Analysis of Spatial Form and Demographic Changes of Shiraz Metropolitan Area During the Period 1996-2016

The number and population of metropolitan areas have increased significantly during the last century, and in line with the increase in population, improved communications, global trends, and other significant factors, there have been many changes in the spatial development of these areas. These changes are observed in metropolitan areas of Iran during the same period, but there have been a few studies on the changes of these areas in Iran. In this study, the urban land density (U.L.D) function was used to investigate the spatial development trend in Shiraz metropolitan area from 1996-2016. The results show that the Shiraz metropolitan area has experienced a decentralized and scattered spatial form from 1996 to 2016. The pattern of changes in the region's spatial development during the years 1996-2006 and 2006-2016 shows that spatial development has become more decentralized and scattered. According to demographic analysis, the highest population density in 2006, 2011, and 2016 can be seen in the central buffer zone of Shiraz metropolis. Based on directional distribution (standard distance), the population distribution has moved to the northwest of the region. In addition, when analyzing the population distribution pattern, the Moran statistics shows that the region population is distributed in clusters. In general, the decentralized and dispersed spatial form and the formation of population clusters in the region's development process show an imbalance in the region's spatial and demographic development. Some of the significant effects of this phenomenon are urban fragmentation, social segregation, car dependency, and the destruction of agricultural lands and gardens.