Background and Aim: Managing urban land use and maintaining compatibility among different functions is one of the key challenges in the sustainable development of physical structures. This study aims to analyze the spatial-physical structure of Ardabil city and identify land-use anomalies that lead to functional and security disruptions.
Methodology: This research is applied in terms of objective and descriptive-analytical in nature. The methodological framework is based on a comparative analysis of current land-use per capita against the standards approved by the Supreme Council for Urban Planning and Architecture of Iran. Data were extracted from two primary sources: secondary data (census results, comprehensive and detailed urban plans) and primary data (field observations and questionnaires). The data analysis process was conducted using Geographic Information Systems (GIS), involving physical data layering, extracting statistical tables, and assessing the intensity of spatial anomalies and the gap between existing per capita and standard benchmarks.
Findings and Results: The results indicate that the physical structure of Ardabil faces a “severe structural imbalance,” with 92.6% of the city’s area (equivalent to 241,201,361 square meters) consisting of inefficient land uses (vacant, dilapidated, and nuisance/disruptive uses). Comparative analysis showed that a major portion of vital land uses, including green spaces, educational, healthcare, and public services, suffer from severe deficits in per capita indices. Furthermore, the compatibility matrix analysis revealed that “vacant land,” “industrial workshops,” and “urban infrastructure” (with an incompatibility score of 5) create the most tension with sensitive land uses (residential, healthcare, and educational), leading to physical anomalies (fragmentation of the urban fabric), functional issues (pollution and noise), and security problems (creation of dead spaces). The anomalies in Ardabil are not primarily due to land constraints, but rather stem from “suboptimal land allocation” and mismanagement of existing capacities. The presence of vast vacant lands alongside severe service deficits highlights the necessity of redefining and utilizing these anomalous lands as “strategic physical reserves” to address existing shortages