An Evaluation of Educational Land Use Patterns of the City of Shahroud

Evaluation plays an important role in the planning process and in the degree of success of any program aimed towards social welfare and sustainable development. There are different techniques and criteria for evaluation. Attempts are made in this study to summarize related techniques in land use planning and evaluated educational land usepatterns in the city of Shahroud using GIS. Locational paterns and spatial distribution of educational places in the city are main focuses of the study. Results of this research show suitable condition on basis of quantitative evaluation for three sections (primary, guidance and high schools). As there are more than per capita that use for training spaces (74.13, 76.92, 64.7 for primary, guidance and high schools, respectively), these values are greater than the per capita that are in Shahroud comprehensive plan. In quality evaluation basis on distribution of training space ratio to household in sector and area weidentified unsuitable distribution as most of training spaces have been gathered in city center. 24 out of 29 sectors and 12 out of 18 sectors do not have the standards of training spaces for primary and guidance schools respectively. 5 out of 7 areas have lower standard values for high school training spaces. In quality evaluation basis on compatibility and desirability the matrixes are unfavorable (61.53 % in discordant conditional) indifferent (52.77 %) and proper (51.61% in rather compatible) for primary, guidance and high schools. On the basis of favorable training spaces they have suitable conditions but only 2.56%, 2.77% and 3.22% of them have an unfavorable space for primary, guidance and high schools training spaces. And on the basisof access radius, primary schools have unsuitable, and guidance and high school suitable condition. The findings indicate that there is a need for rearrangement of educational land uses to provide equalopportunity and access for all.