Journal of Research and Rural Planning

Journal of Research and Rural Planning

Drivers of Land Commodification in the Western Urban–Rural Areas of Guilan Province, Northern Iran

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Habib Mahmoodi Chenari 1
Shahram Sharifi Hashjin 1
Farzaneh Nasiri Jan Agha 2
1 Environmental Research Institute, ACECR, Rasht, Iran
2 Environmental Research Institute, ACECR, Rasht, Iran.
10.22067/jrrp.v14i4.2511-1150
Abstract
Purpose- Land commodification is a process through which land shifts from being a productive, ecological, and social resource to a speculative asset and a vehicle for capital accumulation. Over the past decade, this process has intensified across the urban and rural zones of western Gilan Province, resulting in widespread villa construction, unregulated land-use conversions, increasing pressure on agricultural lands, spatial fragmentation, and the weakening of rural development. Despite the significance of this phenomenon, previous studies have rarely undertaken a systematic identification of the key driving forces shaping this complex dynamic.
Design/methodology/approach- Addressing this gap, the present study first identified a broad set of factors influencing land commodification through semi-structured interviews with local experts, managers, and stakeholders (145 participants). Following a screening and consensus-building process with 10 spatial-planning specialists, 59 final variables were extracted and subjected to structural analysis using a cross-impact matrix in MICMAC software. In addition, survey data from 300 local residents were employed to capture lived experiences, validate the operational mechanisms, and complement the analytical outcomes.
Finding- MICMAC results reveal that the absence of deterrent regulations and effective oversight mechanisms, weak agricultural support policies, fragmented land governance, the expansion of non-strategic tourism, and the increasing attractiveness of converting liquidity into land function as the principal driving variables. These drivers reinforce a self-amplifying cycle—characterized by rising land prices, intensified speculation, withdrawal of agricultural lands from production, and rapid villa development—that ultimately fosters spatial instability and undermines rural development.
Originality/value– By mapping the causal structure and identifying the key drivers, this study provides an evidence-based foundation for targeted policy interventions aimed at regulating land commodification and enhancing spatial–rural sustainability in western Gilan.
Keywords
Key driving forces
Land commodification
Western Guilan region
Land sales
MICMAC
Subjects
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  • Receive Date 02 November 2025
  • Revise Date 26 November 2025
  • Accept Date 02 December 2025