An Analysis of Transformations in the Physical Structure of the Spatial Organization of Iranian Metropolises: The Case Study of Mashhad (1976–2026)

Mohammadi, Sajjad; Siami, Ghadir

doi:10.22034/jgk.2026.591244.1349

An Analysis of Transformations in the Physical Structure of the Spatial Organization of Iranian Metropolises: The Case Study of Mashhad (1976–2026)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Sajjad Mohammadi ¹

Ghadir Siami ²

¹ Urban Planning, Imam Reza International University. Mashhad. Iran

² Faculty member, Department of Urban Planning and Architecture, Imam Reza (AS) International University

10.22034/jgk.2026.591244.1349

Abstract

The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the transformations in the physical structure of the spatial organization of the Mashhad metropolis during the years 1976 to 2026. Despite the importance and necessity of understanding the dynamics of the physical structure of this major metropolis in northeastern Iran, a multidimensional and spatial assessment of physical transformations using quantitative indicators and spatial models over a long-term period has received limited scholarly attention. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method. Following the collection of the required data and information (spatial census data of urban blocks and approved master plan maps), a multidimensional assessment of the transformations in physical form and the measurement of urban sprawl over a 50-year period (encompassing the census years 1976, 1986, 1996, 2006, 2016, and the plan horizon of 2026) was conducted using "urban blocks" as the unit of analysis. Galster's eight-dimensional framework was adopted as the basis for assessment, utilizing Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for layer processing and spatial modeling. Additionally, three techniques were employed in this study: the standard deviational ellipse model; Moran's Index of spatial autocorrelation; and Shannon's entropy model. The findings indicate that Shannon's entropy index for the city of Mashhad consistently fluctuated above 7.5 (relative to the maximum natural logarithm of 10) throughout the study period. Over the fifty-year period, the index rose from 8.4 to a peak of 8.8, and subsequently increased to 8.1. The results "It shows that over the past half-century, the physical structure of the spatial organization of the metropolis of Mashhad, influenced by the spatial development pattern based on 'sprawl' and 'fragmentation,' has gone through four distinct periods of physical transformation: 'physical explosion,' 'the era of decentralization from the traditional core,' 'the period of controlled horizontal development and densification,' and 'the emergence of the polycentric metropolis.'

Keywords

Spatial organization

Physical structure

Urban sprawl

Mashhad metropolis

Shannon's entropy

Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Subjects

Urban studies and urbanism of Greater Khorasan

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