An explanation of urban sprawl phenomenon in Shiraz Metropolitan Area (SMA)

Urban Sprawl, as a low-density, unplanned, unlimited and sporadic physical expansion towards suburban area is one of the worldwide challenges facing spatial development planning in recent years. In a great part of literature on urban sprawl, dealing with this phenomenon depends on controlling two main factors of "population growth" and "per capita land consumption". This study is to propose a comprehensive framework for dealing with this phenomenon emphasizing the case study of Shiraz Metropolitan Area (SMA) in Iran through identifying the drivers stimulating these two factors. Analyses were carried out by using spatial analytics, mathematical and statistical methods such as Holdern analysis, path analysis and other statistical analyses. Investigating the drivers and factors, the article suggests that unlike many reviewed experiences, "per capita land consumption" is not the main factor in SMA's Sprawl. Instead, "population growth" due to employment opportunities, higher relative household income and affordable housing policies are the main drivers. Furthermore, attracting creative class through development of knowledge economy and ICT infrastructures has adversely influenced urban sprawl. In addition, automobile-oriented developments have exacerbated this phenomenon by stimulating city expansion towards invaluable natural and rural areas. Thus, in order to control the phenomenon under study, it is necessary to take into account these factors in planning priorities and allocation of resources considering the causal relations between them.