Evaluation and typology of urban growth boundaries with different aspects of density. Case study: Mashhad UGB

Urban containment strategies represent adequate methods for managing urban sprawl. Recent studies based on urban containment, Focus green belts and urban growth boundaries. This article introduces a new compatible method to classify kinds of UGB base on managing sprawl. Four indicators are chosen for urban boundary evaluation. Developed and developing countries, utilize different standards for urban containment and managing UGB. Some important quantitative characters like, urban growth rate and Gross density use to show compactness and also Building zone and net density use to represent infill development. These indicators may compose a typology helps to distinguish different types of UGB from “pure sprawl-pure extension” to “pure infilling-pure compact”. Then in this paper tries to evaluate and compare three methods of urban planning in Mashhad, from ۱۹۶۶ to recent plan, using following typology. Data and information gathered from three comprehensive and detailed plans of Mashhad from ۱۹۶۶ to now. Results from Mashhad master plans show that ۱۹۶۶-۱۹۸۶ UGB was completely lead sprawl and recent method after ۲۰۰۶ was toward compactness and infill development.

Keywords:

Green belt , Gross density , Infill development , Mashhad , Net density , Sprawl , Urban growth boundaries (UGB)