An Analysis of the effect of Land Use Change on Urban Identity Case study: ARG Street of Mashhad

Urban identity can change over time. Cities and urban spaces have had their own identity, but what exists today is nothing more than buildings and streets. Arg Street has been one of the important streets in the physical development of Mashhad in the modern era. The variety of cultural and recreational land uses (in the past) caused the formation of a new identity in this street, which has changed with time-lapse and the city's rapid growth. By identifying the components of past and present identification, this article focused on the effect of land use change on the amount of identification in this street. 

The research method is descriptive-analytical. Information was collected through field study and observation, supplemented with library sources. By identifying local experts, 100 questionnaires were completed on the past and present characteristics of Arg Street of Mashhad, and the data were analyzed with SPSS software.

The chi-square test results showed that the land use change did not contribute to the level of identification. The results of the Wilcoxon test also showed that religious and cultural land use has been more important in the past, and the importance of green space land use has also remained constant. Also, the findings indicate that with the change in land uses, the identity of Arg Street and the sense of attachment of the residents have also changed. Finally, the identity land uses the MACBETH method, and the m-Macbeth software has been ranked and evaluated.

 Land use change can significantly affect the identity dimensions of the place and the urban space and cause its status to be promoted or degraded.

Innovation: 

The findings of this study can inform city managers about land use changes and their effects on urban identity.