Urban sprawl and physical-spatial changes in suburban settlements of Zahedan

In irregular urban growth discourse in developing countries, the most economical and social indicator of poverty and unofficial settlement is emergence of urban sprawl. This phenomenon, while creating instability and destroying agricultural areas, creates irregular and scattered physical growth around metropolises and can encourage rural-urban migration. In addition to local-spatial changes, it has a significant role in the underdevelopment of the city and surrounding villages. Therefore, the present study investigated this issue with the aim of "analyzing the effects of urban sprawl on the physical-spatial changes of peripheral villages of Zahedan". The research method was descriptive-analytical and field study were used for data collection. The statistical population included 4 villages around Zahedan city which the urban sprawl had the greatest impact on them. The required data were obtained from Landsat satellite images and parametric tests were used to analyze them. The findings showed that the effects of Zahedan urban sprawl and its prevailing spatial currents have caused physical-spatial changes in various dimensions (population growth, village size and changes in employment and activity structure) in peripheral villages. These effects were negative on agricultural sector, positive on services sector and in the social dimension indicated the creation of a bedroom suburb role and an increase in population movement and cultural exchanges.