Evolution of urban system in Mazandaran province during 1956-2011

ABSTRACT: studying urban systeminIran is known asurban network. Urban planning should be done with corporation of geographers, urban sociologists, economists, planners andarchitects to be in the best manner.Obviously,entering different specializations in studying of urban system provides looking at its concepts from various aspects. Thereforeidentifyingthisfield andfinding out its general rules has become more available.However,due toits multi–dimensional nature, the only successful ones werefamiliar with social and economicsciences as well as spatialand positional perception of theissue.Inthisstudy,usingcommon models and techniquesinanalysis ofurbansystem such astheZipfʹsrank-sizepattern, primate cityindicators and concentrationin7 censusesat 1956-2011, the population distributionofMazandaran provincehas been investigated. The resultsshowthat therank-sizepattern ofMazandaranʹs cities in1956-1971tended to change from binarypatternto Theorical (lognormal)patternin the next years.The findingsalsoindicatethat Mazandaran province has not been suffered by primate cityphenomenon, which are suffered most of Iranʹs provinces.