A B S T R A C T Green city is one of the approaches to sustainable development. “green city” is an environmentally friendly city compatible with the concept of sustainable development and can be used for the welfare and security of its inhabitants. Based on the concept of a “green city,” urban managers try to have the least destructive effect on the ecosystems upon which cities rely. Green city is one of the sustainable development approaches that reduce the environmental footprint of cities. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the situation of Mashhad metropolis in terms of the objective characteristics of the green city. In this study, 14 indicators of electricity consumption per capita, green space per capita, population density, water availability, sewage availability, superior public transportation network, urban mass transportation, traffic reduction, annual production waste per capita, carbon monoxide, concentration nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide concentration, particulate matter concentration, and air quality were exerted. To determine the importance of research indicators, the Shannon entropy method, and the status of Mashhad city areas in terms of green city indicators, the VIKOR multi-criteria decision-making method has been applied. The results showed that most areas of Mashhad are average and below average in terms of green city characteristics, and only District 9 is in very good condition (0.636). Also, based on the results of this part of the research, District 5, with the value of VIKOR index of 0.969, is in the last rank in terms of objective characteristics of the green city Extended Abstract Introduction Green city is one of the approaches to sustainable development. A “Green city” is an environmentally friendly city compatible with the concept of sustainable development and can be used for the welfare and security of its inhabitants. Based on the concept of a “green city,” urban managers try to have the least destructive effect on the ecosystems upon which cities rely. Green cities constantly try to manage their environmental effects by reducing waste, increasing recycling, reducing air pollution, increasing population density, developing open urban spaces, and encouraging the development of sustainable local businesses. Green cities were first used to evaluate 30 European cities by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in 2009 with the financial support of Siemens and the aim of reducing the environmental effects of human activities in cities. In that study, eight indices of carbon dioxide, energy, construction, transportation, water, recycling and land use, air quality, and environmental governance were used. Later, the Economist Intelligence Unit, with the financial support of Siemens, evaluated the status of the green city index in 17 Latin American cities, 15 African cities, 22 major Asian cities, and 27 cities in United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In recent years, even some Western Islamic scholars have, in various publications, shown that Islam is an ecological religion. In Iran, the issue of protecting the environment has not received much attention regardless of its rich cultural and religious background and its confirmation in Article 50 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Mashhad is the second metropolis of Iran, located in North-East of Iran, and is one of the counties of Khorasan Razavi Province. According to the 2016 Iranian Population and Housing Census, its population was 3057679 people (The Vice-Presidency of Planning and Development of Mashhad Municipality). In Mashhad, due to several reasons including the presence of Imam Reza Shrine (PBUH) and arrival of millions of pilgrims per year, population growth, increased garbage production (production of 896534 tons of garbage in 2016 (The Vice-Presidency of Planning and Development of Mashhad Municipality), air pollution (increased number of unhealthy days from 46 days per year in 2015 to 88 days in 2016 for sensitive groups and 4 days of unhealthy air for all groups in 2016 (Center for Monitoring Environmental Pollutants of Mashhad Municipality) the 2025 vision of the city has paid attention to the environment in the form of five general objectives; however, just like the national level, no specific pattern for environmentally-compatible urban development, such as green city, is determined. Analysis of the green city index in Mashhad metropolis can considerably contribute to urban managers and planners in addition to providing a pattern for evaluating the present situation in other cities of Iran and improving the quality of life regardless of the current status of the urban environment in Iranian cities; we can preserve these environments as parts of the natural environment for future generations.   Methodology In terms of its goal, the present study is an applied one; in the study, drawing upon other studies and library sources and considering the conditions of Iran and the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of green city, 14 quantitative indices were exerted. To this end, the required data for the quantitative indices was gathered by library research from the relevant institutions. Next, the weights of quantitative indices were determined using Shannon's entropy. Then, using the VIKOR method of multi-criteria decision-making, the status of various districts of the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of quantitative indices of green city was determined. Finally, the map of the spatial distribution of quantitative indices was drawn using the ARC GIS software package.   Results and discussion In this study, to analyze the status of the metropolis of Mashhad in terms of green city features, 14 quantitative indices were used. Considering the value of the VIKOR index ranges from 0 to 1, various districts of Mashhad can be classified into five categories; very satisfactory, satisfactory, average, unsatisfactory, and very unsatisfactory in terms of quantitative indices of green city. The results of the current situation of Mashhad showed that in terms of objective indicators of the green city, District 9 of Mashhad metropolis with a value of VIKOR index of 0.056 is in first place, and the seventh region with a value of VIKOR index of 0.433 is in second place. Also, based on the results of this part of the research, District 5, with the value of VIKOR index of 0.969, is in the last rank in terms of objective characteristics of the green city.   Conclusion Similarly, the results of studies by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017) on Tehran metropolis are indicative of the unsatisfactory situation of Tehran (the biggest metropolis of Iran) in terms of green city features. Comparing the results of the studies by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017) with the present study on Mashhad (the second biggest metropolis of Iran) reveals the necessity for a comprehensive plan toward achieving green cities. It should be mentioned that, due to the specific conditions of Mashhad metropolis and availability or unavailability of the required data, the indices used in the present study are somewhat different from the ones used by Afshar (2011) and Shabani et al. (2017).   Funding There is no funding support.   Authors’ Contribution All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.     Conflict of Interest Authors declared no conflict of interest.   Acknowledgments We are grateful to all the scientific

A B S T R A C T Considering the location of vital centers in the heart of the cities, they are more affected by unexpected events. Hence, due to the probability of the loss of existing services and devastating effects on the social organization and the necessity to prepare essential needs of people and military agencies, planning and building the storage for essential items as a replacement for the damaged services are considered a critical factor in social and defensive reliability. This research tries to locate stockpile of essential Items in Mashhad by emphasizing passive defense criteria and analyzing stockpiles of essential items in terms of form communicational structure. The type of research is applied, and the research method is in theoretical discussion and formulation of mental models, descriptive-analytical and information-gathering methods, documents, questionnaires, and interviews. Moreover, the information analysis method is with the IHWP model in GIS software in the locating section. In the section on examining architectural patterns and forms is content analysis. The research results show that 20.61 percent of Mashhad has an optimal location potential, and 0.94 percent of city also has a favorable potential for location. Also, parts of the north-east and south of the city have the priority for location. The types of spatial organization of the rectangular form, including centralized, four-armed, introverted, and diagonal, were investigated in the architecture department. The centralized form is preferable to other forms for its capacity and access to exits and spatial organization Extended Abstract Introduction As a stockpile of essential items to facilitate the process of activities and to achieve goals, the warehouse plays a vital role in creating this flexibility in organizations. In fact, from the point of view of crisis management, the stockpile of essential items can play a significant role in the supply chain to deal with unforeseen internal or external incidents. Passive defense in the stockpile of essential items refers to measures that do not require expensive and challenging methods and solutions to protect the stockpile of essential items. Furthermore, it can help avoid the substantial expenses of monitoring the entire inventory and increasing non-conformities (such as theft, fire, non-conformity in the inventory and management inspection, fatal accidents, etc.) or reduce this amount. Choosing the form of the stockpile of essential items for essential items with a passive defense approach requires a comprehensive analysis based on defense principles such as hierarchical protection, nationwide coverage, dynamic protection, relative self-sufficiency, and minimum vulnerability. Therefore, in addition to placing this category of stockpile of essential items in Mashhad, the mentioned research also tries to establish a relationship between architectural forms and principles of defense to reduce vulnerability and improve the level of relief in times of crisis.   Methodology The current type of research is applied, and the research method is descriptive-analytical. In this research, 29 people were interviewed using semi-structured questionnaires and in-depth interviews with urban and passive defense experts. The method of data analysis is quantitative and qualitative. Also, the content analysis method was used to compile and analyze the architectural forms of the stockpile of essential items of essential items compatible with the principles of passive defense. The fuzzy quantitative model IHWP was exploited in GIS software for placing the stockpile of essential items in the studied sample.   Results and discussion Locating From the overlaying of 10 indicators, distance from the fault, height of buildings, distance from gas lines, distance from high voltage power lines, road width, building density, risk of uses, distance from water transmission lines, population density, and land prone to liquefaction, location in 10 class was conducted that the first and second priority is the north-east and south of Mashhad, which has the most favorable location. In Mashhad, 17.2% of the city area has a very low score, 12.8% low score, 48.37% medium score, 20.61% high score, and 0.94% very high score regarding location desirability.   Architecture According to the previous studies on geometric forms, the suitable form for warehouse design is a simple form that does not have frequent breaks and sharp and vague points to reduce the spatial deviation. Among the geometrical shapes, square and rectangular right-cornered shapes meet the criteria of warehouse design. In the meantime, the rectangle can define joints along its length, each of which is a focal point for concentrating activities and organizing their performance. Additionally, the internal spaces in this form are reasonably defined, which results in the building's overall form being overshadowed. This also makes the surrounding accesses more targeted and focused, ultimately providing more suitable relief during times of crisis. In order to create four types of stockpiles of essential items, A (centralized), B (four arms), C (introverted), and D (polar) were designed, and the way of combining these stockpiles of essential items was expressed and analyzed separately. The research results on accesses and circulation shows that type A covers a population of over 100,000 people, which has the best performance in terms of access to exits and spatial organization and provides services in times of crisis. Therefore, type A, due to the sequence of layers, lines, and expansion on the surface, has the most functional symmetry with the body of the warehouse, and its spatial projection is limited to adapt the shell to the body. Visually, it has the least visibility from a high height. Due to its volume and formal indicators, it has a high level of homogeneity and camouflage with its surrounding environment.   Conclusion The results of placing stockpiles of essential items in Mashhad showed that the northeast and south of the city have a higher talent for establishment. According to the examination of geometric forms, the rectangular form has the most efficiency for warehouse design in the architecture area. Due to formal capabilities such as the value of lines, angles, and proportions, it has the most efficiency in terms of performance, motion circulation, and the least spatial deviation. In order to research as mentioned above, after choosing the dominant form of the rectangle, an attempt has been made to analyze the spatial organization of the rectangular form using linear, combined, decomposition, and combination methods and centripetal and radial arrangements in terms of passive defense principles. Furthermore, four different types of warehouse design were formally analyzed as patterns and representative types, which are four arms, centralized, introverted, and diagonal, each of which, in addition to functional capabilities, also covers the population's needs in crisis conditions. Finally, the concentrated type due to the extent of its successive lines and layers in close proximity to each other, the perceptibility of the surfaces of the body joints because it can be recognized from a high altitude in order not to be identified in times of crisis such as air raid, they have the highest degree of compatibility between function and form from the point of view of passive defense.   Funding There is no funding support.   Authors’ Contribution All of the authors approved the content of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work.     Conflict of Interest Authors declared no conflict of interest.   Acknowledgments We are grateful to all the scientific

Though discussions about tourists’ motivations have witnessed many investigations inrecent years, research regarding motivations for religious tourism is in its infancy. Researchers have not reached an exact consensus in distinguishing religious and pilgrimage tourism. Success in destination marketing requires a thorough analysis of tourists’ motivations. Therefore, the current study surveyed and prioritized motivations of Iraqi tourists. The study is based on library research, and the use of a questionnaire. In this study, 385 questionnaires were distributed among Iraqi tourists entering the city of Mashhad.10 hidden variable and 38 items or questions were analyzed. After the final review, 247 questionnaires were accepted. Demographic variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Confirmatory factor analysis was used in analyzing the main variables. Data validity, reliability, and goodness of fit were approved and the Friedman test was used to rank the factors. The results showed that spirituality and self-actualization motives were of the highest priority. Other motivations were: visiting historic-cultural attractions; gaining respect and prestige; family reasons; searching for safety and relaxation; enjoying recreation and leisure; and learning and curiosity motivations. Pull factors were religio-cultural motivations, leisure attractions, and structural features, respectivesly.

The city is the most fundamental base of human society, through which human goals evolve and develop.Cities have a variety of functions, these functions are based on the history and location of the city.Urban functions are influenced by two elements of power and competition, which by nature can be expanded at the national, local, regional and supra-regional levels.The purpose of this study is to analyze and explain these functions and the degree of association of a religious city with the case of Mashhad.This research has been done with two descriptive-analytical methods. The resources used are references to the relevant library, documents, articles and websites that have been collected.Also, a questionnaire was prepared to obtain the opinions of experts to explain the geopolitical indicators of religious cities. Finally, this data was analyzed using Friedman SPSS software.The results of this study show the geopolitical indicators of religious cities, especially the holy city of Mashhad, what capacities, functions and capabilities have in order to promote the political management of the city and its relationship at the local, national, transnational and regional scales.

The process of formation and development of Iranian cities, like any other cities, in the Islamic period can be attributed to different geographical, historical, political as well as economic, commercial, cultural and religious factors.Kashafrood plain in Khorāsan, where the holy city Mashhad located, enjoys many desired environmental factors such as freshwater, springs and rivers, good climate, fertile soil, rich herbaceous cover and green pasturages which have rendered attraction and provided settlements for human groups from the old times. Further more location of Mashhad near the borders of central Asian tribes had given sensitivity to this town as a strategic military location after the Timurid period.In this paper I triy to survey the effect of historical and political factors of the Safavid period on development of the holy city of Mashhad.

Regarding the importance of housing in life, the investigation of various aspects of this issue such as housing price Estimation, identifying its affective factors and combination of price and its changes over the time; is necessary. To achieve these goals, housing price in Mashhad has been estimated by using Kaplan Meier model both in apartment and in the villas. To meet this objective, 1000 examples of Housing and apartment’s price during 2010 and 2011 were extracted from khorasan newspaper ads. Data was scattered on the map, by Geographic information system (GIS) and its results was analyzed by SPSS software and Kaplan Meier model. The results of Kaplan Meier model showed that the difference in prices of villas and apartments based on the number of every house rooms is significant and the probability of villas prices are less than apartment prices according to the number of rooms, was confirmed. In addition of the 3 variables which entered in the equation, the variable of ' ' infrastructure level' ' is the highest coefficient Equal to 1/196.Subsequently, the variable of "old building" has a coefficient equal to 0.973.After that, the variable of "land extent" with a coefficient equal to 0.996 is located in the second stage. Then the variable of "Age of Building" with a coefficient equal to.973 stands in the third stage. Also the spatial distribution of apartment and villa prices in the city of Mashhad indicated that the most expensive areas are mainly developed Regions or areas with high access (to holy shrine).

In religious cities specially in Mashhad, due to this city is renowned as spiritual capital of Iran, we expect that public furniture used in urban space of Mashhad reinforce and support its holy atmosphere and ziarat culture, but there are some evidence which prove contrary to this claim. In this paper we try to evaluate the massage of urban furniture of "Welcome Spring" plan based on analytical model and library researches. The results of this research shows in "Welcome Spring" plan in Mashhad there are some weaknesses points which are: "improper location of urban furniture, particularly the entries of city", "Using elements with complex concepts", "magnification of the transmission of some messages", "some element with unknown source noted", "lack of specific messages and values in some elements of large scale", "application of multiple elements, regardless of the culture and identity of Mashhad", "location of element with the reference of notification folklore-traditional ritual at low points of traffic" and "use of raw ideas in design of some elements, especially elements with large scale" that should be considered. Ultimately, policy making by urban managers in Mashhad metropolitan should consider semantic issues and massages of Urban Public Furniture given to people and zaer in their decisions intentionally or unintentionally, the mental image of holy Mashhad can be changes the religious image of Mashhad would be replaced with tourist image in near future.

Identifying the current obstacles in the business atmosphere of urban economy and determining methods of improving it are among the primary measures for achieving operational strategies in improving economic activities. The current study aims at strategic planning to improve business atmosphere in the holy city of Mashhad with regard to its religious tourism potentiality. Therefore, the strong and weak points as well as the opportunities and threats of the business atmosphere of the city were identified based upon focusing on religious tourism through SWOT and quantitative matrix of strategic planning. Following filling-out a questionnaire by 23 experts from related organizations, operational measures and proper executive policies were decided upon. The results indicated that the strategic situation of the business atmosphere of urban economy of the holy city of Mashhad, emphasizing the condition for attracting religious tourists, is in a defensive status; therefore, the strategy for supporting the active members in the field of religious tourism is among defensive strategies for this domain. Besides, deregulation, reducing official bureaucracy, and unifying organizational management are among the most important factors in devising strategies for improving business atmosphere in the holy city of Mashhad.

Global positioning system (GPS) is a system which relies on satellite for guidance and position determination. The system can display place (longitude, latitude and height) speed, route, direction, distance and time remained to destination, deviation angle from the route of recorded positions and north.In the meantime, it can guide you to your destination properly. The system belongs to the USA. GPS is a very precise technical device which can be so effective and useful in controlling patrols.With respect to the type of missions and high sensitivity of their missions, police forces highly need such a technology, and can not enhance its productivity without using the latest modern equipment. The present research mainly aims at identifying and examining the reasons of the failure in utilizing GPS in disciplinary patrols in the holy city of Mashhad. Four theories have been offered to explain the reason of the failure as follows: Lack of required equipment to be used along with GPS Weak training course held for personnel The system not being welcomed by some staff and personnel Improper planning.The statistical community in the research comprises of 40 chiefs of police stations, and Mashhad Police Commanders. Four indices have been determined for each hypothesis, and a questionnaire comprised of 61 questions has been designed. The collected data is analyzed through using SPSS, after becoming sure of its validity and reliability. Finally, the four hypotheses were approved.In addition, every hypothesis in the research was looked into and prioritized.With respect to the achieved results of the questionnaire, some recommendations have been also offered to improve the performance of police forces in line with utilizing GPS to prevent crimes.