Introduction: Cities have become central to ensuring a sustainable future. Many Cities employ STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING, a transformative and integrative public-sector-led activity, to create a coherent SPATIAL development strategy in order to pursue sustainable development. Due to its encompassing, cross-sectoral qualities, urban PLANNING science is expected to strengthen nature-related aspects of urban PLANNING. This article is focused around a discussion of the nature of STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING, as exemplified in the PLANNING literature, and as an example, from Ardakan Municipality. Method: This paper aims to develop a STRATEGIC plan for the Ardakan city and operational plan of the Ardakan Municipality of Fars province. The method of explaining the subject is descriptive-analytic and STRATEGIC PLANNING. The analytical unit of Ardakan in Fars province, the statistical population of the study is urban civil engineering experts on the one hand (as a think tank workshop), and citizens of Ardakan city on the other hand. A total of 19 experts were selected by the targeted sampling method and 150 citizens were randomly selected and separate questionnaires were distributed among them. In different stages of STRATEGIC PLANNING to operational PLANNING (landscape development and project extraction), comparative analysis methods (analysis and comparison of the city per capita with neighboring cities (, Oregon vision, the formation of panels for extracting strategies and goals, SWOT analysis has been used. Conclusion: The citychr('39')s STRATEGIC plan includes the development of a 20-years vision based on those four five-year plans. The prospect of goals and the target of the wisdom are tailored to the outlook. Extracting strategies are in six areasof social and cultural, economic, environmental, urban and institutional, physical, SPATIAL and tourism. The operational plan for the years 1402-1398 includes 44 plans corresponding to 10 projects with the proposed amount of 168, 800, 000, 000 Rails.

“ Rationality” is one of the most influencing epistemological frameworks in urban PLANNING, though this concept is criticized and denied by post-modernist advocates. The critics believe that it is the “ post-rationality” era in urban PLANNING. Furthermore, the concept of rationality has become a negative concept as it has been taken synonymous with an uncompromising technical and professional superiority. According to critics, rationality ignores the other types of knowledge-such as subjective impressions, common sense, social and human values, intuitions and so on – and only justify positivism and value-free knowledge. These criticisms might be due to decreasing the concept of “ rationality” to “ instrumental rationality” , while there is a variety of concepts of rationality which are different from each other. This article tries to focus on and develop the necessity and importance of the dialectical challenge amid theory and practice in urban PLANNING. This is done by addressing the stereotypes about the concept and application of “ rationality” in urban PLANNING” and the doubts which have led to its denial through 1) clarifying more deeply the definition of the concept of rationality; 2) tracing its chronological and conceptual evolution; and 3) dissecting its influences upon the theories and approaches urban PLANNING. The first two are exploratory-descriptive purposes and the third one is descriptive-analytical purpose of this article. Methodology To achieve the mentioned purposes of this article, the theoretical, experimental, and technical frameworks which are related to the concept of “ rationality” has been examined. This article is based on a descriptive-explanatory research and the related text data has been analyzed by the “ chronological analysis” method within “ qualitative approach” to address the questions of “ why” , “ how” , “ where” and “ when” . Furthermore, in this article “ thematic analysis method” is being used to trace the themes or repeating pattern in the data sets to describe the research question. By recognition of important and critical events in chronological continuum of the related concepts of the research, this article does not focus on dialectical relationship between knowledge. The methods used to collect and analysis the data within suggested process in the article are included: a) data collection and processing: the data used in this article are secondary data and the method of collecting this data is document review which consist of related data in valid and reliable books and articles; b) data analysis: there is a dual path to analysis the data in this article. In exploratory-descriptive path, it has been traced the theories, concepts and global experiments related to the concept of rationality in urban SPATIAL STRATEGIC PLANNING. The output of this path is recognition of the criteria of rationality and irrationality. In descriptive-analytical path, in order to address the third question of the research, this article tries to propose a framework to connect the urban PLANNING approach to different types of rationality to upgrade the actions and interactions of PLANNING. Results and Discussion The chronological evolution of rationality in PLANNING and its effect on PLANNING approach can be discussed within five periods: in the first period, rationality as a pure reason was seen in comprehensive PLANNING. The focus of PLANNING in this period was on “ the best action” to achieve the goals set by the employers. It was assumed the needed resources for PLANNING are unlimited and accessible and planners were a value – free technocrat. In the second period, rationality was still introduced as pure reason and the rational comprehensive PLANNING focused on choosing “ efficient action” to face the “ PLANNING problems” . The main assumption in this period was the existence of unlimited time and resources for problem finding. In the third period, the limitations of time and data resources in PLANNING were been recognized by a planner. Two dominant approaches were identifiable in this period: a) the approaches based on “ substantive rationality” : in these approaches, planner as savior tried to do “ justly action” to address “ plural values” in society. Therefore, while these approaches were concerned about the “ ends” and being justly and fair, they were based on substantive rationality; and b) the approaches based on “ formal or functional rationality” : the other PLANNING approaches were interested in mutual consensus between the groups with opposite interest-without caring about the quality of the decisions made by these consensus. So, in these approaches the main actors of PLANNING were interest group and not planners. Fourth period was the period of maturity of rationality concept in PLANNING. In this period substantive and formal rationality were dominant concepts and the “ communicating rationality” was introduced. The main purpose of the dominant approaches in this period was focusing on efficient, fair and justly and collective action to tolerate the less defeat and face the uncertainties. In the fifth period the communication rationality is the dominant in PLANNING. The approaches based on this concept are concerned about interactions-not actions-. The main purpose of PLANNING in this period is to achieve to not just a “ consensus” , but a “ consensus based on a mutual understanding” . Conclusion The output of this article was a conceptual model in order to show the typology of rationality and their evolution; tracing their influence on urban PLANNING approaches; and explaining the necessity of this concept in STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING. Finally the deterrent of using rationality in urban STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING could be introduced as: first) the absence of a legal prescribed agenda for the institution which are engaged in urban PLANNING process; second) the epistemological, eclecticism, and political gaps in urban PLANNING and the absence of an agreed definition of STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING based of rational thinking; and third) negligence in adaptation underlying economic and political traditions, epistemological foundations and theories and approaches use in PLANNING action and practice.

Introduction: SPATIAL PLANNING which is concerned with land space or geography, is common throughout the world. A STRATEGIC approach as a range of unbreakable management relationships and PLANNINGs is effective as it acts as a link and conducts the interactions effectively. Khorasan Razavi is the main center of population in the East of country, which has a special role in national PLANNING, regional PLANNING, and in SPATIAL PLANNING, for the establishment of a STRATEGIC approach in the context of long-term PLANNING…

Developing rural tourism based on the development of sustainable tourism and turning tourism into an economic engine for the region to develop rural areas is one of the most important issues requiring the adoption of logical and STRATEGIC strategies in accordance with regional and local capabilities and with PLANNING orientation. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to develop the rural tourism destinations in the east of Mazandaran province, considering the SPATIAL dimensions (human, activity, space), and the dimensions of sustainable development (economic, social, cultural, and environmental). This study is descriptive-analytical and the related data collected based on documentary analysis, surveying and field studies. The statistical sample of the study included 10 experts from the Organization of Cultural Heritage and Handicrafts of Tourism of the province and 21 dignitaries. The SOAR analysis technique was used to develop a strategy for developing and explaining the strengths, opportunities, aspirations and measurable results. The results of the study showed that stakeholders' most important strategies are holding conferences and meetings-the development of investment in rural tourism along with strengthening the physical infrastructures and eliminating the problems associated with environmental barriers (topography, slope and height) of tourism sites.

It seems that sport is as an important part of development in sustainable development. The purpose of this research was the perspective of STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING for table tennis in Esfahan province. Statistical population consisted of sports experts in Isfahan province. 78 subjects were selected by the purposive random sampling method. A combination of qualitative and quantitative methods coefficient initial questionnaire and open interviews and ratings were used for data collection and analysis. The research instrument was a self-made check list in which respondents were asked to indicate the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the sport's List, while using geographic information system (GIS) to provide descriptive-analytic model, and part of the data in the software Arc-GIS analysis to investigate. The overall result of the study showed that there is an unbalanced distribution of table tennis facilities and spaces in the province, In addition, with regard to the Matrix positioning and STRATEGIC action status table tennis in Isfahan province was competitive.

Polycentric city-regions are the result of the increasing processes of growth in different SPATIAL configurations. Such phenomena areparticular type of SPATIAL system that have their unique and distinctive characteristics. Misunderstanding the nature of Polycentric city-regions and their specific guidance and control mechanisms especially in developing countries, would prevent them of experiencing sustainable SPATIAL development. Traditional PLANNING procedures and approaches are unable to face challenges presented by such city-regions, while insisting on their continuation would lead to inextricable problems. This is despite the fact that the STRATEGIC SPATIAL PLANNING might address the challenge properly. The purpose of this article is to discuss the eligibility of SPATIAL STRATEGIC PLANNING as a responsive and applicable procedure to face the challenging nature of Polycentric city-regions within a system approach. This article is based on explanatory research methodology, which is followed by an analytical description of events in order to explain their relationship within the framework of systems approach. The output of this article is the analysis of major characteristics of polycentric city-regions and a theoretical model would be introduced in order to explain how the guidance and control mechanism of such city-regions can be assumed to be within a SPATIAL STRATEGIC PLANNING approach.

SPATIAL PLANNING to improve future agenda, theoretically deals with aspects related to the future. However, both in theoretical and practical areas, future is mostly ignored, often for reasons such as the impact of social science and the scientific method on intellectual frameworks of PLANNING, lack of data and unknown future events, political constraints, insufficient funding and professional routines. Even in STRATEGIC plans, future is seen only as a normative destination. To equip PLANNING to operate in complex environments full of uncertainty, "STRATEGIC foresight", which is distinguished from traditional PLANNING, considers the alternatives futures foresight and imagines multiple possible outcomes with the aim of expanding the perception of decision-makers. Accordingly, this paper, with the aim of integration of foresight in the STRATEGIC PLANNING process, first detect multiple arenas of overlapped concepts and meanings via literature review and then reviews different foresight approaches and processes to propose how to combine STRATEGIC foresight in PLANNING. This process using cross-impact analysis method and Scenario Wizard software has been tested in Karaj Metropolitan Region. Uncertainty out of SPATIAL development PLANNING system, due to the institutional, functional and physical affiliation to Tehran, is the main rationale for selection of this case study. Karaj Urban Region, consists of 6 cities of Karaj, Savojbolagh, Nazarabad, Taleghan, Eshtehard and Fardis, as well as 13 cities with the centricity of Karaj and a population of 1, 614, 626 (2011), has been separated from Tehran province on 2010 and turned into Alborz province. The results of the analysis show that the scenario of the continuation of the current trends is the most consistent scenario of SPATIAL development in the Karaj metropolitan area. The model of mono-centric system consists of potential integrated areas (PIAs) with distinct functional areas and weak correlation among them, corridor oriented SPATIAL structure centered on the Tehran highway in Qazvin with territorial SPATIAL logic and behavior, acting as a pole of agriculture in the region, benefiting from scale-based savings with the management system led by the governor of Tehran, are the main features of this scenario. In this paper, it was tried to provide alternative strategies for strategists through scenario writing in a participatory way by means of futurology workshop. For the four consecutive scenarios, the output of the software only provides imagery of the potential future, thus providing the possibility of thinking about what is "unthinkable". Since the value of the future is not in the scenario creation, but is more likely in illustrating the consequences of any scenario, the author has tried to address, describe and draw the consequences of the five key determinants identified as SPATIAL drivers (due to the greater relevance with SPATIAL development PLANNING dimensions). Therefore, the future agenda of the PLANNING system, according to the proposed methodology of research, should be to create different decision-making options through scenario PLANNING. Formulating the most appropriate perspective for the correct guidance of the system in the alternative futures, proposing suitable SPATIAL organization, and developing a STRATEGIC plan for this area are to be taken into account.

In recent years, STRATEGIC PLANNING has been developed in line with participatory democracy and communicative rationality, and then criticized for not providing a practical methodology. Some scholars such as Gavent, Cornwall and Ataov argue that we should conceptualize “Action Research Approach” as a methodological solution to implement STRATEGIC PLANNING and communicative rationality. Action Research Approach concentrates on mutual learning, and involves interactions between the multitudes of actors. Nevertheless, they have just focused on using the approach in a single geographical scale, while implementing Action Research Approach in one scale depends on other ones due to interdependency of the scales and essentially the multi-scalar character of places. It is, therefore, essential to develop an interrelated scalar approach for STRATEGIC PLANNING and Action Research Approach by considering inter-scalar interaction and plural dimension of scales. Hence, this article outlines more SPATIALly-extended vision of Action Research Approach using SPATIAL pluralism alongside the concept of "PLANNING with scales". The aim of SPATIAL Action Research Approach is to equalize power, knowledge and decision making relations SPATIALly, and to improve them democratically.

Attempts to prepare a national SPATIAL plan over the previous 35 years have always met problems and challenges. Experience of SPATIAL PLANNING in Iran (often at national level) has encountered events and decision taking through concepts, theories, techniques, producers, processes, organizations and logic that have sometimes led to improvement in this work and at other times deviated it from its correct path. This research aims to analyse and evaluate SPATIAL PLANNING through a process of PLANNING point of view and, in this way, focuses on concepts, organizations and current rules in Iran’s PLANNING system to understand some of present challenges and make recommendation for confronting them. According to the research outcomes, major reasons for the failure of Iran’s SPATIAL plans are found in the conceptual, organizational and logical contexts. It is therefore not expected that SPATIAL PLANNING recommendations would be operational, because of incorrect presumptions and poor recognition that surround the SPATIAL PLANNING issue as well as some independent and obligatory rules, unstable and imprecise organizational arrangements, and the existence of a dominant sectorial view of long-term economic development PLANNING.