Transformation of the Urban Land-Use System under the Influence of Megamalls: An Analysis of the Challenges of Large Commercial Center Development on Achieving Smart Urban Growth (Case Study: Tabriz)
Keywords:
Large commercial centers, land use system, smart urban growth, urban development, urban sustainability, Tabriz metropolisAbstract
This study aims to analyze the impacts of large-scale commercial center development on the urban land-use system and the realization of smart urban growth in Tabriz. This mixed-method study involved 246 residents living near major commercial centers and 30 urban experts selected through convenience, spatial cluster, and modified snowball sampling. Data were collected using two researcher-developed questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, field observations, and document analysis, and analyzed through SPSS, SmartPLS, MAXQDA, and GIS. Structural equation modeling revealed that commercial center development has a strong, positive, and significant effect on smart urban growth (β = 0.766, p < 0.001), and that physical (β = 0.604), economic (β = 0.599), environmental (β = 0.578), managerial–institutional (β = 0.554), and social (β = 0.502) dimensions of megaproject impacts all exert significant influences on smart growth. Megamall development has fundamentally reshaped the land-use system of Tabriz and, when strategically guided, can substantially enhance sustainable and smart urban development.
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