in the external environment, and plan their programs for changing environmental needs.This research has been done to identify the effect of job satisfaction on organizational entrepreneurship in the municipality. The methodology of the research in terms of the main strategy is a quantitative method. From the point of view of applied purpose, it is a descriptive and correlational method for executive, field, and library methods. The statistical population of this study is all 325 staff members in March 2018. The sampling method is a simple random method. The sample size was 175 people based on the Morgan table. Measurement tool in this research was a standard five-point Likert scale questionnaire and for analyzing data the Partial least squares regression (Smart PLS software) was used. Findings showed that job satisfaction (General Working Conditions, Contact with Colleagues, Salary and Benefits and Staff Loyalty) has a positive and significant effect on organizational entrepreneurship. Considering that the Cronbach's alpha value in this research is more than 0.7, it indicates the appropriate reliability of the research. The results showed that general conditions of work with severity (4.701), relationship with colleagues with severity (5.385), Salaries and benefits with severity (3.906) and loyalty of staff with severity (5.97) have a positive and significant effect on organizational entrepreneurship.

Abstract Earlier phases of economic expansion and urban development have resulted in significant sources of urban soil contamination. Petroleum hydrocarbons are one of the most common groups of persistent organic contaminants in the environment. In this study, two types of treatment in 3 concentrations were prepared that were included plant treated by 1% oil pollution, treatment by 1% contamination without plant (as control), plant treated by 5% oil pollution, the 5% pollution treatment without plant (control), 10% oil pollution treatment with plant and 10% treatment without plant (control) that 3 replicates were prepared for each treatment. The obtained extracts were concentrated to 1 mL under a gentle stream of nitrogen gas, and then 2 μg of the sample was injected into a UNICAM 610 series gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector. Primary Total petroleum hydrocarbons amount in 1%, 5% and 10% concentration was respectively: 9027.40 mg/kg, 49599.03 mg/kg and 99548.28 mg/kg. After 4 months its amount in different concentration with plant was 126.43 mg/kg, 4463.92 mg/kg and 19611.50 mg/kg. The best total petroleum hydrocarbons removal efficiency was observed in all concentration at 120^th day. The results of this study showed that vetiver can remove petroleum hydrocarbons from contaminated soils effective.

Abstract Advantages of urbanization such as access to clean water, health, and overall easier life in cities, as well as the disadvantages or its negative effects on environment cannot be ignored. Today, there are numerous environmental problems due to the reduction in ecologically valuable places within urban areas. Bringing nature to the cities appears to be essential to enhance urban environment and to reduce environmental problems in urban communities. In fact, issues resulting from the idea of "sustainability" as a policy-making goal require an integrated environmental policy-making approach. The innovations of new environmental policy-making require policy-making mechanisms that can deal with interdependent characteristics of environmental problems. To this end, new structures have emerged known as Environmental Planning and Management and Strategic Environmental planning and management. This analytical – descriptive article aims to re-examine the origins and concepts related to environmental planning using a field and desk study. With the introduction of urban natural landscape, Environmental planning considers such spaces within the city. In this regard, Khoshk River, Shiraz, Iran, as an urban natural landscape, was analyzed. Environmental planning-based polices were proposed to improve quality of the place under discussion.
 

Abstract Constructing new urban facilities requires precise study of the proper sitting in different parts of a city. The first point for the accurate allocation of urban facilities, is to select the optimal site regarding different conditions and it matters when it comes to important factors such as saving lives and safety of the people. Therefore, the optimal site selection of fire stations is essential because of the importance of the people who are in danger of fire and hazards. This research is applied in terms of purpose and in terms of method, is descriptive and in terms of data collection is a survey research. For this purpose, using the Analytic hierarchy process analysis in GIS, the results were analyzed by questionnaire. Using the overlapping method, the weighted criteria were combined and the optimal sites for the constructing of fire stations are specified. Results determined areas that have a higher priority and better conditions for the constructing of fire stations. The areas which have the most suitable conditions because of their proximity to the road, residential areas, the existence of health centers, as well as commercial centers, along with the existence of worn out structures, were in the first priority for the construction of new stations. However, other parts of the district are well-suited for construction of new stations that are compatible and in fact confirm the current situation and the status.

Abstract The growth of urban populations in recent decades requires physical elements such as residential, commercial and cultural spaces and the development of infrastructure such as streets and highways, which will open a new horizon to the historic texture of cities and how to preserve and restore them. The development of new urban textures along with the lack of attention to the historic texture and the transformation of the form and structure of the old neighborhoods of the city, promotes the expansion of new physical elements and the oblivion of historic elements. In this research, first, various management dimensions and then issues related to the restoration and conservation of historic textures, problems with these types of textures, issues procedures and legal and historic measures are discussed, then by using the field survey in the direction of achieving quantitative and qualitative findings and in the format of statistical methods an using the questionnaire, the required data for the research are collected from managers and citizens and the results will be presented in the form of a chart. In this regard, four hypotheses are tested and are finally concluded and summed up. This research seeks to answer the question of whether restoring and conserving the historic texture of the District 12 of Tehran municipality could be achieved through the formulation of management strategies or not.

Abstract Tehran Municipality has had two five-year plans so far and the third one is being formulated these days. However, investigating the sector relating to the human resources shows that there is a gap between present condition and the optimal situation in several domains. This article is an attempt to investigate the five-year plans in the domain of human resources via a practical model of forecasting and retrospection analysis. It is an applied research, in which the necessary data is gathered through interview, documents and library information from formal resources. The results indicate that what is happening currently based on the policies is not optimal at all. Moreover, through explaining the normative and acceptable future, some advices are provided in order to eliminate gaps and strengthen policies along with enhancing productivity in the human resource domain of Tehran Municipality. These recommendations are about recruitment, training, management and promotion of administrative health and other areas of human resources management.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The destruction of urban areas has caused environmental, social and economic problems. One of these areas was identified in the Municipality of Humacao, on the east coast of Puerto Rico. This land is vast and unused, Fulladosa farm, located in the urban area of the Municipality of Humacao. It is suggested to create an eco-park in this place to restore this green space and help improve the environment.
METHODS: The collection of information through public documents offered information related to the study area. Through a physical spatial analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the study area could be obtained. This technique made it possible to identify areas with development potential to create an eco-park. Management strategies were developed for the development of the eco-park. Sustainable aspects were analysed to assess the viability of establishing an eco-park on the Fulladosa farm.
FINDINGS: The Fulladosa farm, located on Almodóvar Final Street in Barrio Cataño, has a high-density residential rating. According to the joint regulation, the use of parks in classified plots as high-density housing is not allowed. Therefore, a location query must be used to submit the project to the Licensing and Approval Office. Finally, it was found that the study area is prone to flooding. Flood insurance is also required, and the municipality must obtain the elevation certification required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
CONCLUSION:The creation of this eco-park can provide environmental education, community interaction and recreational spaces. Completion of this project will generally provide environmental, social and economic benefits to the community.

Abstract In many industrialized areas, the highest concentration of particulate matter, as a major concern on public health, is being felt worldwide problem. Since the air pollution assessment and its evaluation with considering spatial dispersion analysis because of various factors are complex, in this paper, GIS-based modeling approach was utilized to zoning PM_2.5 dispersion over Tehran, during one year, from 21 March 2014 to 20 March 2015. The RBF method was applied to obtain the zoning maps and determining the highest concentration of PM_2.5 in the 22 Tehran’s regions for each season. The RMSE_min values according to the number of neighbors and types of functions in the radial basis function method, including completely regularized spline, Spline with tension, Multiquadric function, Inverse multiquadric function, and Thin-plate spline  for each month have been assessed. By performing analysis on the errors, the numbers of neighbors were estimated. The numbers of neighbors in the model for each function were varied from 2 to 30. The results indicate that the models with 3 and 4 neighbors have the best performance with the lowest RMSE values with using RBF method. The highest PM_2.5 concentrations have been occurred in the summer and winter especially at the center, south, and in some cases at northeast of the city.

Abstract Urban development is rapidly expanding across the globe and is a major driver of environmental change. It is important to understand how bird species responds to urbanization. Therefore I conducted a qualitative study of birds associated with waste sites such as dumpsite and sewage stabilization ponds was carried out on Moshi municipal. The study assessed the diversity between dumpsite and sewage stabilization ponds using the “Timed species count” method. A total of 15 bird families and 17 species were recorded at both sites. 13 species in 12 bird families at dumpsite and 14 species in 13 bird families at sewage stabilization pond were recorded respectively. There was significant difference in species diversity within the two sites (p<0.05) because of good breeding sites at sewage stabilization ponds which include a wide variety of resources, high productivity and moderate levels of disturbance compared to dumpsite. This study was carried out to enhance conservation awareness. These site serve as biodiversity reservoirs, urban planners should involve interdisciplinary team to make decisions from an ecological perspective when designing urban areas. From this micro-survey It is worth concluding that waste stabilization ponds contains number of resource that attracts bird’s species, as birds are bio indicators of ecosystem health.

Abstract Achieving sustainable development for managers and urban planning requires a systemic attitude to various urban issues and phenomena and a comprehensive urban development cannot be obtained with a single-dimensional perspective. Hence, in implementing various urban projects, it is necessary to examine the interactions of these projects with the surrounding environment and to assess their impact on the economic, social and environmental situations. Over the years, many renovation projects have been carried out in Iran; results were mainly the insecurity and expansion of environmental contaminants due to demolition, while changing the urban timeworn textures into a mixed project, especially the type of modern market, can be considered as a tourist attraction in a region. The type of present study is descriptive-analytic, which was done through documentary studies and questionnaire. The area of the project was the immediate area of the project and the perimeter area and the stakeholder survey was conducted using cluster-class sampling. Results of this study indicated the prevalence of diseases caused by severe environmental pollution and dust, the increase of sound, visual and environmental pollution during the implementation of the project.

Abstract BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: As the population grows on the earth, transport and industrial sector have become the main parameters whose emissions increase pollutants like greenhouse gasses that have a snowballing impact on urban air quality and life in the area. This study aims to analyze the emission of greenhouse gases in the highly urbanized city of Karachi through Geographic information technique.
METHODS: This study used the Inverse distance weighted technique of Geographic information system to highlight the emission of greenhouse gases in ten different sites of Karachi, Pakistan. Target areas include Baloch colony, Clifton, Civic center, Garden police headquarters, II Chundrigar, Karimabad, Korangi, Nazimabad, SITE area and SUPARCO.
FINDING: Results showed that Baloch colony, Korangi, Nazimabad, SITE area and Garden police headquarter lies in the highly polluted areas among these ten sites of Karachi city. Karimabad with moderate pollution, II Chundriger and SUPARCO with low pollution rate and Clifton had very low pollution.
CONCLUSION: As all of the observed ten sites of the city have dense populations with heavy traffic and industrial pollution, there is a need to take serious steps towards areas indicated in this study to safeguard the people from the effects of GHG emission.  With the help of this study the general population and all concerned authorities with highly polluted areas, can be familiarized so that efficient and different ways to overcome the pollution, like plantation, can be applied.

Abstract Every year, many accidents leading to physical injuries in kindergartens, indicates that a very large percentage of them are related to the safety concerns and lack of hygiene in these places. Families, due to their busy life style and working hours and also children needs of preschool education, are searching to find most suitable kindergartens for their children. Selecting a kindergarten with various suitable training programs, although very important criteria for selection, but is not sufficient. Indicators such as health, safety and environment issues in these places must be crucial factors in this decision making. Child safety and health management system is an integrated system, derived from health, safety and environmental management regulations which helps the kindergartens complies with relevant regulations to reduce the number of accidents occurrence. The present case study has tried, by using failure modes and effects analysis method and child safety and health management system to find the best practicable indicators to assess the relative impact of different failures in order to identify the parts of the process that are most in need of change. In this regards, 10 semi-governmental kindergartens located in Tehran District 6 of Tehran Municipality, which are supervised by municipality of Tehran were selected and evaluated. The results showed that according to the child safety and health management system and failure modes and effects analysis, all these places need massive infrastructural changes according to the preventive action list in order to be considered a safe and hygienic place for the children.

Abstract The physical identity in the urban areas can be considered as a concept which is influenced by the way of arranging the urban body. As a matter of fact, the appropriate coordination and the compatibility of physical components, such as the urban façades, can definitely facilitate the reorganization of the urban environment for being more identifiable; this issue is so obvious in the historical Iranian cities which have proper identities in their physical structures. Nowadays, the dominance of contradictory approaches and the absence of a convenient orientation have unfortunately produced inadequate urban façades and have annihilated the physical identity in Iranian cities. Also, the process of globalization and elimination of the cultural differences have greatly undermined the possibility of creating the traditional and contextual memories. In fact, the Iranian urban developments with the lack of comprehensive, endemic, and contextual plans and actions, increasingly decline the urban identity in any aspect and dimension. These types of flaws have specifically brought severe problems such as poor beauty, weak legibility, lack of unity, inappropriate physical integrity, etc., which eventually result in the non-identifiable and depersonalized urban bodies. Thereupon, this article needs some visual information which can intuitively assist to scrutinize the deterioration factors of the physical identity in the Iranian cities. Hence, by choosing the field study method is tried to reach some empirical investigation in order to collect the required visual information through photography. Moreover, at the end of this article is attempted to offer several solutions and arrangements for promoting the physical identity and also healing the depersonalization in Iranian cities.

Abstract In this study, the manner of private taxis drivers has been investigated for choosing passenger and destination from a fixed point. Therefore, two models called Multinomial and Nested Logit Models have been utilized. The information gained by scrolling in 2016 is the input data, which are in the format of revealed preference, acquired by the verbal interview in Vanak Square in Tehran (Iran). Based on data resulted by 120 questionnaires the selection modeling of passenger and destination was done. The results of the descriptive analysis show that 96.7% of respondents are men and only 3.3% are women. In addition, 15% of them are illiterate, 16.7% have under Diploma degree, 52.5% have Diploma degree and 15.8% have Bachelor degree or higher. On average, the verification was 44%, and the results achieved by this research show that the parameters consisting of searching time, the working time of drivers and the traveling time were the most important factors resulted from the calibration of the Logit models. Nested Logit model has a better performance compared with the Multinomial Logit model. The Nested Logit Model has ρ2=0.45 while this value is 0.35 for the Multinomial Logit Model. Finally, the suitable decision has been made in the various path based on gained results.

Abstract “Not in My Back Yard”; people shout this when they feel something deleterious and nonlocal will be sprung into existence in their territory by top-down powers. Some believe that NIMBY syndrome provokes parochialism, but parochialism itself can bring many beneficial consequences. Danesh Pedestrian and Bicycle Path- a recent project established on the south rim of Bagh-e-Sib (a vast historic apple orchard) in the Mehrshahr neighborhood- is one of the cases that has been crystallized through NIMBY syndrome. The municipal authorities’ decision on devastating this aged green area and turning it into a mega-scale market place or, who knows, into a highway, faced with radical protests of locals and eventuated the construction of the path. One can call it a win-win situation or maybe a social failure, but regardless of pessimistic and extremist views, it is well known that pedestrian and bicycle accessibilities are two indubitable realities of contemporary urbanism. Therefore, the evaluation of abovementioned path turned to a necessity to realize whether NIMBY is worked in this case, and generally in Iran, or not. This article delves into the subject in two phases, including 1) environmental qualities, 2) public acceptability; and originally follows several questions: has the voice of locals been heard or it was a compulsive decision just for protecting the garden? Is it a social setting or a fraudulent totalitarian exercise of municipal power? Does it meet the needs? Do people like it? How can it be over-promoted? What type of strategies are needed for further development of it?

Abstract Increasing water demand and reducing its contaminations are the main concerns and challenges for water resource managers and planner due to its limited sources and high value. This study aims to assess and understand the factors which threaten the quality of groundwater resources and to achieve this, samples were taken from 14 active wells in District 3 of the Municipality of Tehran. After categorizing the parameters to distinct measurable groups containing anions (SO4, Cl, NO2, NO3, HCO3, CO3), cations (Mg, Na, k) heavy metals (Ag, Pb, Cd) physical parameters (temperature, color and odor) chemical parameters (Total Dissolved Solid , Electrical conductivity, Total Suspended Solids and pH, the data  were analyzed  using SPSS (version 16) software. The results revealed that excessive amount of nitrate anion in Paidari and Naji station is related to the slope and sandy texture of the wells and also the surrounding area’s soil. Increased cation concentration was visible in Resalat well, which indicated the use of excessive amount of fertilizers containing sodium and also the clay soil texture. Cadmium was the only heavy metal with the concentrations of more than the standard amount. Domestic sewage and surface runoff and also regional geological structure, the lack of appropriate distance between water wells with sewage wells were among other reasons, causing underground water pollution.