rethinking rural development: analyzing paradigmatic intersections in iran's spatial planning projects

Purpose- the ongoing research endeavors to identify and critically analyze the paradigmatic rural development model embedded within iran's spatial planning frameworks. as innovative philosophical perspectives in rural development emerge, the necessity of examining and understanding the foundational principles guiding these initiatives has become increasingly vital. this importance is recognized from a theoretical perspective and in practical efficiency and effectiveness, particularly relevant for geographers engaged in spatial analysis.design/methodology/approach- the research aims to contribute valuable insights to enhance rural development strategies and inform effective spatial planning in iran by exploring these dimensions. the research strategy uses a mixed-methods approach, allowing for the selection of various methods that are aligned with the overall research objectives. initially, the qualitative content analysis method was employed. data collection utilized several tools, including observation, document analysis, and questionnaires. a non-probability sampling technique was applied, and one document was selected from each of the nine study areas. researchers needed to consider multiple criteria during judgmental sampling, such as clustering levels, time units, geographic units, and the number of document samples, alongside consultations with academic experts. the document analysis, grounded in qualitative content analysis, aimed to objectify findings.findings- the research revealed that critical characteristics of the paradigmatic model for rural development in the provincial ssp include objective ontology, positivism epistemology, separate praxis, and ethics. the findings indicate that the degree of alignment between the selected spp and the paradigmatic model of retrogressive rural development is rated at 3.73. this score suggests that the retrogressive perspective remains dominant despite advancements in ideological and institutional reforms.originality/value- consequently, the characteristics associated with the paradigmatic elements of rural development have regressed within the spp framework.