Analyzing the Consequences of Urban Policymaking on the Physical Expansion of Zahedan City with the Approach of Commodification of Urban Space

Sargazi, Zeynab; Shokouhi, Mohammad Ajza; Rahnama,, Mohammad Rahim

doi:10.22111/gdij.2025.51152.3720

Analyzing the Consequences of Urban Policymaking on the Physical Expansion of Zahedan City with the Approach of Commodification of Urban Space

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

¹ PhD student in Geography and Urban Planning, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad.

² Associate Professor of Geography, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

³ Professor of Geography, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad

10.22111/gdij.2025.51152.3720

Abstract

Land use changes and urban peripheral expansion have intensified in recent years under the influence of the commodification process. The present study was conducted with the aim of analyzing the trend of land use changes over a 38-year period (1986 to 2024) and investigating the phenomenon of space commodification in Zahedan city. An attempt was made to use remote sensing data and the vector machine (SVM) algorithm to examine long-term land use changes and analyze the role of space commodification. Land use change was examined using pure change analysis and cross-tabulation matrix analysis methods. The findings indicate an increase in man-made areas during the study period from about 6.3% to 14.7%.Barren lands have experienced a decrease of about 10% from 92% to 82%, which has mainly benefited man-made lands. The change in land use of vegetation has also been accompanied by fluctuations and has finally experienced an increase of about (68%), with the increasing changes occurring more than the decreasing changes and outside the legal limits of the city. The results showed that man-made lands have been continuously expanding during the years 1986-2024 with a growth of 133%, while wasteland and vegetation have decreased or fluctuated. The analyses indicate that the commodification of space has led to market-based allocation of land and structural changes in the urban development pattern. Therefore, there is a need for management interventions to guide urban planning towards more equitable and sustainable cities, especially in cities that are expanding rapidly.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Urban Development Planning

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