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Volume 25, Issue 91 (12-2025) |
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The Impact of Urban Land-Use Allocation on the Traffic Load of the Inner-City Transportation Network: A Case Study of the Central District of Zanjan
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Solmaz Ahmadi Barough *   |
| Payam Noor University |
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Abstract: (16 Views) |
Abstract
Transportation demand is inherently dependent on the spatial allocation of urban land uses. Improper placement of these uses creates a need for long-distance travel for citizens to access goods and services, primarily via private vehicles. This leads to heavy traffic congestion on city streets, resulting in significant time loss for commuters and generating considerable environmental pollution. Furthermore, the unsuitable location of land uses and the consequent intensification of traffic load degrade environmental comfort and lead to a decline in the quality of the urban environment. This research investigates and proposes a reorganization of urban land uses to mitigate the traffic load in Zanjan's central district. The objective is to analyze the impact of urban design typologies and provide appropriate strategies for achieving a balanced distribution of urban traffic. The methodology involved a review of previous studies, field surveys, and spatial analysis of the existing conditions. Using SWOT analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the area were identified. Subsequently, a strategic vision was developed, leading to the formulation of specific regulations and solutions. The results indicate that an inappropriate concentration of land uses, particularly administrative, commercial, and educational functions, along major corridors is the primary cause of traffic congestion. This highlights a flawed distribution of land uses in the city's Detailed Plan. The study concludes that strategic interventions such as decentralizing trip-attracting uses, enhancing public transportation, managing parking facilities, and promoting pedestrian-oriented development are essential for achieving a sustainable and efficient urban core.
Keywords: Central Fabric of Zanjan, Urban Design, Land Use, Urban Traffic.
Introduction
The issue of transport demand is intrinsically linked to the placement of urban land uses. Improper allocation creates a need for long-distance travel within cities so that people can access goods and services, primarily using private vehicles. This leads to heavy traffic congestion, wasting time for public transport users and generating significant environmental pollution. Inappropriate land use placement, and the consequent increase in traffic load, degrades environmental comfort and reduces the quality of the urban environment. This research aims to investigate and reorganize urban land uses concerning the traffic load in Zanjan's central district. The goal is to analyze the impact of urban design type and provide appropriate solutions for balanced traffic distribution in this area, ultimately addressing existing problems through strategic planning.
Methodology
This study adopts a case study approach focused on the central district of Zanjan (Proposed Zone 1 of the Detailed Plan, covering 525 hectares). The methodology involved:
- Literature Review: Examining previous research and high-level urban plans.
- Field Surveys: Conducting field observations to gather precise data on the current state of the transportation network (streets, bus/taxi stations) and land uses.
- Spatial Analysis: Analyzing the existing land use map to understand the distribution of different functions (administrative, educational, commercial, cultural, religious, sports) and their relationship with traffic volume and peak hours.
- SWOT Analysis: Systematically evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of the study area to inform strategic planning.
- Visioning and Strategic Planning: Using a visioning model (referred to as "ارگون" - Ergon) to develop future scenarios and formulate specific regulations and strategies to solve the identified problems.
Discussion
The analysis reveals that the central district of Zanjan suffers from an inappropriate concentration of trip-generating land uses. Key findings include:
- Administrative and Commercial Uses: These are heavily concentrated along major transit corridors like Imam and Saadi streets, acting as significant traffic attractors.
- Educational Uses: While necessary, several educational facilities are clustered tightly together, generating travel demand that exceeds the needs of local residents.
- Centralized Services: The area contains a high density of regional-scale services (e.g., the traditional bazaar, Sabze Meydan), drawing daily trips from across the city into a core not designed for such capacity.
- Infrastructure Deficiencies: The existing street network, characterized by an organic (often worn-out) fabric, lacks a clear hierarchy, has narrow alleys, and suffers from insufficient parking. This leads to issues like on-street parking, which further reduces effective road capacity.
The core problem is the mismatch between the concentrated demand generated by land uses and the limited capacity of the historical urban fabric's transportation network. The current Detailed Plan of Zanjan has inadvertently reinforced this centralization instead of promoting decentralization.
Conclusion
The study concludes that the central part of Zanjan, while rich in historical and functional identity, faces significant traffic challenges due to the dense and unbalanced distribution of trip-attracting land uses. The lack of a hierarchical street system exacerbates congestion. To achieve a sustainable and livable urban center, the following strategic directions are essential:
- Decentralization: Redistributing major trip-generating uses (commercial, administrative, educational) to other city districts to alleviate pressure on the center.
- Transportation Management: Strengthening public transportation (buses, taxis), creating dedicated bus lanes, improving station design, and implementing intelligent traffic systems.
- Parking Management: Constructing multi-story parking facilities on the periphery of the central core and prohibiting on-street parking on main arteries to free up road capacity.
- Pedestrianization: Developing high-quality, well-equipped pedestrian networks, especially around key attractors, and calming traffic within the central fabric.
- Regulatory Revision: Revising the Detailed Plan to enforce land use distribution based on a proper hierarchy of access and services, ensuring local needs are met locally to
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Article number: 1 |
| Keywords: Central Fabric of Zanjan, Urban Design, Land Use, Urban Traffic. |
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Full-Text [PDF 2097 kb]
(11 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/09/25 | Accepted: 2026/01/13 | Published: 2026/01/13
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